High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

[mklotz]

The line about hat tipping reminded me of a Scientific American article, early seventies?, about a hat-tipping device patent of years past. Gentlemen could perform a hat-tip by squeezing a rubber bulb in a pants pocket. Airline was routed under back of jacket, along neck, behind ear and into hat. Ridiculous in the extreme, but I think it was granted, year unknown. Drawings showed bowler hats.

I remember that article. There are a lot of really weird patents out there; thankfully, most of them never made it to production.