 For example, well-known
aviator Charles Lindbergh had a second career as little-known
inventor Charles Lindbergh when he invented the heart fusion pump,
which led to open-heart surgery. Well-known comic Zeppo Marx became
little-known inventor Zeppo Marx with his two patented inventions;
one of them secured bombs in airplanes during World War II and the
other alerted cardiac patients to an irregular heartbeat.
There are many more examples of inventors who had dual careers,
but J.B.'s career was just the opposite. You've heard of him because
of his invention; in fact, you've probably used the product that he
invented. But you probably didn't know that he was a veterinarian
before he gained worldwide notoriety as an inventor.
J.B. was born in 1840 in Scotland, the same country that gave us
Alexander Graham Bell, Robert Louis Stevenson and Harry Potter
author J.K. Rowling. Lest you think I'm disguising his name from you
by using his first and last initials, "J" and "B" were his first and
middle initials.
People often went by their initials back then. J.B.'s initials
stand for John Boyd. I am hiding his last name from you because his
last name is synonymous with his product, and that would give it
away. I will give you a hint, though: J.B.'s invention was in the
rubber industry.
And that's the last time I'll ever use one of those words like
"lest" in this column, I promise. Only snooty people with foreign
accents use words like "lest" on a regular basis.
J.B. did not invent the material that made him famous, but he
figured out a much better way to use it.
[to top of second column]
 |
 Here's another hint as to J.B.'s identity: The material was used
in its natural form as far back as the 1400s in Latin America.
Christopher Columbus even noticed that the natives were playing with
it, and they also made shoes with the material.
If that clue doesn't give it away, then this one should just
about do it: It was originally known as "cahuchu." Gesundheit.
J.B.'s inspiration came while watching his son struggle to ride
his tricycle with its solid rubber wheels. He thought there must be
a better way, so he went about designing his own type of tire. His
invention became the modern-day inflatable tire, which J.B. invented
in 1888. His full name was John Boyd Dunlop. As in Dunlop Tires.
Actually, the first inflatable tire was invented by another
Scottish inventor, R.W. Thomson in 1845 (there they go with those
initials again!). Thomson never developed his invention for
commercialization, though, so he is not well-known.
The word "rubber," by the way, got its name from pencil erasers
that are used to "rub out" mistakes.
[By
PAUL NIEMANN]
Paul Niemann's column is syndicated
to more than 70 newspapers. He is the author of the "Invention
Mysteries" series of books. He can be reached at
niemann7@aol.com.
Copyright Paul Niemann 2008
(Other
columns) |
