# Plumbing inventions anyone??



## trout lake (May 9, 2009)

"Collective minds produce creative and sometimes dangerous thinking" (tl 2009)
Hey Guys
I have to know that some of you out there have been in the business for a good many years. I can tell by some of the banter on this site that many of you have a quick whit and sharp minds. Having said that…..the knowledge you have acquired over the years should be shared with others.

If you could invent something to help guys in this business, what would it be? It can be something as simple as your favourite “trick of the trade” that you could patent. 

I’ll start:
Mine is a “Tool-a-tron Spectometer”. It’s an electrometric coil 10 inches in diameter that plugs into any 220vt circuit. Once plugged in, you pass each and every tool you own through the coil. The tool-a-tron takes all the negative ions and makes them positive in your tools. They remain this way for approximately one month at which time they will need to be re-charged. With the tool-a-tron you get a lapel sensor you can pin to any part of your clothing. As long as the tool and sensor are within 100 feet of one another, nothing happens. When your at a job site, and start to leave the premises, if you’ve forgotten your favourite pipe wrench or screwdriver, the sensor goes into a rendition of “mares eat oats”. You quickly realize you have forgotten something and return to pick it up. Simple but effective. No more screaming from the little lady cause your buying more tools. You’ll never buy again. And all for the paltry amount of only $19.95. Is this freaking brilliant or what???
tl


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

A 3/4" sch 40 pvc mip adapter with brass threads x pvc socket weld. maybe they are made but I have never seen one and cant find one.


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## A Good Plumber (Jun 18, 2008)

TheMaster said:


> A 3/4" sch 40 pvc mip adapter with brass threads x pvc socket weld. maybe they are made but I have never seen one and cant find one.


Wolverine Brass makes them for CPVC. Check with them.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Cpvc with male threads are common plus wolverine brass can never get my order right. I requested a quote......never heard anything.....6 days later UPS shows up with everything I asked for a quote on. Two or three things were the wrong size. I called up to Wolverine and the phone rang 50 times before they answered and it sounded like the lady had ran in from the parking lot to answer the phone...totally outta breath. I wasn't too impressed to say the least. They do have good products though,i will agree to that.


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## UnclogNH (Mar 28, 2009)

trout lake said:


> "Collective minds produce creative and sometimes dangerous thinking" (tl 2009)
> Hey Guys
> I have to know that some of you out there have been in the business for a good many years. I can tell by some of the banter on this site that many of you have a quick whit and sharp minds. Having said that…..the knowledge you have acquired over the years should be shared with others.
> 
> ...


Great idea :thumbup: I'm working on the DIY self destruction button $19.95. Call now and we will throw in "what dumb azz installed this look" :blink: for free just pay shipping and handling.


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I thought up a glue and primer caddy, did a patent search and found out someone beat me to it.


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## ROCKSTARPLUMBER (Dec 14, 2008)

I once turned a golf club into a stud gard put er upper thingy. I held the stud gaurd and if you slammed it hard enough agains the top plate, in held in place. But when they switched to the 5x8s for the top and bottom plates, they of course, required a nail in them.


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## saysflushable (Jun 15, 2009)

I made a hammer out of pipe wrenches and channel locks. Oooohhh. I've made a chisel out of a screw driver. Seriously I've made a cheep jetter out of pex with a 1/2' male adaptor with a plug in it and about six holes drilled pointing back. Not good for much but a couple times it served it's purpose


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Remember fella's... Any tool can be the right tool.


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## tnoisaw (Jun 16, 2009)

jjbex said:


> I thought up a glue and primer caddy, did a patent search and found out someone beat me to it.


 It sucks too!


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## tnoisaw (Jun 16, 2009)

I'm working on a flux capacitor but am having a problem getting the lighting to strike just right.

I'm always making something that I can buy but it's cheaper to make.


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## Proud Plumber (Sep 15, 2008)

tnoisaw said:


> I'm working on a flux capacitor but am having a problem getting the lighting to strike just right.
> 
> I'm always making something that I can buy but it's cheaper to make.


If you borrow RSP's golf club stud guard thingy, that could help with the lightning thing.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I actually have a few that I've been tweaking over the years but only a fool would disclose his ideas before they were patented.


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

I have a couple of tools in mind, not going to discuss them on here, I just need to figure out how to bring them to market, I know they would sell like hotcakes. I have no prototypes yet, there just good ideas. It would only take money to bring them to market which I don't have right now, and not sure how much it takes to do such a thing.


