Michael Jackson, Inventor

And I thought it was all CGI and tilting floors…

While working on searches for a patent landscape, I was surprised to find that the US Patent and Trademark office is having a memorial exhibition of Michael Jackson’s patents and trademarks. Believe it or not, MJ actually has issued a 1993 patent, #5255452: Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion.

The invention: A system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes which will engage with a hitch member movably projectable through a stage surface. The shoes have a specially designed heel slot which can be detachably engaged with the hitch member by simply sliding the shoe wearer's foot forward, thereby engaging with the hitch member.

Prior Art: Music entertainers and dancers are constantly searching for new and interesting elements which can be incorporated into their musical and dance performances. In the past, a professional entertainer, one of the inventors herein, has incorporated dance steps in his recorded video performances, wherein he and other dancers would lean forward beyond their center of gravity, thereby creating an impressive visual effect. This effect was accomplished by the use of cables connecting a harness around the dancer's waist with hooks on a stage, thereby allowing the dancer to lean forward at the required degree. However, since this requires stagehands to connect and then disconnect the cables, it has not been possible to use this system in live performances. Moreover, the cables obviously restricted arm and body movements. The present invention overcomes prior deficiencies of the previously employed cable system.

To see it, go here and type in the patent number.