Folks:
I was browsing the USPTO database, and turned up a lot of things that might amuse some people - some inventions that started things we still use to this day, some that have been abandoned but still bring back fond memories…or memories of another kind.
Most of these are pre-1975, and not available as full text, so you’ll have to click on “Images” to see the scanned patent. You’ll need a TIFF plugin such as AlternaTIFF to view these.
Kadee magnetic couplers (and magnetic X2Fs, too)! This patent took several years to award - the app was filed in 1959, and I suspect it had a lot to do with a patent awarded at just about the same time to someone named Ross, covering magnetic X2Fs which operated on a different principle:
Varney trucks - needlepoint axles and one-piece castings, in die-cast metal:
Lindberg trucks - the first to use Delrin for free rolling, and flexible snap assembly:
Varney diesel drive: