Examples of what can be done

UMIC (University of Manchester Incubator Company) prize winners Terry Singleton and Clayton Roudette showed off their inventions to fellow Manchester inventors at the Central Library this evening.

Terry, already with an impressive portfolio of patents, demonstrated his latest invention, the "anyway up bin". As its name suggests, this is a waste disposal system. Its purpose is to reduce the risk of repetitive strain, back and other injuries among local authority and other cleaning staff. It consists of a case made from cardboard (or other inexpensive material capable of being recycled) around which a plastic bin liner is crimped and a cap with an aperture in the form of a slit with two folding side flaps secured to the roof by two treasury tags. As the bin liner fills up the weight drags the folds of the bag up the side of the casing. That in turn forces the cap upwards. The upwards motion relaxes the tags causing the slit to close. The system therefore regulates automatically and inexpensively the weight of rubbish that can be deposited in the bin.

Clayton's invention, the TIKKI Pavilion, was equally elegant. Described in his patent specification as a building with polygonal floor it is a temporary structure as easy to erect and almost as light as a tent. Clayton emphasized in his talk that it should be regarded as a room extension rather than a marquee. He explained that the original concept was for corporate hospitality but people who had seen it gradually began to identify domestic uses. A short video suggested all sorts of uses from mini-gymnasium to dining room.

Both Terry and Clayton have accepted my invitations to address the Leeds Inventors Group at Leeds Central Libtrary at 6pm on Wednesday 16 November 2005. It should be a really good evenining.

The other main event of the evening was a discussion as to how the Manchester Inventors Group should be constituted now that public funding is no longer available. Basil Philipsz offered to welcome the Manchester inventors as a chapter of IdeasNW or work with them closely in other ways if they wished to set up a separate organization. The meeting voted narrowly in favour of accepting Basil's invitation. However, everyone agreed to set up an association and consider links with IdeasNW later. We resolved to establish a working committee under Steve Mansfield's Chairmanship. On behalf of NIPC I pledged to sponsor the new Manchester Inventors Group to the extent that our chambers already support IdeasNW.