50 Weird And Awesome Inventions From The Consumer Golden Age

[Oldcarfan27]

Check out these crazy mid century ideas and see if there are any you'd be able to use today. 

https://www.businessinsider.com/50-awesome-inventions-2010-9?slop=1

[iamsuperdan]

Hmm...driving under hypnosis. That sure would explain some of the things I see.

 

Many of those are around today, which is kind of neat. ATM, powered scooters, Hi-Fi TV, etc.

[stitchdup]

hmmn! they got the atm wrong, it was nothing to do with any bank, they were invented in dundee

[Ace-Garageguy]

What, no Dorkotron 500? Not to be confused with the Dork-O-Matic 1000, which was very similar but entirely different. When the manufacturers merged, they brought out the DorkMatic 2000, a brilliant melding of the two previously competing machines, vastly simplified, yet encompassing more features.

Vintage and reproduction Dork products are highly prized today, though the underlying technology is largely misunderstood. Still, they can be found employed in almost every field of human endeavor, a testament to the universality and timelessness of their design.

[Oldcarfan27]

4 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

What, no Dorkotron 500? Not to be confused with the Dork-O-Matic 1000, which was very similar but entirely different. When the manufacturers merged, they brought out the DorkMatic 2000, a brilliant melding of the two previously competing machines, vastly simplified, yet encompassing more features.

Vintage and reproduction Dork products are highly prized today, though the underlying technology is largely misunderstood. Still, they can be found employed in almost every field of human endeavor, a testament to the universality and timelessness of their design.

I was going to add another place they can be found, but I'd be reprimanded for breaking the rules! ?

[DPNM]

My brother and I had one of these:

Robot Commando Toy

IIRC speaking into the mic opened a flap that woke the robot. There was a toothed sliding gear that you turned a knob on to make it do what you wanted. That ran up and down on the mic. The robot would move forward and back, the lid on it's head would open and shoot a missile, the arms would rotate and throw balls and the eyes rolled.  It was a cool toy.

[NOBLNG]

The infra red heater is a success…electric versions anyways,  and I’ve seen versions of the motorized skateboard around.

Edited September 8, 2022 by NOBLNG

[Bugatti Fan]

So, E scooters, or at least the concept is not new at all looking at Greg's picture of the girl on the motorised skateboard.  1950's?

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 8/24/2022 at 10:34 AM, NOBLNG said:

The infra red heater is a success…electric versions anyways,  and I’ve seen versions on the motorized skateboard around.

 

Propane-fueled radiant heaters of similar and quite different designs are in wide use today too, particularly on construction sites, outdoor restaurant and bar decks, and in shops. Some underprivileged soul recently helped himself to the one that lived on my front porch.

[kermn8r]

On 8/24/2022 at 7:34 AM, NOBLNG said:

 

Late 1940s to 1950s is the right time frame, but not so much an E scooter.  Look closely below the McCoy sign & you will see a McCoy model airplane engine spinning a prop. McCoy was a manufacturer of large glow plug engines after the war into the 1950s. They scaled back to the .049 size in the late 50s, early 60s.

[Ace-Garageguy]

36 minutes ago, kermn8r said:

...Look closely below the McCoy sign & you will see a McCoy model airplane engine spinning a prop.

 

Exactly. I still have some of my father's largish glow-plug engines, kinda like this.

 

 

 

[NOBLNG]

9 hours ago, kermn8r said:

Late 1940s to 1950s is the right time frame, but not so much an E scooter.  Look closely below the McCoy sign & you will see a McCoy model airplane engine spinning a prop. McCoy was a manufacturer of large glow plug engines after the war into the 1950s. They scaled back to the .049 size in the late 50s, early 60s.

Cool! I never even noticed the engine. Do you think that little engine would have enough thrust to pull her around? The sidewalk would certainly have to be in better shape than the ones around here!?

[kermn8r]

Possibly, as I think that vintage of  .60 size glow engine is good for 3/4 to 1 HP. The bigger issue would be how efficient the prop is overcoming the weight and wheel friction.  It would be a lot easier to maintain a speed once she was manually pushed to a speed than it would be to get going from a standing start.

[Oldcarfan27]

On 8/24/2022 at 7:34 AM, NOBLNG said:

The infra red heater is a success…

Can't be too much of a success - the snow around her isn't even melting. ?

[BlackSheep214]

Snail Pacer….that’s like watching paint dry. LOL!