Inventors show off latest ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ creations

By Kristin Kveno
The Land Staff Writer

July 18, 2008 03:15 am

— Everything from unique to brilliant could be found at this year’s Minnesota Inventors Congress, held June 13-14 in Redwood Falls. With 62 inventors and 67 inventions at this year’s congress, the inventions included a wide range of ideas — some simple, some unusual and some of the “why didn’t I think of that?” persuasion.
More than 2,000 people attended the congress over its two-day run, and they came for many reasons. Some people have come to the congress every year since it began in 1958. “Feedback from the public was just phenomenal,” said Deb Hess, executive director of the Minnesota Inventors Congress. With attendees ranging from the general public to manufacturers, there was bound to be something for everyone.
“It is people who want information that come to our event,” Hess said. “The benefit for being here is for the inventor to market the product.”
According to Hess, some of the products we take for granted today have been shown at the congress, such as the quad cane, pop-up camper, shopping cart and the life preserver.
With such a rich history of helping inventors get recognized, and giving them the tools they need to succeed, it is no wonder the congress has been around 50 years.
During each congress one invention is recognized with the F. Robert Starr award. The 2008 winner was Grant Hanson’s Walker Rescuer. Hanson’s invention gives additional support to those who need a walker and prevents the user from falling.
Last year’s F. Robert Starr award recipient was also at this year’s congress, demonstrating his award-winning invention, the Step-Up. This product fits on the back of a pick up and provides a step that can be on either side of the hitch or brought together as a larger step in front of the hitch.
The Step-Up was invented by Harold Fratzke of Cottonwood. Touting “no hole drilling, no special brackets,” his invention is easy to mount. He came up with the idea because, as Fratzke said, he “knew it was difficult to get into backs of pick ups. ... They have running boards and side steps but nothing for the back of pickups.”
That was when Fratzke started work on his invention. He has been busy “calling on dealerships myself,” but would ultimately like to see his product in car parts stores everywhere.
Another product on display was the Flip Down Chainsaw Cutter, invented by Larry McKnight. This invention allows the user to control a chainsaw by a remote throttle, and can be used to chop down low-lying brush.
McKnight came up with the idea due to his bad knees; he felt “there ought to be an easier way than to get down on hands and knees and cut.” McKnight, who is from Missouri, lives in a rural area and believes his invention would benefit farmers and others rural residents. This was McKnight’s first time at the congress and hoped to “get somebody interested in licensing it,” he said.
In addition to the inventions, there were also patent lawyers and others in the invention field that put on numerous workshops and provided assistance to the inventors. All the inventions started with an idea and went from there all the way to Redwood Falls.

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