Masters of Invention – The stories behind five of Missoula’s most brilliant and bizarre patent applications

We’ve all seen the late-night commercials for InventHelp or some other company promising to help budding inventors protect their next big idea. Your first step to making millions, the ads promise, is as easy as a phone call. Look, even this numbnut wearing a Hawaiian shirt hit it big with his idea for the Splash Wash, a car wash for tricycles (actual example). And this regular housewife turned her "Eureka!" moment into The Chilly Bone (also real), a frozen dog toy now available in pet stores across the country. Have you reinvented the wheel? Call now!

Sarcastic enthusiasm aside, these commercials run nonstop for a reason: People call. People have ideas. People are constantly thinking up the next amazing something that will inevitably garner millions in intellectual property rights. Or at least cover the costs—roughly $1,000, not including lawyer fees—to apply for the patent.

Full Story: http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/gyrobase/masters-of-invention/Content?oid=1232334&showFullText=true