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Creating new and innovative products make the world go around.  Just look at what has happened to the telephone in our lifetime.  At one time or another, most every new invention was created to advance our lives.  From the caveman's spear to the space shuttle exploring the heavens, our lives change because of new ideas.  Without creative innovation, life as we know it would come to an abrupt halt.  In fact, stimulating new thoughts through open innovation promotes growth with a driving force behind businesspeople around the globe.  

Scroll down to discover some of the challenges Joe faced inventing several new products.

LifePath was inspired one evening when a newscaster announced that two children died in a home fire.  The girls simply turned the wrong way and could not find the exit door in the smoke.  That newscast instantly raised concerns for our family.

After extensive research and development, the LifePath concept was transformed into a working model.  Shortly thereafter we contacted the local Deputy Fire Marshal to schedule a brief presentation.  During the conversation, they decided to test LifePath in a real home fire the following month.  As several firefighters entered the burning building, they disappeared through approximately 30 feet of heavy black smoke.  Upon exiting, they reported that they could see the high intensity flashing strobe light through the smoke.  This was indisputable proof that a strobe light installed low on a wall could be seen under dense smoke, and that it could be used as an emergency escape exit-marking device. 

Since 1970, strobe light and sound units have proven to be effective for alerting occupants in public buildings, but statistics reveal that more people are injured or die in residential fires than in public buildings.  LifePath was created to fill that void and offer homeowners the same lifesaving benefits in an easy-to-install wireless package.  As time passed, we never forgot those two young girls.  With today’s technology, this tragedy can be avoided.

Significant changes in the fire codes have opened the door for new technology to emerge, providing more ways to save lives.  We applaud the fire, security and life safety organizations that risk their lives daily to help others.  With this concerted effort, new ideas like LifePath can evolve to benefit mankind.

LifePathSafetyNet.com is a great new way to get organized, prepare for the unexpected and plan for the future.  Imagine the convenience of having specific information about your life always available while you maintain complete control over your privacy with superior online safety. 

This valuable tool can save you time and money when confronting the 3D’s - Disaster, Death, Disclosure. Simple and easy-to-use, this is a timesaving way to keep all of your essential records in one safe place.  Now is the time to preserve your legacy and safeguard your family for the future.  Tomorrow may be too late.

Imagine all the ways a system like this can protect your loved ones. 

• What if disaster strike’s?  Theft, Fire, Flood, Hurricane, Tornado.  Be Prepared For The Unexpected.  Use this system to protect your family.

• Have you lost a parent, sibling, or spouse?  You know the hardship of sorting through their personal effects during your own grieving period.  Eliminate this burden with everything accounted for ahead of time.

• What about an Estate Plan?  Where to begin?  When you are ready to legally finalize your wishes you can save time, money and be confident in achieving your goals. 

During the summer of 1964, Joe Ellul developed his first invention at the ripe old age of sixteen. At this point, his life evolved around school, work and his personal bedroom space. Although sharing a room with a younger brother was fun at times, it also limits your privacy. 

Joe purchased a new stereo system but did not know where to keep it safe in the small area. Back then, a stereo amplifier, turntable for records, tuner and speakers were quite large. A simple table would not work because he wanted to keep it secure so it would not become his little brothers play toy. He decided to build a unit that would enclose the stereo components inside the table. 

The next day he found a cabinetmaker to help him with the project. Joe showed him a drawing of the table and explained how he wanted it built. With minimal cash on hand, he agreed to build the table and accept small payments as the project progressed.

With the table construction in place, the next step was to create a drive system that would move the center portion of the table up and down, James Bond style, at the press of a button. Joe went to a welding engineer to build the custom-made system. Once he explained the idea to him, the necessary parts were acquired, and the device was underway.

After showing the newly completed coffee table/stereo to his family, he decided to patent the idea. Shortly after, Joe contacted an attorney and arranged a meeting to show him the functioning prototype. This picture shows how the invention is used today, installed in a cabinet with a pop-up flat screen television. 

In the early 1970’s, Joe loved to go pheasant, quail and rabbit hunting with his friends in the Michigan fall.  It didn't take long before he had two lovable dogs of his own that he could train and have fun with during hunting season. As the dogs grew, so did their thirst for water. The bowls were replaced with pots and then a large pail, but it still wasn't enough. He thought that if the pail were accidentally knocked over and no one was home, the dogs would go without water. 

To solve the problem, he bought a new galvanized mop bucket and a toilet float/valve assembly from the local store. He anchored the pail to the side of the house and redesigned the toilet float to adapt to the bucket. The water supply line was revised to accept a standard garden hose fitting.  After that, as long as the water spigot was open, the dogs had as much water as they needed.

This picture shows how the invention is used today. 

In 1979, Joe leased a vacant Big Boy restaurant and converted it to a swimming pool store.  In the competitive world of retail pools, chemicals and spas, Aqua World stood out from the rest with elaborate displays on a busy street corner. 

