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50+ Of The Most Bizarre Inventions From The Past That You May Have Never Heard Of Before

Our modern world is full of innovative, genius, and crazy inventions. These great inventions are planes, smartphones, social media, virtual reality, and many other things. Yet, we still create some weird things. An invention that seems bizarre doesn’t mean that it is totally useless; somehow, it opens a door or standards for future inventions. Bygonely has compiled a list of some weird inventions from the past. So please scroll down to check them out and upvote your favorite or worst one )

#1 Anti-Distraction Helmet from 1925

Anti-Distraction Helmet from 1925

The purpose of The Isolator was simple: the wooden helmet blocked out sound and vision in order to help the wearer focus on whatever task they had in hand. Gernsback claimed that the helmet reduced noise by up to 95 percent, and the tiny glass spy-hole ensured that no amount of nearby movement could rouse the wearer from their work.

#2 AROK the Robot by Ben Skora, 1970s

AROK the Robot by Ben Skora, 1970s

The creation by Ben Skora, of Palos Hills, who is now in an assisted-living facility. AROK (Skora’s named spelled backwards without the S), when operational, could perform a variety of tasks such as vacuuming, mixing drinks, talking, taking photos, lifting up to 150 pounds, and walking the dog.

#3 Plastic Bra for female factory workers

Plastic Bra for female factory workers

This special bra was made entirely from plastic to protect female factory workers during world war ii. The special women's undergarment, made entirely of plastic, succeeded in the prevention of these certain occupational accidents.

#4 All-terrain car

All-terrain car

This 1936 wheel-laden monstrosity was an all-terrain car that could descend slopes up to 65 degrees in England.

#5 Piano for the bed

Piano for the bed

Piano especially designed for people who are confined to bed. Britain. 1935.

#6 Dr. Young’s Ideal Rectal Dilators

Dr. Young's Ideal Rectal Dilators

Dr. Young himself praised rectal dilation as a cure for insanity, claiming that at least “three-fourths of all the howling maniacs of the world” were curable “in a few weeks’ time by the application of orificial methods”. Young also admitted that some patients panicked at the sight of the devices.

#7 Running Boards: Traveling in Cars With Your Dogs in the 1930s

Running Boards: Traveling in Cars With Your Dogs in the 1930s

If you didn’t want your dog riding inside your car, it could ride “safely” on a running board attached to the car.

#8 Monopod Seats, 1953

Monopod Seats, 1953

Designed to be easily transported, these 1953 monopod seats could provide a quick and easy place to sit when on the go.

#9 Max Factor’s Beauty Calibrator, 1930s

Max Factor's Beauty Calibrator, 1930s

The beauty micrometer, also known as the beauty calibrator, was a device designed in the early 1930s to help in the identification of the areas of a person’s face which need to have their appearance reduced or enhanced by make-up. The inventors include famed beautician Max Factor, Sr.

#10 Blizzard Cones

Blizzard Cones

Before waterproof mascara was invented, women were offered these special masks as a way to protect their make-up from the elements.

#11 The Rhino 1954, An all-terrain, unflippable beast

The Rhino 1954, An all-terrain, unflippable beast

An amphibious four-wheeled vehicle designed to patrol and defend the vast roadless wastes of Alaska and Canada. Weighing in at five tons, the four-wheel-drive machine could hit speeds of 45 miles per hour on the highway.

#12 Breast Washer, 1930

Breast Washer, 1930

This is a machine for massaging and/or washing breasts. And also possible proof that SkyMall started as a 1930s catalog of erotic housewares.

#13 The Revolver Camera, 1938

The Revolver Camera, 1938

A colt 38 carrying a small camera that automatically takes a picture when you pull the trigger. The camera was somehow configured so that each time the trigger was pulled, a photo was snapped simultaneously.

#14 Rocket-Propelled Bicycles, 1931

Rocket-Propelled Bicycles, 1931

In this 1931 picture, a German engineer prepared his rocket bicycle with 12 rockets mounted on the back wheel. Moments after this photo was made, the bicycle exploded. Fortunately the engineer was not seriously hurt.

#15 Vibra-Finger Gum Massager, 1956

Vibra-Finger Gum Massager, 1956

In the 1950s, dentists recommended this vibra-finger gum massage for personal use

#16 A bike for the whole family

A bike for the whole family

The four-position bicycle gave a family the opportunity to travel as a unit, , the invention also contained a built-in sewing machine for the mother.

#17 Hangover Mask

Hangover Mask

Invented by Max Factor in the late 1940’s, this mask was covered with plastic ice cubes that you would strap on to your margarita-induced face. While you wore it, you could catch up on some Z’s and then wake up feeling refreshed and ready to party again.

