Some celebrities aren't just pretty faces. A few of them are also touched with that Yankee prowess for tinkering and invention. In this weekly series, we introduce you to the Patents of the Rich and Famous. And maybe you learn a little bit about how patent literature works along the way.
Inventor: Michael Jackson
Known For: Jackson Five darling. King of Pop. Plastic surgery victim. Neverland overlord. Beloved icon. *
That about sums it up.
But amidst the scandals and surgeries (and defenestrated children!), MJ will always be remembered for his dance moves. He was, after all, the Moon Walk inventor.
Jackson not only delivered elaborate choreographed dance numbers in his high production music videos, but he also translated his act to his live performances. Since his videos are rather elaborate, sometimes, his show couldn't exactly mimic his videos. Jackson didn't like that. So, it's no surprise that Jackson invented a dancing shoe to improve his stage act.
Invented Apparatus: "Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion"
It's a shoe with a special hitch that changes the wearer's center of gravity, allowing the dancer to shift forward more than the gravity would normally allow, thus creating an anti-gravity illusion.
The present invention overcomes the above noted deficiencies of the previously employed cable system by providing specialized footwear and a moveable hitch or post to which the specialized footwear can be detachably engaged to allow the footwear wearer to lean forward on the stage, with his or her center of gravity well beyond the front of the shoes, thereby creating the desired visual effect.
The shoe has a "moveable hitch" that allows the wearer to lean forward on stage, while the shoe still looks securely planted on the ground.