Patriotic Patents: 5 Patented Inventions for July 4th Festivities
The United States has a fantastic history of dreaming big, accomplishing the impossible, and innovating constantly. We have countless reasons to take a day to appreciate the progress our great nation has made. With our great country turning another year older, it only seems appropriate to reflect on a few of the patented inventions that make Independence Day the spectacle we all expect. Here is a peek at five patented inventions that make the Fourth of July such a special event.
1. “Sparkler” Patent No. 2,063,601, Filed: 8/15/1934
Independence Day would be incomplete without the glowing tails of sparklers waving against the dark summer sky. It is hard to believe that the patent application for this July 4th staple was filed over 80 years ago on August 15th, 1934.
Fun Fact: The USPTO has received 145 patent applications that specifically refer to “fireworks” in their claims. The earliest “fireworks” claim language dates back to April 24th, 1900 in a patent titled “Means For Loading Fireworks-Bodies.”
2. “Blender”, Patent No. 3,368,800, Filed: 4/13/1965
From blended margaritas to virgin daiquiris, frozen drinks have been cooling down the Fourth of July for decades. Perhaps one of the most famous ways to blend your frozen drink is with the Vita-Mix blender, an invention that was patented with the USPTO back in February 1968.
3. “Portable Grill”, Patent No. 3,812,840, Filed: 12/12/1972
Hot dogs at the park, hot dogs on the beach – the portable grill enables patriotic partiers to take their celebration anywhere. Also described as “a closeable cooking device in the nature of a charcoal fired smoke oven” (as stated in the patent abstract), this patented invention may deserve credit for the joy of outdoor burger flipping.
4. “Insulated Beverage Cooler”, Patent No. 4,293,015, Filed: 6/10/1980
Not a fan of frozen drinks? You can keep your cans cool with the insulated beverage cooler described in this 1980 patent. Claiming both a “jacket for use with cold drinking utensils” and a “collapsible insulated beverage jacket,” the colloquially known “drink koozie” that is now popular among summer imbibers everywhere was first described in a patent application filed almost four decades ago.
5. “Precision Fireworks Display System Having a Decreased Environmental Impact”, Patent No. 5,339,741, Filed: 1/7/1992
Of all of the celebratory patented inventions, July 4th would not be the same without a stunning fireworks show. This patent describes a “system and method for launching projectiles, such as fireworks projectiles, which explode in the air into a pyrotechnic display.” Prior 1994, there was an “inability to precisely control fireworks display,” but this patented invention enables the firework detonation that is “more accurate, safe, and versatile, with a minimum adverse environmental impact” (according to the patent background).
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