The Magic Compass and other strange patents

I have always loved that little Innovations catalogue that gets pushed through the letterbox every now and again. Amongst the leaf-vacuumers, laundry drying devices, and nasal hair trimmers, it has offered gems such as the Big Slipper (a huge round fluffy slipper that the whole family could slide their feet into at once), the "Teflon coated armchair", and the amazing Besk (it's a desk! And a double bed! All in one!).

Free Patents Online offers similar marvels of shed-dweller ingenuity:

The Magic Compass - an odd device that "gives the illusion it defies the laws of nature, providing usage as an aid for locating the direction of prayer as well as a novel promotional device for companies, having a magnetized compass needle which is attached via a linking means to a non-magnetic pointer. This linking means [...] allows the non-magnetic pointer to be angularly displaced from the magnetized compass needle [... and] provides the means for the non-magnetic pointer to rotate and pivot freely via the inertia of the magnetized needle. A partition hides the magnetized needle below, and simultaneously creates a compass face for the non-magnetic pointer above. The non-magnetic pointer is designed and shaped to appear identical to a true magnetized compass needle."

So basically, it's a compass that lies. Exactly how it assists with "locating the direction of prayer" is a mystery. Pirates, treasure hunters, and world record seeking Polar explorers could benefit by gifting it to their rivals but this seems a very limited market niche.

The Two-in-One Handbag - a handbag that's really two handbags held together by "magnets, snaps, velcro". Genius.

And from the Inventor Spot website:

The Retro Wooden Mobile Phone - it's a mobile phone. Made of wood.

The Neanderthal Feather Walker - "the only bird that can fly with its feet, not its wings". Brilliant. I definitely want one of those.

The Elephant Earpick Cell Phone Charm - an earpick shaped like an elephant that dangles charmingly from your cell phone. How useful.



We won't be getting the creepy speakers below because Charlie is horrified: