Did you know that there are tons of inventions that have come out of North Carolina? That’s right, from the barcode to overalls, inventors in our Tarheel State have worked hard to bring the world some extremely useful products. Here are five of our favorites. Did you know they were invented in our state?
Krispy-Kreme Donuts
Yes, everyone’s favorite glazed treats started right here in Winston-Salem in 1937. Vernon Rudolph began selling his confections to local grocery stores and the rest is history.
The Barcode
You probably see it every day or at least on a trip to the grocery store. The barcode was invented in 1969 in Raleigh by George Lauer, a designer tasked with coming up with a universal grocery store scanning label. He later presented his idea to IBM, whose executives found the whole thing a genius idea.
Aviation
You cannot talk about North Carolina inventions without at least mentioning the Wright Brothers and Kitty Hawk. As the original fly boys of our nation, they invented the airplane. So, next time you jet off on vacation, be sure to think about their efforts.
Overalls
Not much is known about why or who invented the overalls. However, it is widely regarded that North Carolina’s agriculture industry gets to take credit. The details we do know? These proud inventors lived in Clinton and made their creation known in 1859.
Pepsi-Cola
This popular national soft drink brand has North Carolina roots. It was first served in a drugstore in New Bern around 1896, and the rest is history.
How Do You Become an Inventor?
If you want to add your name to the list of proud inventors from North Carolina, the process isn’t as difficult as you might believe. Once you have an idea, start documenting everything you possibly can about the item. Be as thorough and descriptive as possible. If you can, draw it out and document the design.
Next, file for a patent. This is sometimes a difficult thing to undertake on your own, so it is worth hiring a trusted attorney familiar with the process to help you out. From there, the review board will tell you whether the product infringes on someone else’s idea or if it is clear to patent. Once your patent is granted, you’ll be free to either license the idea to a manufacturer or take steps to put it in production yourself.
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