8 Weird U.S. Patents From the 19th Century

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By Dennis Green2014-03-11 11:30:53 UTC

You can't celebrate your success without admiring your failure. Similarly, we as a civilization cannot recognize our monumental achievements in technology without remembering our more questionable ideas.

Below we've collected some of the wackier designs to cross the U.S. Patent Office in the 19th century. Ranging from an animatronic creeping baby to a diving dress that transforms you into a deep-sea bullet, these patents will make you wonder what their creators were thinking.

See also: 7 Inventors Killed by Their Own Inventions

The patents distinctly symbolize an optimistic America — one that thought you could send a man soaring through the air with just a little fabric and wire. These patent drawings reveal what a strange time the 19th century was for American innovation.

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Topics: Dev & Design, Invention, Inventions, patents, Pics, Watercooler

Image: Flickr, The U.S. National Archives