The 50 Year History of Play-Doh

tanagra writes "50 years ago U.S. Patent No. 3,167,440 was granted to Noah McVicker and Joseph McVicker for a "plastic modeling composition", (which was originally intended to be a wallpaper cleaner) now called Play-Doh. Little did they know that they had created the substance of childhood memories as well as many a childhood meal, unfortunately. Play-Doh persists as one of the most well known and popular children's "toys". As you attempt to clean your children's Play-Doh out of the carpet, the car, and the bathtub; take a look back with us at how it all got started."

Recipes

[zymano]

Home Made 'Play - Doh'

Ingredients

        * 2 cups plain flour
        * 1 cup salt
        * 2 cups water
        * 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
        * 2 tablespoons cooking oil
        * food colouring

Method

        * Mix ingredients in a pan and stir while heating gently
        * When dough is formed tip out and cool on grease proof paper
        * When cool kneed until smooth
        * Store in airtight container in a cool place

Another recipe. Including Silly Putty recipe. Hmmm
http://k2.kirtland.cc.mi.us/~balbachl/kidrecip.htm [cc.mi.us]

Re:Just remember...

[teebob21]

Try kneading some baby oil into it if it isn't completely dried out; usually if the cap is left off only the top gets crusty.

It also masks that distinctive smell...but if you're into that smell you can either use plain mineral oil or buy the PlayDoh cologne.

Well THAT can't be good for you.

[AlexanderDitto]

"Some sort of petroleum distillate," apparently.

Mmm... petroleum distillate. How comforting, and assuredly non-carcinogenic.

Re:May I be the first to say...

[teebob21]

As long as we're all thinking about Homer J Simpson, his line "D'oh!" was originally written in the script as an 'Annoyed Grunt'. D'oh was borrowed by voice actor Dan Castellaneta from an actor in the old Laurel and Hardy films. http://www.think-ink.net/doh/meaning.htm [think-ink.net]

I'm glad he borrowed it, because D'oh is such a better line than MY annoyed grunts.

On a side note, if you can find Castellaneta's CD "I am Not Homer"...it's hilarious.

Re:misinformation

[Anonymous Coward]

The patent describes several alternatives, and is vague about additives, so I think it is fair to say that the formula isn't published. We know in general what it contains, but the specific formula used for the product aren't necessarily public. It's a long way from knowing the ingredients to knowing the "formula" -- which includes the actual ratios and specifications of ingredients and the process used to combine them.

The ingredients noted in the patent (simplified for readability)
  - wheat flour
  - water
  - salt
  - deodorized kerosene
  - borax
  - an alum, such as aluminum sulfate

Yum!

Re:ingredients

[laffy4]

Yes, the details should've been made public. In order for that patent to have issued, they couldn't have kept secret the ingredients or even what proportions of combinations they're in, otherwise it'd fail the "best mode" requirement of implementation. A patented item must allow the reasonably skilled person in that field of art to follow the instructions and recreate it. That doesn't stop them from burying the "actual" best mode amongst other feasible modes, however. A very cursory look at the patent shows 22 slightly varying, different composition of matters that would qualify as the invention...

The patent is published online

[mkj]

The patent, like all patents, is published online. Go to: http://patft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm [uspto.gov] And search for patent 3,167,440. It's four pages long. The ingredients are listed, though the exact proportions are not (several examples are given). Warning: Firefox made me install QuickTime to view the scanned images of the patent.

Get your facts right

[D H NG]

The McVickers invented it in 1956 [wikipedia.org]. Patent 3,167,440 was granted on January 26, 1965 [uspto.gov].

Re:50 years?

[iocat]

I did this in school too, and then tried some at my first job, to impress the ladies*. Here's a newsflash: Many shipping companies now spray corn-starch peanuts with poison to kill the rats who also like to eat them. This is a very bad thing.

*no, of course the ladies were not impressed. After this failure I took to collecting MIB Star Wars figures and posting on slashdot.

Re:Recipes

[Peter Mork]

Despite the patent, TFA claims, "It goes without saying that the top secret formula is a closely guarded secret." Color me confuselated*, you can't patent a secret. That's the whole point of a patent!

*The author reserves the right to invent words to suit his mood.