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Author Geoffrey Thomas with Mr Orgill’s black box invention at the home of its present owner.
for the US confident of making “ It also seems that Mr Orgill
In November 1958, supported
was helped by then President
by close friends, Mr Orgill left
There is
close friend of Mr Crosby and
sales. one indisputable John F Kennedy who was a
often a guest at his home.
He made an impact and in fact and that is Mr
February 1959 a brief New Orgill was the first Then, in January 1960, a
York news story in The West person in Australia remarkable report in The
Australian said: “An ingenious Sunday Times said: “The
device that warns pilots of air- to successfully test United States patent office has
craft structural and mechanical a working black agreed to issue a patent on
failures has been rolled into a a Perth man’s aircraft safety
lethal-looking aluminium ball box.” invention.”
by a young Australian. He is The story said President
hoping to make arrangements Kennedy had, after receiv-
for the manufacture of the ing a letter from the inventor,
device here.” However it appears that Mr contacted the Washington
Orgill contacted the Bing Patent Office “with successful
Precisely what happened in Crosby Research Foundation results”.
the US is unclear with the in Los Angeles which was
story made up of newspaper set up by the famous singer It also quoted a letter from Mr
snippets, letters to friends and to encourage frustrated Orgill claiming many engineers
distant recollections. inventors. in major aircraft manufacturing
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