Andrew Toti
Encyclopedia
Andrew J. Toti was a world-renowned American
inventor. Toti was born in Visalia, California
, and died in Modesto, California
. He held more than 500 U.S. patent
s at the time of his death. Toti was honored by the Edison Society in 1995.
Among his many inventions, the most famous include an inflatable lifejacket (nicknamed the Mae West
), an automated chicken plucker, light-weight construction beam (commonly used in Australia
), and the EndoFlex endotracheal tube (co-invented with Michael H Wong and Jay Kotin). He invented a combination lock when he was 12 years old.
Toti attended Modesto High School
through tenth grade. He completed his education through correspondence courses.
Toti related that his mother was the inspiration for the invention of the Mae West life vest. He had built a boat
, and his mother was worried because he couldn't swim. He designed a personal life preserver filled with duck feathers. However, that was too bulky and heavy, so he used air. Toti sold the rights to the Mae West life vest to the US War Department
in 1936 for $1,600.
Toti owned and operated Tro-Pic-Kal Manufacturing Company of Modesto for approximately 60 years.
mean such a machine is impossible: if it were possible, it would offer a limitless energy supply.
Toti's machine was both mechanical and electromagnetic. He said he had reached 95% to 97% levels, meaning a power conversion loss of 5% to 3%. He believed his 3% energy loss is the lowest anyone has achieved.
"I still believe it's possible," he said.
Toti's parents, who immigrated to the US from Italy
, bought a delicatessen when he was nine years old.
Son Tom
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inventor. Toti was born in Visalia, California
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
, and died in Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
. He held more than 500 U.S. patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s at the time of his death. Toti was honored by the Edison Society in 1995.
Among his many inventions, the most famous include an inflatable lifejacket (nicknamed the Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
), an automated chicken plucker, light-weight construction beam (commonly used in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
), and the EndoFlex endotracheal tube (co-invented with Michael H Wong and Jay Kotin). He invented a combination lock when he was 12 years old.
Toti attended Modesto High School
Modesto High School
Modesto High School is a high school in Modesto, California, U.S.A. It offers the International Baccalaureate Program, and was the first public school to do so in the Central Valley of California.Modesto High School is the oldest high school in Modesto....
through tenth grade. He completed his education through correspondence courses.
Toti related that his mother was the inspiration for the invention of the Mae West life vest. He had built a boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
, and his mother was worried because he couldn't swim. He designed a personal life preserver filled with duck feathers. However, that was too bulky and heavy, so he used air. Toti sold the rights to the Mae West life vest to the US War Department
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
in 1936 for $1,600.
Toti owned and operated Tro-Pic-Kal Manufacturing Company of Modesto for approximately 60 years.
Perpetual motion
Toti worked at a pet project, building a perpetual motion machine. The physical laws of thermodynamicsLaws of thermodynamics
The four laws of thermodynamics summarize its most important facts. They define fundamental physical quantities, such as temperature, energy, and entropy, in order to describe thermodynamic systems. They also describe the transfer of energy as heat and work in thermodynamic processes...
mean such a machine is impossible: if it were possible, it would offer a limitless energy supply.
Toti's machine was both mechanical and electromagnetic. He said he had reached 95% to 97% levels, meaning a power conversion loss of 5% to 3%. He believed his 3% energy loss is the lowest anyone has achieved.
"I still believe it's possible," he said.
Family
- Spouse: Marion Toti
- Daughter: Andrea Pimental née Toti
- Stepson: Raymond Webster
Toti's parents, who immigrated to the US from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, bought a delicatessen when he was nine years old.
Son Tom
- Unknown child
