Inventions

In addition to being a prolific author, F. W. Sinclair was a feverish inventor. During his lifetime, he submitted patents for over 200 unique contraptions. Though many of them never got further than the planning stage, the sheer volume of creations showcases Sinclair’s incredible mind. The following are some of his most impressive inventions:

Super Trumpet (1866)

The Super Trumpet was a gaudy brass contraption that was powered by fast moving pedals to produce a sound that has been described as “terrible.” Sinclair’s design was copied nearly identically by the children’s cartoonist Dr. Seuss and renamed “The Electro Who-Cardio Floox”

Steam Powered Rocket Pack (1869)

Sinclair was obsessed with the practical applications of steam power, and that was on full display with the Steam Powered Rocket Pack. Had it worked, it would have revolutionized personal travel and completely changed the landscape of history. It did not work.

Kraken Detector (1873)

Sinclair believed that, in the future, the Kraken Detector would be a standard safety feature of every maritime vessel. To this day, historians are still unsure if the Kraken Detector did not work, or if there were simply no Kraken to detect.

Retractible Skipping Stone (1881)

The design of the Retractible Skipping Stone was simple in its genius: A flat rock with a string attached so the skipper could retrieve his or her stone to skip it again. Though it did not become the international fad Sinclair had hoped it would, the Retractible Skipping Stone is still used today in parts of France with slow internet connection.

Clockwork Airship (1888)

F. W. Sinclair believed that the Clockwork Airship would be his greatest invention: an audacious craft that bridged the gap between hot air balloons and sustained aircraft. 15 years before the Wright Brothers first took flight, Sinclair and his Clockwork Airship departed from Paris on a quest to conquer the skies. It was the last time Francis Withersby Sinclair was ever seen.