#19 Aircraft locators

Aircraft locators

These giant trumpet used to detect planes by the sounds of their engines in the days before radar

#20 The first ever Selfie stick, 1980s

The first ever Selfie stick, 1980s

The first selfie stick was invented by Hiroshi Ueda, at the time he worked for the Minolta camera company, and was a keen photographer. “Whenever I went overseas I took my camera with me and took loads of photos,” he told BBC

#21 Luxury Air Conditioned Lawn Mower, 1950s

Luxury Air Conditioned Lawn Mower, 1950s

This lawnmower had five foot diameter plastic sphere in which the rider sits on an air foam cushioned seat.It has its own electric generating system for operating running lights, a radio telephone, air conditioning and even a cooling system to provide a chilled drink on a hot day.

#22 The $70,000 Honeywell Kitchen Computer, 1960s

The $70,000 Honeywell Kitchen Computer, 1960s

The Honeywell Kitchen computer was a 16-bit minicomputer; it was preprogrammed with a few recipes. These computers had 4KB of magnetic memory, which was later expanded to 16KB. Its official name was actually the H316 Pedestal. Its system clock was 2.5MHz. It took 475 watts to operate.

#23 Otto Dicycle, 1880s

Otto Dicycle, 1880s

Edward Otto invented and patented the Dicycle as a safer alternative to the towering terrors of the ordinary bicycle (later known as the penny-farthing). His bike had two huge 56-in. (142-cm) wheels that were mounted side by side and connected by a sturdy axle.For balance, the rider used a slender trailing arm with a rubber roller on the end to stop himself (or, more unusually for the period, herself) from toppling over backward.

#24 Tampier Avion-Automobile (1921)

Tampier Avion-Automobile (1921)

In 1921 René Tampier tackled the problem of designing an aircraft that was self-propelled and steerable on roads by including a second, low-powered engine driving the main landing wheels through a standard car-type transmission. The roadwheels were completed with a retractable pair nearer the tail. These were steerable, so on the road the Tampier Avion-Automobile, with its wings and tailplane folded, travelled tail first. Only two prototypes were built.

#25 Baby Window Cages, 1922

Baby Window Cages, 1922

Despite how dangerous the idea of an infant precariously perched in a cage outside an apartment window, these devices were actually handed out in London to members of the Chelsea Baby Club.

#26 The Psychograph

The Psychograph

A phrenology machine to measure the shape of your head from the early 20th century. The machine consisted of 1,954 parts in a metal carrier with a continuous motor-driven belt inside a walnut cabinet containing statements about 32 mental faculties.

#27 Dashboard Coffeemakers

Dashboard Coffeemakers

It is fixed upon the dashboard of vehicle. According to the designer, the machine held enough water for three cups of coffee and can also be used for preparing soups, boiling eggs, or heating water for washing or shaving.

#28 Spaghetti Spinners

Spaghetti Spinners

French inventor Alain Dham invented spaghetti in 1968. It was designed to automatically rotate the noodles for easier pasta consumption.

#29 Automatic Tip Requesters, 1955

Automatic Tip Requesters, 1955

In 1955 Russel E. Oakes invented "automatic tip requester" which comprises an artificial hand and cashbox to be worn around the waist. A "No Sale" sign is displayed if a tip is not sufficient.

#30 Soup-Cooling Spoons, 1948

Soup-Cooling Spoons, 1948

Mechanical soup spoon designed to cool a bowl of scalding hot soup.

#31 Bald-Head Polishers, 1950

Bald-Head Polishers, 1950

Ted Spence, an engineer at the Los Angeles Brush Manufacturing Corp, invented a hairline brush. This brush is constructed to fit a bald head's contour, with bristles for brushing hair and a felt pad to gently massage the scalp.

#32 Diving helmet by Edmond Halley, late 17th century

Diving helmet by Edmond Halley, late 17th century

A bell was sent to the bottom, and then weighted, the assistant surviving on the air trapped in the bell, and the diver, wearing another smaller "diving bell" on his head,could make his way around a bit to the extent of the tube which would draw on the air in the bell. The two would be resupplied with air in weight barrels sent down from topside, to be retrieved by the diver and lugged over to the bell.

#33 Asphyxia Hoods, 1940s

Asphyxia Hoods, 1940s

If your skin lacked that youthful glow sometime in the 1940s, the best available solution was to sit a spell under the Glamour Bonnet. The vacuum helmet reduced “atmospheric pressure around the beauty seeker’s head,” which inventor Mrs. D. M. Ackerman believed would help stimulate circulation and improve the complexion.

#34 Laryngaphone, 1929

Laryngaphone, 1929

A noise-excluding telephone which only transmits vibrations from the vocal chords when the microphone is placed against the throat or cheek. For the man who wants to annoy both his wife and his mistress.

#35 Finnish Portable Sauna, 1962

Finnish Portable Sauna, 1962

You can carry it anywhere and everywhere. Like, office, public washrooms, even in public transport.

#36 Slenderizing, 1940s

Slenderizing, 1940s

The Slenderizing Salon claimed to help women lose weight without exercise by stimulating muscle contractions.

