Many ingenious people have brought all kinds of innovations to market with the aim of improving or making people’s lives easier in some way. Some are weird, some are pretty smart, and some are downright dangerous.
Let’s look at some examples of this.
sewing machine wheel
This original bicycle was designed in 1939 and the idea was that if the family rode bicycles, everyone could use the same bicycle while the mother sewed and the sewing machine was powered by the cyclists.
As unbelievable as it may seem, the bicycle-sewing machine was very popular in Chicago, even though it never seemed like a normal mode of transportation. Families were usually watched as they cycled with the mother sewing, and most users found this extremely uncomfortable.
Gradually, the sewing machine wheel market died out.
The cigarette umbrella
Smokers know how difficult it can be to light up when it’s raining, as well as to stay alive in the court.
An imaginative person invented the cigarette umbrella in 1931 to make smoking easier in the rain. The idea is far from crazy but never caught on.
The multi-shave machine
This amazing gadget was supposed to solve the queues for smokers at the beginning of the 20th century because it was possible, or so it was believed, that with it you could shave 12 people alone.
In contrast, the machine shaved everyone exactly the same, regardless of bone structure, beard growth or weight, and therefore the shape of people’s faces.
So men came out of the machine unshaven, to say the least, and its popularity was short-lived.
The mask of hunger
The mask, which was supposed to prevent people from being fed, came on the market in the early eighties of the last century.
The target group was rather particular, especially the advertisements aimed at restaurants and they were encouraged to invest in the gimmick to prevent chefs and other staff from constantly sneaking into food.
The mask was also said to be suitable for housewives on a diet, as well as those who could not bring themselves to taste the products when baking and making other gummy desserts.
Curiously, the mask never gained popularity.
The size reducer
The idea behind the device was that women (of course women) could get rid of fat on their stomachs and hips by “vibrating” it.
The device became popular in the 1960s and 1960s despite the fact that women (of course women) complained of not losing weight and having bruises on their buttocks, hips and stomach.
The same basic technique is still used today in the fight against excess pounds, but has been significantly refined.
The Beard Shield
The beard shield hit the market in 1876 and in itself is not complicated. It is a metal shield that is attached with straps behind the ears.
At that time most men had mustaches and the idea was that by using the shield it would be possible to prevent food and drink from getting stuck in the beard.
There are no stories about the fate of the bearded shield.
The elevator that never stops
There were two elevators side by side, both without doors. One was going up and the other was going down lap after lap without stopping. They moved slowly and people could jump into them at will – there were no buttons.
Elevators became popular around the world, especially in public buildings and universities, as they were not considered child-friendly.
Production of the elevators was stopped in the mid-1970s because they were considered too dangerous.
However, doorless elevators that never stop are still used in some places, including Germany and the Czech Republic.
The radio hat
Before the days of pocket discos, not to mention smartphones, an American company began to produce hats with a built-in radio, and broadcasts were carried out up to 30 kilometers away. The radio hat was powered by a battery that the user carried in his pocket.
The radio hats were a real hit and were sold in most major department stores in the United States, and the hats sold like hot cakes via order lists.
But in the early 1960s sales began to decline and in 1955 production was stopped, as there was no demand.
Small radios were then introduced, which became the death knell of the radio hat.
The pram
The stroller came on the market around 1930 and could reach a speed of no less than 24 kilometers per hour.
Although the original version is long gone, you can still get electronic strollers designed for babies as well.
