Remembering Paul Winchell— a Man with Heart to Spare (Courtesy Roger Passero)

power play Remembering Paul Winchell— A Man With Heart To Spare (Courtesy Roger Passero). Remember Paul Winchell? Sure 50s, found time to attend and gradu- made a television talk show appear- you do—if you are a child of the ’50s. ate from The Acupuncture Research ance (The Merv Griffin Show) alongside Who of that period does not recall College of Los Angeles in 1974; he also Winchell to confirm not only the story ventriloquist dummies Jerry Mahoney worked as a medical hypnotist at the of Winchell’s early work and patent and Knucklehead Smiff—the “head- Gibbs Institute in Hollywood. of his artificial heart device, but also liners” of Winchell’s popular NBC And while some may think it a to verify the fact that Winchell’s work Saturday morning kids show (The Paul stretch to cite Winchell in Power Play, had occurred many years before Jarvik’s Winchell Show)? Later generations of his heart pump design and aforemen- artificial heart was produced. (During kids have no clue of him, but millions tioned piezo-electric diaphragm are the appearance Heimlich stated): ‘I saw of them have heard him—whether they concrete examples of power transmis- the heart. I saw the patent and I saw the know it or not—as the voice of Tigger sion accomplishment. (application) letters. The basic principle in the Disney animated kid classics Quoting (regarding his artificial used in Winchell’s heart and Jarvik’s Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery heart design) from the Winchell web- heart is exactly the same.’” Day and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger site (paulwinchell.net): And this, too, from the Internet Too, for which he received a Grammy “I applied for a patent and then Accuracy Project: “Contrary to popu- in 1974. Son of an immigrant tailor, a I awaited the examiner’s report. The lar public perception, the artificial shy child with a pronounced stutter and initial search revealed that the device heart was not invented by (Jarvik). a polio survivor, Winchell (formerly was cleared for patent and no prior art Documents from the United States Wilchinsky) went on to voice other had been found. I filed in the summer Patent Office show that February 6, familiar cartoon characters, including of 1956. It took me almost eight years 1961, Paul Winchell filed for a patent Gargamel (The Smurfs), Fleegle (The to convince the examiner of the device’s on his artificial heart. He was granted Banana Splits Adventure) and many, possibilities. He, too, thought I was a patent on July 16, 1963. (The pat- many more. Also a talented, sometimes wacky, but he finally acceded, making ent paperwork explains in part): ‘This actor, Winchell appeared on hit TV me the first inventor to ever receive a invention relates to an artificial heart shows including The Beverly Hillbillies, U.S. patent for an artificial heart.” and, more particularly, to an artifi- The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Brady Winchell, upon request, sub- cial heart capable of substituting for a Bunch. sequently donated his patent to the natural human heart in moving blood And not to bury the lead, but here’s University of Utah. However, a debate through a human body…and in which something that almost nobody knows: eventually arose over how much of the moving parts are sealed within a Winchell, who died in 2005 at age 83, Winchell’s design was actually used by container made of a material which was also an inventor and the holder of Dr. Robert Jarvik—commonly cred- is non-toxic and non-irritating to the some 30 patents. ited as the originator of the artificial human or animal body and inert with That is impressive on its own, but heart. Jarvik at that time was working respect to body fluids, the several mov- among those patents was U.S. Patent with a team at the school on his own ing parts being made of tough, durable # 3097366 for the design—with assis- heart device. Over the years, Jarvik material which will not wear out in use, tance from noted physician Dr. Henry has long denied that any of Winchell’s such as nylon, and the like.’” Heimlich; yes, that Heimlich—of the design elements were incorporated into And did we mention his invention first implantable, artificial heart. Other the device he fabricated for humans— of the first disposable razor? medical patents awarded include those the Jarvik–7—which was successfully Not bad for someone perhaps best resulting from Winchell’s humanitar- implanted for the first time in human known as Knucklehead Smiff ’s alter ian work for what is now known as guinea pig Barney Clark in 1982. ego. the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society But the plot thickens, according And so, as Tigger would say: “Ta-ta and the American Red Cross. Patents to the Internet Accuracy Project website for now.” awarded for a blood plasma defroster (accuracyproject.org): and a piezo-electric diaphragm were a “After Jarvik was repeatedly—and direct result of his work for those orga- erroneously—referred to as the inven- nizations. And, Winchell, then in his tor of the artificial heart, Heimlich 52 powertransmissionengineering december 2011 www.powertransmission.com.

Load more