Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Search this
Extent:
0.5 Cubic feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Interviews
Oral history
Videotapes
Photographs
Date:
1997 September 17
Summary:
Collection consists of original, master, and reference videos documenting Nathan Kane, inventor of Pass-It-Football, a remote control for television, Project-A-Sketch opaque projector for children and low distortion bellows folds for industrial machines.
Scope and Contents note:
This collection contains original, master, and reference videos documenting Nathan Kane, inventor of low-distortion bellow folds for industrial machines, the Pass-It television remote control, and the Project-A-Sketch opaque projector for children. This video was created on September 17, 1997.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into four series.
Series 1: Original Videos
Series 2: Master Videos
Series 3: Reference Videos
Series 4: Photographs and Slides
Biographical/Historical note:
Nathan Kane (1969-), is an inventor of several inventions that range from toys to industrial equipment. As a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Kane won the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize in 1997, for his inventiveness. The Lemelson-MIT Prize honors distinguished careers in invention each year. Kane's invention of an ultra-low distortion bellow fold patterns allow extremely light-weight, structurally rigid, long-extending bellows to be made inexpensively from a single sheet of foldable plastic. Traditional bellows, by comparison, are much heavier and more expensive to manufacture, because they consist of a complex assembly of fabric layers sewn to stiffening panels. Kane's folded patterns have many applications, such as making collapsible containers, expandable shelters, low cost pumps, and low cost protective bellows for industry. The increased extending ability means two to three times less material is needed for production, which cuts cost. The bellow is also two to three times lighter and more compact when folded, allowing machines that use the bellow to move further and, for precision applications, more accurately. Kane also invented the Pass-It television remote. This television remote is built into a foam rubber football so viewers can pass the remote with ease. Another invention is the Project-A-Sketch--a projector intended for children and which displays art or solid objects onto a wall.
Provenance:
This collection was created by the Innovative Lives Program of The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation on September 17, 1997. The Innovative Lives series brings young people and American inventors together to discuss inventions and the creative process and to experiment and play with hands-on activities related to each inventor's product.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research but the original videos are stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Signed copies of releases on file.