#37 Automatic Washing Machine for Human, 1970

Automatic Washing Machine for Human, 1970

At the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, consumer electronics maker Sanyo demonstrated their vision for the future by showcasing a series of appliances they thought would populate the home of tomorrow. Included was the Ultrasonic Bath or Human In Roll-lo Bathing (HIRB), a pod-like human washing machine that cleans, massages and dries the user in a fully automated 15-minute process.

#38 Group shaving machine

Group shaving machine

This 19th-century machine could shave a dozen men at once. One reason for its commercial failure was that it could not alter its movements according to face shape.

#39 Cat Meow Machine, 1963

Cat Meow Machine, 1963

This 1963 mechanical cat meowing device from Japan can meow ten times a minute, with the eyes lighting up each time. The idea was to use the machine for scaring rats and mice.

#40 Pain Free Spanking brush, 1950

Pain Free Spanking brush, 1950

For fathers who can't bear to hurt the young one when he needs a spanking, this brush with rubber bands replacing the bristles is offered by the Los Angeles Brush Corp. in Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 12, 1950. The idea was suggested by a Montana father who balked at the conventional type hairbrush.

#41 The soap that washed away weight

The soap that washed away weight

A 1920s advert from a Central London store, the Wash Away Fat soap means that users can "wash away fat and years of age"

#42 The hair curling machine

The hair curling machine

Although it looks like this lady the subject of intense scientific experiments, instead she is just getting her hair curled. This was the weird 1930s invention that promised permanent waves that would never again be ruined in the rain. This photo from 1935 shows a woman at a hairdressing exhibition sitting with long wires attached to curlers on her head as she demonstrates the odd craze.

#43 Walking device

Walking device

Mister Walter Nilsson developed this peculiar construction in the 1930s where you can walk along the street while you sit.

#44 The dimple maker

The dimple maker

It is a device that pressed holes into your face if you wore it for an extended period of time. Here, a young woman demonstrates a dimple machine at the Inventor's Congress in Chicago.

#45 The Vacuum Beauty Helmet

The Vacuum Beauty Helmet

The helmet’s inventor, G.M. Ackerman, claimed that wearing this outrageous device resulted in a more natural beauty for those willing to give the “glamour bonnet” a try. Ackerman initially invented the helmet with the stars of Hollywood in mind. It was supposed to mimic the same technology of the scuba diving helmet and was said to lower the atmospheric pressure around your head, in a similar way to what mountain climbers feel at higher elevations.

#46 Radio Hat

Radio Hat

Invented in 1931 and then popularized during the late forties, this helmet was a big hit in the US. It had builtin radio that you can take everywhere.

#47 Dynasphere

Dynasphere

An electrically-driven wheel, capable of speeds of 30mph, invented by Mr J. A. Purves of Taunton and his son.

#48 Motorwheel, 1931

Motorwheel, 1931

A Swiss engineer created this motorwheel, a motorcycle with a wheel which runs on a rail placed inside a solid rubber tire.

#49 Pedestrian Safety Net

Pedestrian Safety Net

A shovel on a car meant to reduce the number of casualties among pedestrians. Paris. 1924

#50 The Snogometer, 1965

The Snogometer, 1965

Teenager Malcolm Pickard built a contraption to measure the voltage of snogs aptly calling it a “snogometer”. The loved up duo hold electrodes in their hands and their passionate snogging is measured with sound effects and a lighted scale.

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#51 Male Anti-Masturbation Apparatus

Male Anti-Masturbation Apparatus

This metal device is one of a number of similar devices which were invented in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries to prevent masturbation. A leather strap which would have kept it in place is now missing.

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#52 Vibrating Bras, 1971

Vibrating Bras, 1971

The bra claimed to develop and strengthen the bust and was designed to vibrate while the person wearing it was at work.

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#53 Solar Bath Apparatus

Solar Bath Apparatus

What better cure for the common head cold than a healthy dose of radiation? This scary-looking apparatus enclosed the head in a metal drum and doused it with ultra-violet rays. The Solar Bath Apparatus was meant to clear up catarrh of the ears, nose and throat, along with other head-related illnesses.

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#54 Cigarette Case to Keep Track

Cigarette Case to Keep Track

In 1940, smokers who were sick of loaning out cigarettes could keep track of how many smokes they were using themselves and how many were being “bummed” by friends. Two separate buttons opened the case: one for when the owner was grabbing a smoke, and another for when a friend asked for one. It was presumably up to the owner to decide what to do with that information once he determined how many of his cigarettes were being given away.

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#55 Double-Barrel Cigarette Holder

Double-Barrel Cigarette Holder

You’ve got two lungs, gotta have two cigarettes.

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Written by Aung Budhh

Husband + Father + librarian + Poet + Traveler + Proud Buddhist. I love you with the breath, the smiles and the tears of all my life.

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