Category: Possible inventions

Today’s invention is a bicycle wheel made entirely of reinforced rubber.

Two shallow, conical moulds are lined with fibre matting, brought together and liquid rubber injected.

These are then spun about the axle, so that the rubber permeates the fibre and forms a circular section tyre together with two sides of an integral wheel.

This would allow wheels to be more resilient to impact such as when bouncing down a kerb. It would also be a much simpler manufacturing process than conventional spokes allow.

Lastly, the resulting wheels would offer the low-drag performance of ‘solid’ wheels.

Today’s invention is a way for ejecting pilots to avoid descending to enemy territory.

In diagram a) a pilot prepares to eject.

In b) the canopy is attached to the ejection seat at the top and it encapsulates it on exit, forming an airtight pod.

The pod can deploy a parachute in the usual way. If however, a wingman is nearby, the parachute is jettisoned before it is opened and the other aircraft, approaches at a similar horizontal velocity.

A robot arm emerges (c) from the wingman’s plane and docks with the pod, attaching it to the rear fuselage so that both airmen can return to base safely.

Cities are costly for shop owners. Today’s invention aims to lessen this problem for bricks-and-mortar retail, by using mobile warehouses.

Shops would be opened containing only counters for a number of different brands on a similar theme (eg clothing).

A customer who needed to see some goods in person, or try them on, would choose from an online catalogue (specifying some sizes and colours. They would be advised about a suitable time window for their visit).

This would alert a fleet of electric trucks within the urban or suburban area. Many of these vehicles would be stopped or in slow moving traffic but they would be designed to have a frugal mode specifically for this cruising behaviour.

Instead of delivering product to one big store, a vehicle would be aware of its own onboard stock and break out of circulation to move towards a shop making active requests (in time to do a drop-off before the customer arrived and to pick up unsold items).

In this way, customers could get back in touch with a wider range of products and store owners need not pay any more for transport whilst reducing their bills for stockroom space.

Today’s invention is a crutch for people who still need to stay quite mobile.

This takes the form of a rolling suitcase with an open top into which someone’s damaged foot can be placed, cast and all.

The case’s handle extends higher than usual and locks to act as a shoulder pad/support.

Used in conjunction with another, conventional crutch, this system could even be motorised, so that the case would move forward in bursts, matching the natural gait of the user pre-injury.

I didn’t realise that runners over different distances had strong preferences for different track materials (longer distance runners prefer springier material).

Given that these elite athletes are supported in every other possible way (don’t start me on the 30 miles of ‘VIP’ lanes through London), why not give them tracks they want to run on?

Today’s invention is therefore a running track laying machine which can lift the entire width of the track (like a wide carpet) and replace it with alternative material.

This could even be automated so that 400m could be replaced in a few minutes. The 10,000m could thus follow the 100m immediately if required to do so (by the TV schedulers).

For cyclists who want to do long distance training with minimal drag and maximal weather protection, behold today’s invention.

It is a lightweight foam template, cut so as to closely match a cyclist’s outline (but with sections broadened to form a roof and splash guards).

This would be self-powered and, using sensors and fine motor control, would constantly maintain a small gap between itself and the cycle+rider.

This would also be a good platform for advertising by team sponsors, during training rides.

It annoys me greatly that kitchen knife blocks make it hard to select the right implement (especially at times of crisis, such as when I’m cooking).

Even a transparent block makes it hard to see which blade is attached to which handle.

Today’s invention is a block which contains a rotating magazine in which the blades are stored.

A cook can say ‘paring’, ‘bread’, ‘peeling’, ‘carving’ etc to the block’s microphone and its processor will rotate the barrel until it aligns with the single handle, attaching the right blade to it.

There is only one handle to grab, thus minimising culinary stress.

This might also be adapted for use in operating theatres or motor garages.

Today’s invention is an ejector seat apparatus for single-seat jets.

As the pilot ejects, the trailing edge of the seat physically breaks a fuel pipeline, causing the plane to be filled with explosive liquid.

This will ignite and destroy the plane in an intense aerial conflagration.

The effect would be to avoid casualties on the ground which might be caused by a large piece of debris.

It also limits the amount of secret information about the plane’s construction which might be gleaned from such remnants.

Body scanners in airports don’t have a great press. Everyone assumes that they will be used to broadcast images of their less-than olympic physique, for the amusement of the general public.

Today’s invention is to make some positive use of these scans.

Anyone passing through such a machine would have the right to have the imagery sent direct to their tailor or favourite online store.

This would allow the busy jet-setting class to travel informally dressed and have a perfectly fitting suit chosen or made for them by arrival time at their destination.

(Also, are body dimensions currently used as a form of biometric identifier? This would make it much harder to travel on a false passport).