A patently absurd invention?

Want to patent a moustache protector? Or perhaps you’ve hit upon the idea of improving chickens’ lives by giving them eyeglasses. Well, don’t bother — they’ve already been invented. These are just some of the bizarre ideas that have trickled into the UK Patent Office on a regular basis since it opened 150 years ago. According to Steve van Dulken, who oversees the patent archive at the British Library, For every 100 applications lodged, I’d say that 10 are a bit wacky