(Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
HUNTLEY – Is necessity the mother of invention? Robert Anderson might say so. Throughout the past 30 years, Anderson has channeled his creativity into crafting numerous useful inventions, ranging from household items to athletic devices, each of which serves a practical purpose.
“All of my inventions are simple,” Anderson said. “They work and they make a lot of sense, and there‘s nothing too crazy about them. All of mine are right down to earth.”
Robert Anderson. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
Although Anderson has drafted dozens of inventions, several main creations stand out as especially successful. His first official invention, a portable security sports cable for locking skis, was one he developed 30 years ago while on a family ski outing.
“When I bought the family skis, I thought, ‘Gee, how are we going to lock them?’ I decided to invent my own device to lock and carry downhill skis, and it’s the only security sports cable that allows you to use your own padlock. You can also carry the cable in your pocket, so when you’re getting something to eat, you can still lock your skis,” he explained.
In 1988, and for a few years thereafter, Anderson held a patent for his ski lock and sold this invention locally at park district shows and ski shops. However, Anderson cautions that selling inventions in a corporate store is more of a struggle for an inventor who is an entrepreneur.
“When I first got the patent, I thought I had it made. But if you’re only a little guy, you don’t usually stand a chance. You often have to be a name brand.”
Despite these commercial roadblocks and his full-time career as a pipe fitter, Anderson continued to create. One of his other inventions is a laundry hamper that is tall enough to hold many days’ worth of laundry, with a trapdoor at the bottom to allow easy access.
“With the typical laundry hamper, it’s too tall, and your arm’s not long enough to reach in to get the clothes out. We’ve been using mine, with the trapdoor, for 30 years. My wife loves it,” he said.
Additionally, Anderson described his exercise equipment invention for kids, which is a set of swings, rings, and horizontal bars that can be attached to household structures, such as support beams in a basement.
Anderson invented this indoor gym for his own children, and he feels that too many youngsters fall to the forces of television without healthy activities as alternatives. Anderson hopes that his health-conscious creation for kids will one day reach Michelle Obama, whom he feels shares a similar view on the importance of childhood health.
Not only does Anderson hope youths remain active, but he is also athletic himself. This summer, he will make a 471-mile bike ride, for which he trains daily. He also hopes to someday bike across the United States to raise money for U.S. inventors and support domestic business. To prepare, he still runs, bikes, and hikes on a weekly basis.
Anderson invented the ski lock cables after buying his family skis and wanting to keep safe on trips. (Photo by Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day)
“I was known to wear my own kids out,” he joked.
Anderson’s family was his first priority at the outset of his invention dreams. However, he also intends for his inventions to serve as a basis for helping the unemployed and the homeless obtain jobs. For instance, Anderson crafted a rug drying platform that elevates a garage carpet away from winter slush. This is an invention that he feels would be possible for homeless shelter residents to make.
“This could be work for people who are in shelters. That might be a good place for homeless people to make these things and sell them right there,” Anderson suggested.
In line with his job-creation efforts, Anderson believes his inventions should always be used to help people. He shared this personal philosophy with his own children when they were selecting careers.
“I told them, God is watching, so do good for mankind,” he said.
