Category Archives: Inventions

Lint Remover

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Lint Remover

Are you sick of the lint? Try a lint remover!

  • Lint removers are objects that when rolled or brushed on fabric, remove lint and other foreign fibres.
  • A type of lint remover, a lint roller, features a handle and a small barrel usually coated with sticky adhesive, that is rolled over fabric to remove lint and other fibres, and is disposable or is able to be refilled with more sticky adhesive.
  • Prior to especially designed lint removers, clothes brushes were used to clean and remove lint from clothes.
  • A lint brush, a type of lint remover that lasts a long time, is a cushioned brush covered in fibrous material that collects lint and other fibres and sometimes they have a swivel head so that the brush can be used in either direction.
  • Lint removers are common items among pet owners, since the remover easily collects fur or dead skin off pets.

Lint remover

  • It is commonly believed that Nicholas McKay from the United States invented the first lint remover in 1956, however, there are number of patents filed years earlier for lint rollers and brushes, most notably Charles F Slater and Homer T Clark, who both filed patents in the US for lint rollers in January 1944.
  • Different types of lint removers are suited to different materials as some may cause damage or wear to the fabric.
  • Lint should be cleaned or removed from lint removers regularly to avoid lint being put back onto the fabric.
  • Lint removers are best used by lightly, rather than firmly, brushing or rolling.
  • Lint removers are commonly used by those that regularly wear black suits or other dark formal clothes, as lint can easily be seen on dark fabrics.
Bibliography:
Lint Brushes, 2010, Lint Brush Online, http://www.lintbrushonline.com/lint-brushes/
Nicholas McKay (inventor), 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_McKay_(inventor)
What is a lint brush?, 2013, Wise-GEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-lint-brush.htm

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Bread Clip

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Bread Clip

What would we do without bread clips…?

  • ‘Bread clips’ are also known as ‘bread tags’, bread tabs’, ‘bread-bag clips’, ‘bread ties’, ‘bag closures’, ‘Kwik Lok closures’ and ‘bread climps’.
  • Bread clips were invented to seal and reseal bags, and are often used for bags containing bread or bakery products to improve freshness.
  • Bread clips come in many different sizes, shapes, and colours, and are selected according to their use and the size of the packaging that will be involved.
  • Bread clips are sometimes colour coded for certain purposes, and it is common for the expiry date to be printed on the clip.
  • Bread clips are sometimes collected due to the uniqueness of most clips.

Bread tag, Bread clip, seal, loose, white, blue, brown, expiry, Ten Random Facts, notched, Australia, Plastic

  • A bread clip looks like a notched square or rectangle and are made of a cheap plastic.
  • Bread clips were invented by Floyd G Paxton, an American, in the 1950s, but it is said that he was never awarded a patent.
  • Floyd Paxton, the founder of the Kwik Lok company, invented bread clips when he cut part of a credit card, notched it and placed it on an open bag, that stopped the contents from spilling out.
  • Bread clips are a more practical replacement for wire closures and a fresher replacement than folding the packaging over.
  • Bread clips can be clipped on the wheel spokes on a bicycle, which when the wheel is spun, the clips produce spins of colour and clicking sounds.
Bibliography:
Bread clip, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bread_clip
Taxonomy of the Occlupanida, n.d, http://www.horg.com/horg/?page_id=921

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Polyethylene Terephthalate

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Polyethylene Terephthalate

Polyethylene terephthalate – a lengthy compound.

  • ‘Polyethylene terephthalate’ is also known as ‘PET’, ‘PETE’, ‘PETP’, ‘PET-P’ and ‘Dacron’, which is a brand name.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is a strong, light and safe plastic that is often made into containers to store foodstuff or liquids such as drinks, film – often for the packaging industry, and it is also used significantly in the textile industry.
  • Of all the production of polyethylene terephthalate, approximately 30% is used in plastic bottles and more than 60% is produced as textile fibre.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is a type of polyester, and is named as such when used in textiles.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is made of a chemical structure of (C10H8O4)n.

PET, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Bottle, Code, PETE, 1, recycling, Plain, Bottom, Ten Random Facts

  • Polyethylene terephthalate is fully recyclable and has a recycling code of ‘1’, by which PET can be recognised.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate was first patented in 1941 by chemists from England, named John Whinfield and James Dickson, invented for textile purposes.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is made from two organic compounds, dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol that go through a heating and distilling process.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate has become a very popular recycled material, as it can be recycled a number of times, and is generally converted to flakes or pellets to be further processed into fibres, film or formed in moulds, which are often made into carpets, fabrics, containers and other items.
  • Polyethylene terephthalate is typically transparent when in thin sheets, but can be opaque when thick.
 Bibliography:
PET Basics, n.d, NAPCOR, http://www.napcor.com/pdf/v4-11_NAPCOR_PET_Interactive.pdf
Polyethylene terephthalate, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyethylene_terephthalate

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Ribbon

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Ribbon

Tie up that ribbon.

