You know how it is. You've worked hard and you've gotten something done, but as happens all too often, there's no one around to appreciate your achievement. Not your friends, not your co-workers, and definitely not your boss. Wouldn't it be nice to feel like you were getting some well deserved recognition?

Wouldn't it be nice to get a pat on the back?

Inventor Ralph Piro thought so, and thus, the Pat on the Back Apparatus he conceived came into a world where recognition was needed but not available, earning the award of U.S. Patent 4,608,967 on 2 September 1986.

We can only speculate if Piro's celebration of the event resembled Figure 1 from the patent:

To be sure, Piro has genuine empathy for those seeking recognition, which is revealed in the following portions from the background of the invention, in which he draws upon lessons from psychology.

This invention relates to an apparatus which is useful for providing a self-administered pat-on-the-back or a congratulatory gesture....

The present invention is relatively simple to assemble and operate and may be utilized by either a child or adult. One such usage is as an amusement or entertainment device which may be enjoyed either alone or in the presence of a group of persons. In this regard, the present invention is particularly suitable as a humorous gift to an employee or family member or as a party favor.

On the other hand, the device of the present invention may also be utilized to impart significant psychological benefits to the user. In this connection, it is well known in the art and practice of self-administered positive reinforcement activity that various techniques can be successfully employed to extol the virtues of one's actions and thoughts. For example, it has been reported that many wealthy and successful individuals engage in conversations with themselves, that is, they talk to themselves. Such an activity is understandable in view of the often small populace of self-motiviated individuals and in view of the large volume of self-defeatist conversation known to emanate from those of low self esteem. Another type of this activity is that of using mirrors to add visual impact and impression to that of the above mentioned voice feedback techniques.

Recent developments in psychological development techniques point to the need to have an abundance of behavior modification techniques available for the individual who seeks to reach more of the potential which scientists, spiritual leaders, and personal observation teach is attainable. Historically, much of the material available to the individual has been in the form of written material which must be read or studied as part of a course of self-improvement. More recently such technical advances as recorded media has made available voice and visual recordings in which one may engage in the development of a positive mental attitude (PMA). Such PMA materials have been widely received by large sectors of the populace and are credited with improved success in arenas of personal human involvement such as sales, supervision, teaching and leadership.

As mentioned above, in providing for positive reinforcement with prior methods several techniques have been utilized. Most frequently, one who is in need of congratulations or encouragement often tells friends or work associates of his or her feelings and solicits a needed-pat-on-the-back. In the absence of other persons or of persons either friendly or sensitive to one's needs the individual must resort to raising their arm and hand high into the air overhead and bending the arm at the elbow to allow the hand to gently strike the upper portion of the back. This places one in a somewhat uncomfortable posture and additionally lacks the placement of a pat in the most desired middle portion of the back.

Because these methods rely on others which may be psychologically hostile or on a rather contorted physical position it is desirable to have available a more favorable means for providing a pat-on-the-back.

Piro is right to recognize the potential for the psychologically hostile to act against the needs of those needing recognition. Our search of Amazon to find if products inspired by his invention were available turned up an example of that hostility in the form of a series of novelty T-shirts. There were no back-patting apparatuses to be found anywhere on the online retailer's site.

But not all hope is lost. Some tinkerers have stepped into the gap left in the marketplace to build their own device for patting themselves on the back, as demonstrated by the following video:

The question for us all is in whose world would we rather live? That of novelty T-shirts or that of Ralph Piro?

From the Inventions in Everything Archives

This isn't the first time the IIE team featured a patented invention whose purpose was entirely self-congratulatory for their inventor. There is one other:

• High Five!