“Tactical to Practical” – when technologies perhaps originally developed for military use make their way into common civilian life. Tonight we have the first in a series of two such inventions, each by a brilliant woman who was a trailblazer in her field, as well as an inductee into the Inventors Hall of Fame (www.invent.org).

To learn more, www.patents.google.com

Part 1: US No. 2,220,860 FILM STRUCTURE AND METHOD OF PREPARATION

https://www.invent.org/inductees/katharine-burr-blodgett

Part 2: US No. 2,292,387 SECRET COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

https://www.invent.org/inductees/hedy-lamarr

Continuing from last week, we have another 80’s icon/inventor: Paula Abdul! Note that this one is a published patent application, but not an issued patent. It looks like it was abandoned for failure to respond to an Office Action. However, patent applications are published after 18 months, so we can still enjoy it.

For more info:

https://patents.google.com/

US Application No. 20090196451A1 DYNAMIC MICROPHONE SUPPORT APPARATUS

Check out Paula’s moves here (the tap intro is still a classic):

“Straight Up” original video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El1kgCqD7Xk

So what else to Eddie Van Halen and Michael Jackson have in common?

Both of them invented devices related to their signature performance elements and were granted patents for their innovations.

If you'd like to learn more:

https://patents.google.com/

US No. 4,656,917 MUSICAL INSTRUMENT SUPPORT

Eddie Van Halen's guitar "tapping technique"

“Eruption” clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-H2laU7sQU

US No. 5,255,452 METHOD AND MEANS FOR CREATING AN ANTI-GRAVITY ILLUSION

Michael Jackson's "lean"

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/22/health/michael-jackson-dance-moves

(If you have any suggestions for other artists and their patents, drop me a message at [email protected] or on my Facebook page.

Good evening. Tonight we'll be listening to a few brilliant innovations in the art area of Basketball Equipment:

US No. 1,187,029 BASKET BALL AND SIMILAR PLAYING BALL

US No. 1,757,350 BASKET BALL BASKET SUSPENSION

US No. 2,413,952 ELECTRIC RECORDING OF BASKETBALL GOALS

If you would like to read these for yourself or see the accompanying drawings, you can look them up on Google Patent Search: https://patents.google.com/

Also, if there is a subject you would like to hear, please check out my Facebook page here.

Thanks for listening, and good sleep...

Tonight we'll read a set of patents from the late 1800s-early 1900s in the art area of Beds. If you'd like to see the drawings or read them for yourself, go to https://patents.google.com/ and enter the number. Tonight's are as follows:

US No. 665,243 MEDICAL BED

US No. 559,778 BED LOUNGE

US 584,699STUDIO FOLDING BED

Good night and good sleep...

Good Evening, and welcome to Patentsomnia, a podcast that helps put you to sleep with the soothing voice of a Patent Attorney reading actual issued patents from the last 200 years.