At the time, hot tubs and spas were sold as do-it-yourself kits. Selling spas in this manner was difficult, so one winter he decided to create a new design that was easy to install.

Joe ordered the smallest fiberglass spa shell available from his manufacturer along with the plastic mini-jets.  The pump, heater, blower and filter components were not a problem because he always had ample parts in the store.  His goal was to build a freestanding, self-contained, 110-volt tub with an enclosure that would hide the plumbing pipes and operating system.  

Plumbing the jets with standard PVC pipe was not easy, however, using an array of plumbing elbows, he completed the task. A pool pump and cartridge filter were installed to keep the water clean. 

The next question was, how to heat the water? A standard gas swimming pool heater was not practical for interior use. To find a solution he went to the local Detroit Edison office to check out electric water heater elements. He purchased several 110-volt elements that would be small enough to fit inside a one and one-half inch pipe.

On his first try, he installed the heating element directly inside the PVC pipe.  He thought it would work okay as long as water was running through the pipe when the heater was turned on. He was wrong, as the pipe quickly melted and ruined the element. He tried again only this time the element was installed inside a section of galvanized steel pipe. This worked fine but it took several days to heat the 180 gallons of water in the tub. In another attempt, he used a small secondary pump to circulate the water through the heater. The pump and heater were connected together on a single 110-volt switch. The water was hot within a day.

One evening as he decided to take a relaxing break in the warm water, another problem came to mind. The electrical power switches were hanging on the side of the tub’s enclosure. Water and electricity don't mix. The next day, with a few micro-switches, miniature homemade camshaft, carburetor vacuum choke and a turkey baster, he created the air-switching concept used today.

One day, the owner of Joe’s hot tub supplier stopped by to see how the project was going. Mark was amazed and asked if he could contact other companies about the discovery. Throughout the following summer, Joe assisted three major hot tub manufacturers develop the portable spa.   

In 1988, Joe noticed a problem that he knew could be resolved with a little ingenuity.  If you enjoy playing an occasional game of pool on a coin slot bar table, you know how aggravating it can be when you don't have all fifteen balls to rack and play the game. This problem occurs when a cube of cue chalk falls into the ball return track and blocks some of the balls from returning to the appropriate location inside the table.

Pool Chalk Saver is a cue chalk dispenser uniquely designed for vending pool tables. Five pieces of standard cue chalk are placed in the dispenser then mounted to each side of a pool table under the middle pockets. 

The player applies cue chalk by inserting the pool cue tip into either end of the dispenser and rotating the stick, similar to using a pencil sharpener. As the chalk is used, the cue tip continues to drill a hole through to the next block of chalk.

This innovation resolved three problems for amusement operators. 

  >  Eliminates pool table down time.

  >  Eliminates late night service calls.

  >  Saves cue chalk waste and replacement.

The players were also happy to see that chalk was easily accessible and they did not have to play the game with fewer balls than intended.

At the 1989 Billiard Congress of America (BCA) trade show in Las Vegas, Joe's marketing team introduced Pool Chalk Saver to the billiard industry. 

The product was such a hit that several other vendors stopped by to see if we were giving money away. They said, people were so excited about our idea that they walked right past all the other booths to find us in the show. Within three days, we established distribution throughout the United States and Canada. 

One evening we were invited to attend the Mike Segal hall of fame banquet. Joe had a wonderful time meeting all the top players and a huge surprise when Willie Mosconi decided to sit in the chair next to him for dinner instead of at the head table next to Fats. Willie told Joe his life story about how he played pool standing on a milk crate as a youngster while his father made side bets on the game.  

Sometime later, we signed a license with Miller Brewing to use their logo on the Pool Chalk Saver dispenser. Obviously, Pool Chalk Saver was a success and was later sold to our largest distributor.

Christmas is a beautiful time of the year but just how safe is a dry tree inside your house?  It is not all that uncommon for fire to strike without warning destroying your home, causing injuries or death during this joyous season.

In 1996, Joe had a new idea for a Christmas Tree fire extinguisher. 

The idea includes a small household ABC type fire extinguisher connected to an extension-mounting adapter. A dispensing head and valve at the top of the shaft would restrain the pressurized contents of the extinguisher until needed. 

With the unit securely mounted to the tree trunk, the lights and decorations could be applied as usual. In an emergency, the intense heat from a fire would melt a temperature sensitive strip mounted on the dispensing head and put the fire out, similar to a system used on exhaust hoods in restaurants. 

Although Joe sent this invention to his patent attorney, he decided to pass on the idea because of another extremely worthwhile innovation that later came to mind, LifePath Technology. 

Do you remember the 2006 American Inventor winner? It was the Guardian Angel Christmas Tree Fire Extinguisher. First Alert approached the inventor about his product on the show. We haven't seen it yet, but hopefully someday it will be on the market.