Uncover 3 Spooky Patents – If You Dare!

Halloween often comes with costumes, candy and a terrifyingly good time. The over-the-top nature of the holiday’s festivities can lead to impressive innovations. Whether you lean into the season’s scares or stay far away from frights, you might have encountered the three patented inventions below. Next time you bundle up to watch a spooky movie or start searching for the perfect costume, take a moment to consider the inventors who make it possible for us to celebrate in new and exciting ways!

Ouija Board

What is now commonly featured in horror movies was originally branded as a casual game. The Ouija board contains letters arranged in two rows, as well as numbers zero through nine and the words “yes,” “no” and “goodbye.” Accompanying the board is a planchette – a teardrop-shaped piece used to indicate a letter, number or phrase. In hopes of creating a connection to the non-living, multiple people would sit around the board to ask questions for which the planchette would spell out answers, seemingly without the interference of the players.

Smithsonian Magazine explains that for the device to receive a patent, there had to be an indication that it worked for its intended purpose. To prove that the Ouija was deserving, the chief patent officer of the time requested a demonstration in which the board would spell out his name correctly before he ever introduced himself to the two people there both representing the Ouija and playing the game. While it’s unclear if the patent attorney representing the Ouija already knew the name of the chief patent officer before the demonstration, it led to the Ouija’s patent on February 10, 1891, as a toy or game.

Pumpkin Carving Kit

Most of us have cut a fun face into a pumpkin or stopped to admire carefully curated displays of festive jack-o’-lanterns, but did you know that there are several patents issued for pumpkin tools? It’s true! One classic example was granted a patent in 1989, with John P. Bardeen credited as the inventor of a pumpkin carving kit. Bardeen’s kit featured special saws, drills and pattern sheets to help pumpkin carvers perform more detailed and intricate designs.

Fangs

From cryptid creatures to natural predators, many costumes can be enhanced with fangs. On any trick-or-treat night, you’ll probably bump into a vampire or two sporting this look! One patented version of artificial fangs and application thereof comes from Donald Nutting, who received his patent in 1996. This fang design was special because it does not use adhesives. Rather, it anchors to the tooth using a low melting point and malleable thermoplastic material, so there are no embarrassing cases of fang loss at the Halloween party. The best part? It can be worn while talking and eating, it’s simple to remove and it can be re-worn several times.

Keep Learning

Check out our blog to discover additional stories of unique innovations you might encounter this season and beyond!