Maltese inventor seeks funds for his ingenious creations

Charles White talks about his love for everything mechanical. He tells Simonne Pace his biggest wish is to see at least one of his inventions making a breakthrough.

An avid reader and proud owner of a collection of about 900 Maltese and British military books, Maltese inventor Charles White spends hours in his small workshop at his Żurrieq home sculpting prototypes of some of his inventions.

As it stands, I have little hope of attracting the interest of big tool-manufacturing companies

The 54-year-old mechanical improviser with a knack for gadgets remembers dismantling home appliances and other technical devices around the house as a young boy and then reassembling the little pieces from scratch.

“I was always fascinated with the idea of becoming an inventor and I’m constantly thinking of new inventions,” he told The Sunday Times.

A mechanical technician by trade, Mr White claims to be the creator of several things, ranging from a folding speed bump to an orange knife, a clever kitchen tool which is still on the drawing board.

Mr White describes his new kitchen gadget as a useful tool that “enables one to effortlessly peel oranges but has a special twist to it”. He talks discreetly about its shape because he hasn’t yet filed for a patent.

The folding speed bump was Mr White’s fourth invention. “Its benefit is that it can be simply folded flat when not in use. If fitted near a school during the summer holidays, there would be no need for a sleeping policeman – which potentially saves lives, but is an undesirable nuisance when it’s not needed.”

Mr White, whose grandfather is British, filed his first patent in 2001 – his first invention was a hyro-mechanical plant.

The inventor does all the work related to the patent application himself, from preparing the theoretical explanations and sketching the line drawings to filing his patents personally at the London Patent Office.

Mr White, who is married with three children, has had to stop working due to health problems.

However, his inventions, “which are a great antidote”, keep him working round the clock, in the hope that someday he will get the funding needed to enable them to be produced commercially.

His very latest invention, the angle drill stand enhancer, was filed with the UK Patent Office last January.

“This revolutionary device has huge potential for the tool industry, but can only be realised through funding. As it stands, I have little hope of attracting the interest of big tool-manufacturing companies.”

At 21, Mr White started working for an aviation maintenance company as an aviation technician.

Based in the electrical and accessories workshop, he worked on fixed wing aircraft, mainly the Dakoda DC3, but was also part of a team which overhauled components and maintained aircraft electrical systems.

Mr White later became a qualified non-destructive testing (NDT) inspector and quality inspector. His duties involved the inspection and test-running of aircraft jet engines.

Earlier inventions created by Mr White that still await patents include a flag pole with a rotating outer skin that prevents the flag from furling and ‘White Seats’, which tilts the seats of a car driver and front passenger when the car’s speed exceeds 40 kilometres an hour.

“The motorised seats will tilt in tandem with the car’s front wheels via an electronic decoder on the steering wheel. This will preserve the centre of gravity and result in a more comfortable and safer driving experience,” Mr White explains.

Another invention is the ‘White Turbo’, a device that enhances a petrol and diesel engine’s exhaust system. The device sucks out the exhaust using a vacuum instead of the traditional method of relying on the pistons to push it out from the engine.

Mr White, who received his second patent earlier this year, is currently working with Malta Enterprise and Business First to try to explore contacts and expose his ideas and inventions to the wider European markets.