JOYCE — Almost everybody has fiddled around with a plastic coffee stirrer from time to time.
Bill Roden of Joyce has taken it to the next level.
Roden, 78, recently received a U.S. patent for an aerosol spray system he invented out of coffee stir straws.
The nifty new system eliminates the mess created by the little red extension spray stick on aerosol cans.
Roden’s system also provides storage for the little red stick, which is easily lost among garage clutter.
Roden’s invention has so much potential that the television show “Modern Marvels’ on the History Channel has given it a nod of approval.
Roden submitted his system into the show’s “Invent Now” challenge, and it was one of 100 given an honorable mention out of more than 4,200 submissions.
Simple design
The design for Roden’s invention is simple, and can be used on automotive and paint aerosols.
Roden clipped the tip of an extension stick, which is used for direct target spraying, and permanently fastened it to the spray nozzle.
Then Roden widened one of the ends of an extension stick so it would fit over the permanent tip on the nozzle.
The design provides for an easier, cleaner fit, Roden said.
“Even a jittery old man like me can put it into there,” he said.
When a person is done using the spray, he or she can take off the extension and put it into a little holder attached to the can.
And what is the little holder made of?
Nothing more than a coffee stir stick and a piece of tape.