Inventor at Career Day at Isaac E. Young Middle School

Hundreds of seventh graders, visiting professionals and staff participated in Career Day at Isaac E. Young Middle School today.  Lawyers, teachers, fashion designers, firemen, detectives and doctors met with the students throughout the morning.  Students were able to pick an itinerary from the invitees, who also included architects, chef, computer experts, engineer, fashion sales, HVAC technician, optician, pharmacist, physical therapist, teacher and web designer.  New Rochelle high school seniors, alumni of IEY, came to the event wearing college t-shirts of their chosen schools, participated as speakers.  IEY National Junior Honor society students assisted throughout the morning.  The event was sponsored and organized by the IEY guidance and counseling department.

Daniel Ilich, New Rochelle inventor and business owner, captivated full classrooms of students with his presentation.  Mr. Ilich, holder of 6 patents, is the inventor of the ubiquitous hanging file and numerous other items. 

Mr. Ilich described his first invention.  As a college student in Manhattan, Ilich lived above a photography studio.  He worked there part time for extra money, developing film and running errands.  Always observant, Ilich noticed that during shoots the photographers had to stop and reload their cameras with film frequently, which took time and effort.  The model was making $150 an hour at the time.  Ilich asked to borrow a camera and was reluctantly lent a damaged, yet expensive, camera.  He took it apart and attached an aluminum apparatus on the back that held 100' of film.  It worked beautifully and before long he had modified all the photographers' cameras.  Eastman Kodak Company asked the 19 year old how much to purchase it and paid him $6,000 (a huge sum at the time) for this his first invention.  He recalls marveling how his design looked in plastic after they remanufactured it. 

Still at the photo studio and while at college, he noticed roomfuls of workers developing colored film, dipping negatives one by one into different trays of chemicals, a laborious and time-consuming process.  Ilich created a frame out of metal and screens that could hold 36 slides, which could be dipped into the chemicals at one time.  Eastman Kodak gladly paid thousands for the "Unitron" invention.  Ilich named the apparatus quickly so that Kodak could write the check.  Then he went down to the block to a lawyer to form a company.

By now Eastman Kodak approached Ilich with a government request for proposal to create a camera that could take 1,000 pictures in one second to record vocal cords during speech.  Ilich knew the shutter concept was too slow and replaced the aperture with a rectangular prism.  Then Western Electric requested 3,000 frames per second.  He began to receive truckloads of film.  Ilich had to overcome vibrations problems and rework the tripods.  He overcame many obstacles and created the "Fastax" camera.  He was able to sell the cameras for $10,000 each and made dozens of them.  Ilich showed the students a cross section of the design.

Ilich recalled reading about when U-2 pilot Gary Powers was shot down over Russia in 1962.  He was shocked to read on the front page of the New York Times that his Fastax camera was being used in the plane.  He was under the impression he designed it for vocal cords, and instead the government used it for spying.

Ilich told the students to be observant and question why.  He said there were no problems, because they could be solved.  He encouraged them to find their passion early to have more time to fully realize it.

Ilich related how he created the hanging file.  His manila folders kept sliding down in his file cabinet and he likes a clean office.  He came up with the idea for a metal frame to hold hanging files and worked through the Pendaflex Company.  He is proud of his patent on the frame for the hanging file, which is three axes (X, Y & Z) that are connected without welding or screws.  The metal is notched and folded over another length of metal to make a strong axis, which is the basis for his design.  It took him two years to earn the patent.  Ilich profited handsomely from this invention receiving $60,000 a month in royalties.  The devices were quickly copied however, and the patent could not be protected despite the efforts of the Pendaflex legal team.

Ilich said that not everyone has to go to college and even plumbers could invent something that would make them millionaires.  He showed a pipe hanging apparatus made of rolled metal that has curved hooks that hold it into a cement ceiling as it is being poured.  Then different hooks can be inserted into the channel to hold pipes or wiring.  This product is used all over the world.

Mr. Ilich recalled when he learned his passion.  As a fourteen year old, he accompanied his uncle, who built bridges, to work one day.  Mr. Ilich saw hot steel being formed into I beams and deciding then that he wanted to create things out of metal and even earn enough money to purchase that machine.

Ilich is the president of Unitron Machined Products Inc. located in the nearby Bronx, which produces roll formed products and services. 

On Wednesday, May 1st, Isaac E. Young Middle School was one of 10 schools nationwide to receive the Breakthrough School Award in Washington, DC.  The winners were selected based on three criteria -- leadership, collaboration with teachers, and progress for kids in need.  The award is sponsored by the Met Life Company and winners picked by the National Association of School Principals.