Kōrero: Inventions, patents and trademarks

Whārangi 4. Transport inventions

Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Pearse’s flying machines

In 1906 patent number 21476 was granted to a Temuka farmer named Richard Pearse for ‘an improved aerial or flying machine’, featuring the first known ailerons (moveable flaps on the wings). A version of this machine may have made the world’s first powered flight in 1903.

Pearse later invented (but did not fly) a ‘convertiplane’, with a tilting engine to allow for vertical take-off and landing, and was granted New Zealand patent number 87637. His many other unpatented inventions included a power cycle, recording machine, potato planter, topdresser and two sorts of music box.

Hamilton’s jet boat

Irishman Creek station, a high-country sheep farm near Lake Tekapo, is threaded with mountain streams that are shallow in summer and often fast-flowing in other seasons. In the 1950s the farm’s owner, Bill Hamilton, and his employees developed and patented a plywood boat powered by a jet propulsion unit to navigate these rivers. In 2009 Hamilton Jet employed over 300 people at its Christchurch factory. It had a network of distributors in 50 countries supplying jet-boat engines for patrol boats, passenger ferries, rescue craft and recreational vessels.

Britten’s Superbike

No. 8 fencing wire was one of the materials used by Christchurch engineer John Britten, in a world-beating racing motorcycle he designed in his spare time. In 1994 Britten patented some of the structural features of his V1000 Superbike, which broke several world records and was manufactured to order in Christchurch for the international market.

Montgomery’s mooring system

In the 1980s, aged 19, Christchurch man Peter Montgomery began working as a deck officer on cargo ships. A fatal accident on the Melbourne docks convinced him that the traditional method of mooring ships, using heavy ropes called hawsers, was dangerous and inefficient. After 12 years’ work he invented a vacuum suction system that was much faster and safer, although initially more expensive. The following year it was installed on a New Zealand inter-island ferry. In 2007 Montgomery’s firm merged with a large Dutch company to market his invention worldwide.

Roycroft’s amphibious car

Living at Manukau Heads, Terry Roycroft had either a short boat trip or a long car drive to get to Auckland. He developed and patented a car that can retract its wheels to become a jet boat. His neighbour, businessman Alan Gibbs, bought the idea and developed it into the Aquada, an amphibious sports car that can travel at 160 kilometres an hour on land and 50 kilometres an hour on water.

Martin’s jetpack

In 2009 Christchurch inventor Glenn Martin began taking commercial orders for his jetpack, an experimental ultra-light aircraft. The jetpack (which does not actually use a jet or rocket motor) is the product of more than 20 years of research.

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārangi:

Mark Derby, 'Inventions, patents and trademarks - Transport inventions', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/mi/inventions-patents-and-trademarks/page-4 (accessed 30 May 2020)