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

Takes about $6K for 1 patent. The tricky part is coming up with all of the spin-offs and variations of your product so that it can't easily be duplicated. History has shown that the original inventor usually gets screwed over and makes someone else rich off of his idea. Thomas Edison said: "Inventing is 2% inspiration and 98% perspiration"

If your idea takes off, big companies will take notice quickly. They will initially offer to simply buy your patent (usually for peanuts) so that they can take off with it. If that doesn’t work, they simply put a team of engineers and lawyers together to change a few nuts and bolts to the point that they can call it something different and legally get the patent. They will then produce as many improved and/or variant designs as they can and patent those to. Your original concept is left in some obscure place in history and they make the coin.

History is littered with cases like this.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

Ron The Plumber said:


> I have a couple of tools in mind, not going to discuss them on here, I just need to figure out how to bring them to market, I know they would sell like hotcakes. I have no prototypes yet, there just good ideas. It would only take money to bring them to market which I don't have right now, and not sure how much it takes to do such a thing.


 You need to start breeding that cat you have that shoots the machine gun....I'd buy 4 or 5 of those:laughing:


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

I’d certainly purchase the sharp shooter model that he has over on CT.:thumbsup:


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Hell, I go see Billy, :laughing:


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## retired rooter (Dec 31, 2008)

I saw a small drain machine with a jetter hose and nozzel on end under the blade running thru the cable at the CLEANER show in Nashville a few yrs back ,but it seemed to dissappear.Did anyone else see it ?It looked great but I bet way too many guys kinked the cable and we all know what happened next?? Just remembering eddie


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

I'd like to see some really high tech storage and shelving units designed for specific makes of vans. I know they make the steel ones. I'm talking super duty plastic like a pelican case is made from. Stanley makes some good plastic divided box's,I use them for various things and are almost gorilla proof. I've thrown 40 and 50 gal gas water heaters on them without damage. I'm trying to lighten the load as gas prices are a big expense of mine. Repair is a constant juggle of parts and equipment and a super organized van is a van making money....or it should be!


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## trout lake (May 9, 2009)

Hey Master
They're called LAGO!!

My spoof turned into something far too serious.
Guys are keeping things close to their chest because of "patent infringment".

I think I have you guys read. A rather serious lot I would say.... What ever happened to the Groucho Marx glasses so you looked cool when brazing?

tl


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## DUNBAR PLUMBING (Sep 11, 2008)

Got some good ones but never going to put them online for anyone to see. 


Plus, I need relations with china to make it a go. US manpower won't make it happen.


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

trout lake said:


> Hey Master
> They're called LAGO!!
> 
> My spoof turned into something far too serious.
> ...


 Lago???:blink: wut u talkin bout willis:blink:


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## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

jjbex said:


> I thought up a glue and primer caddy, did a patent search and found out someone beat me to it.


 

" Hello"


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## SewerRatz (Apr 25, 2009)

retired rooter said:


> I saw a small drain machine with a jetter hose and nozzel on end under the blade running thru the cable at the CLEANER show in Nashville a few yrs back ,but it seemed to dissappear.Did anyone else see it ?It looked great but I bet way too many guys kinked the cable and we all know what happened next?? Just remembering eddie


 
Marco had it at the show. http://www.marcosnakes.com/jetforce.htm


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## saysflushable (Jun 15, 2009)

We had to come up with a good way to hook toilet seat bidets up to Sloan valves or any flush-o meter for hospitals and restaurants. Our modification worked so good for us we decided to patent it.


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## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

para1 said:


> " Hello"


yeh, stole my idea huh:laughing:


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## TheMaster (Jun 12, 2009)

saysflushable said:


> We had to come up with a good way to hook toilet seat bidets up to Sloan valves or any flush-o meter for hospitals and restaurants. Our modification worked so good for us we decided to patent it.


 Unscrew the nipple between the valve and the stop valve and either fab a new one from scratch or modify that one to accept the appropriate tubing? If you have a patent...how did you build it?


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## saysflushable (Jun 15, 2009)

TheMaster said:


> Unscrew the nipple between the valve and the stop valve and either fab a new one from scratch or modify that one to accept the appropriate tubing? If you have a patent...how did you build it?


 Toto already makes an adaptor to go where you are talking about, But drilling and tapping on the job is a pain and about 1/3 of flush-o-meters are are ruffed in with the stop valve to close to the valve for it to fit. Our patent is a for an adaptor any place on the valve body itself.


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## rickmccarthy (Jul 20, 2009)

what about home made jetters I would assume a good pressure washer and then just purchase some hose and tips frome a manufacturer mount on a small dolley, trailer cart and wahlah. i have heard of people doing this never tried it though what do you think is it worth your time or what?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

It will work no problem.


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