| Who | Patent | Filed | Granted | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln | “Buoying Vessels over Shoals” (#6,469) | March 1849 | May 1849 | Buoyant chambers that attach to the sides of a steamboat and can be inflated to help dislodge the ship if stuck; Lincoln is the only U.S. president to hold a patent |
| Samuel Clemens | “Improvement in Scrapbooks” (#140,245) | May 1873 | June 1873 | Pages of the book coated with dry adhesive so that only the desired area needs to be moistened; Clemens remarked that it was “a great humanizing and civilizing invention” |
| Harry Houdini | “Diver’s Suit” (#1,370,316) | June 1917 | March 1921 | Metal suit that helps the diver reach greater depths and can be put on without assistance and can also be taken off underwater |
| Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil | “Secret Communication System” (#2,292,387) | June 1941 | August 1942 | Scrambler and controller, relying on player-piano technology that alters the frequency of a radio signal to make torpedo detection more difficult |
| Eddie Van Halen | “Musical Instrument Support” (#4,656,917) | July 1985 | April 1987 | Accessory for a guitar that makes the instrument rest on one’s leg, allowing him “to create new techniques and sounds previously unknown to any player” |
| Michael Jackson | “Method and Means for Creating Anti-Gravity Illusion” (#5,255,452) | June 1992 | October 1993 | Specialized footwear with a movable hitch or post that allows a performer to lean his center of gravity forward well beyond the tips of the shoes |
