Inventors of Portage County: Making lots of locks, drink dispensers and more

Inventors of Portage County: Making lots of locks, drink dispensers and more

- Wendy DiAlesandro

The Portager’s call for more local inventors hit paydirt. Thanks to our readers, here are a few more names and inventions rooted in Portage County:

In 1976, Joseph W. Shannon, along with co-inventors Clarence A. Ripley, Jr., and John Henry Dailey, was awarded a patent for an automatic drink dispenser. Instead of having to memorize mixed drink recipes, bartenders punched the correct buttons on a keyboard console and the drink would mix itself.

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