  • Ribbons are generally thin strips of a cloth but are sometimes manufactured from or include metal or plastic.
  • Ribbons are often made of silk, polyester, nylon and cotton, and common types include satin, wire-edged, velvet and grosgrain.
  • ‘Ribbon’ comes from the Middle English or Old French words ‘ribban’ or ‘ruban’ respectively.
  • Ribbons are cloth strips that are between 0.32 to 30 centimetres (0.125 to 12 inches) in width.
  • Ribbons are an ancient invention, and were manufactured in France as early as 1000 AD.

Ribbon, Thick, Thin, Hair, Red, Strip, Pink, White, Coloured, Blue, Orange, Ten Random Facts

  • Ribbons are often used as a body accessory, decoration for gifts, for tying objects in place, an adornment on clothes, as recognition of a place-getter in a competition or an award, and is a popular hair accessory.
  • Ribbons are often used as symbols, commonly worn for awareness, with symbolic colours such as red for AIDS awareness.
  • During the 1500s, in England, there was an attempt at restricting the wearing of ribbons only to those who were noble or of importance.
  • Ribbons are generally made from spun and woven fine threads, and once they are woven, they are usually rolled onto a spool ready for sale or use.
  • In the 1600s, ribbons were the fashion, appearing on many wearable items of both male and female.
Bibliography:
How to make Ribbon, n.d, How To, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Ribbon.html
Ribbon, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribbon

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Baking Paper

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Baking Paper

Rip off the baking paper and put it on the tray.

  • ‘Baking paper’ is also known as ‘parchment paper’, ‘bakery release paper’, ‘silicone paper’, silicone baking paper’ and ‘butter paper’.
  • Baking paper is a non-stick paper used in baking, often to line tins, pans and trays, to prevent food from sticking to the pans.
  • Baking paper is typically made by submerging paper pulp in chemicals, such as sulphuric acid or zinc chloride, or paper is covered with an agent such as silicone.
  • Baking paper is also often reusable, although can wear after a number of uses, and it can be disposed of easily.
  • Baking paper is made from vegetable or plant based materials, specifically cellulose.

Baking paper, white, parchment paper, Woolworths Select, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • A French tradition, called ‘en papillote’ (in parchment) involves wrapping food with baking paper.
  • Baking paper is a practical replacement of cooking grease and wax paper.
  • Baking paper can be used as a stencil or template, an icing cone or a bag.
  • Parchment, which is made in a similar way to baking paper, was first invented in the Ptolemaic Dynasty, in Egypt, during 305 to 283BC.
  • Baking paper is heat resistant, and generally a partially transparent white colour.
Bibliography: Parchment Paper (Baking), 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parchment_paper_(baking)
What is Parchment Paper, 2013, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-parchment-paper.htm

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Pressure-sensitive Tape

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Pressure-sensitive Tape

Broken something? Use some pressure-sensitive tape!

  • ‘Pressure-sensitive tape’ is also known as ‘PSA tape’, ‘tape’, ‘sticky tape’, ‘adhesive tape’, and ‘self-stick tape’.
  • Pressure-sensitive tape is an adhesive tape, commonly plastic-backed, that sticks onto surfaces when pressure is applied.
  • Pressure-sensitive adhesive was invented in 1845 by surgeon Dr Horace Day, who applied it to fabric to make a surgical, pressure-sensitive tape.
  • In the 1900s, many pressure-sensitive tapes were invented and sold commercially, using the formula of Dr Day’s, or something similar.
  • There are many versions of pressure-sensitive tape, including clear tapes, decorative backed tapes, paper-backed tapes (masking tape), strong adhesive tapes (duct tape) or thick tapes (Gaffer tape).

Pressure-sensitive tape, Sticky Tape, Clear, PSA Tape, Adhesive Tape, Bundle, Roll, Three, Wide, Ten Random Facts

  • Pressure-sensitive tape can sometimes decrease the recycling efficiency of a recyclable object.
  • Pressure-sensitive tape has many uses, depending on the type of backing and adhesive  is is made from, and uses can include sticking pieces of paper together, and taping down or sealing boxes, and the tape is usually found in most homes and offices, in a tape dispenser.
  • Pressure-sensitive tape generally has four layers, a release coat, backing, primer coat and adhesive under-layer.
  • If left on a surface, particularly paper, for a considerably long length of time, many pressure sensitive tapes become oily, yellow and start to merge into the surface.
  • Pressure-sensitive tape can destroy the value of documents or papers, although it can be professionally removed in layers to protect valuable documents from the aging process of the tape.
Bibliography:
Pressure-senstive Tape, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_sensitive_tape
Smith M, Jones N, Page S & Dirda M, Pressure-Sensitive Tape and Techniques for its Removal From Paper, 1983, Conservation Online, http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v02/bp02-13.html

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