The 76-year-old uncle spent more than 100,000 pensions in 21 years, created 31 inventions and 5 obtained national practical technology patents
Baoji Edison Xin Shiwu loves to delve into new things
Turning bed, stair climbing machine, vegetable washing machine, scrubbing machine, electric mop, automatic lifting toilet, Qinqiang electric percussion instrument... These various inventions and creations were all made by an old man in sixties.
In order to facilitate and meet the living needs of the elderly, he has created 31 inventions in the 20 years since his retirement, of which 5 inventions have obtained national practical technology patents.
Recently, "76-year-old uncle developed 31 artifacts for the elderly" appeared on the hot search list of Weibo, with a reading volume of 49.36 million topics.
And the hard-core topic of "fancy beloved wife" is also constantly "swiping the screen" in the circle of friends, and for a time has become a famous "net celebrity" throughout the country.
This old man is Xin Shiwu, who was dubbed "Baoji Edison" by netizens. He is a retired deputy director of the Health Bureau of Chencang District, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province.
In order to invent, he not only spent hundreds of thousands of pensions, but also lost a little finger on his left hand, but this still couldn't stop him from chasing dreams.
Now, Xin Shiwu just wants to organize all his inventions into a book, and then produce a batch of health beds to put in nursing homes, nursing centers and other nursing institutions to serve more elderly people with limited mobility.
The "multifunctional health bed" designed for the paralyzed father has more than 150 parts
Since his retirement, Xin Shiwu has independently invented 31 products, 19 of which are to better serve the elderly.
It is one of the important reasons why Xin Shiwu has devoted himself to making the elderly with limited mobility enjoy a high-quality elderly life.
In 1999, Xin Shiwu’s father was paralyzed in bed due to arteriosclerosis and he could not get up or turn over.
"Father's mind is very clear, but he is always uncomfortable." Xin Shiwu said, at that time he was still at work, and most of the work of taking care of the elderly fell on his wife.
In order to prevent the elderly from lying in bed for a long time and getting bedsores on their bodies, they help turn over once every more than an hour.
This seemingly simple nursing job was not an easy task for the couple who were in their 50s at the time.
The pain of the old father, Xin Shiwu saw in his eyes, but also in his heart.
When he accompanied his old father to hospitals in Xi'an, Beijing and other places, he always wanted to find a multifunctional nursing bed that could help the bedridden elderly turn over, but he tried to find no results.
"At that time, there was no health care bed in the market, so I wanted to get a bed that could turn over, but I haven't practiced it." After retiring, Xin Shiwu had a lot of leisure time, and he was unwilling to entertain the elderly, so he picked up thinking again. The idea of creating a "healthcare bed" with the function of turning over for the father.
He did what he said, bought materials and devices immediately, and started designing.
In order to realize some simple operations such as turning over and sitting up for bedriddens, Xin Shiwu worked hard. He personally designed drawings, tested the performance of the bed, and learned experience from repeated failures. It took only two or three years to successfully develop the first The embryonic form of a generation of healthcare beds.
"The biggest problem encountered in making a health bed is the inability to control the speed and strength of the bed board. I did hundreds of experiments to find the speed and strength suitable for the elderly."
In 2006, this health bed with functions such as turning over and sitting up finally came out. It is composed of three vertical bed boards and more than 150 parts. In addition to the bed body processed by the factory and some electronic components purchased from the market, There are nearly 100 parts designed by Xin Shiwu himself, and then through cutting, welding and other techniques to achieve their desired shape and performance.
Xin Shiwu hung a simple remote control modified from a medicine bottle at the head of the bed. The bedridden lying on the middle bed can control the remote control by himself, so that the left or right bed can be slowly raised up to 90 degrees to assist in turning left and right. .
When it is convenient, the bedridden only needs to push himself up, click the button to open the stool hole, and control the exhaust fan at the head of the bed to remove the odor in the house after finishing the work.
Of course, the health care bed has more than these practical functions. It also has many hidden skills. Even if the bedridden does not get out of the bed, he can open and close windows or curtains through the remote control, and even water the flowers on the balcony.
"When you are sick, it will be uncomfortable if you can't get up in bed, and you have to bother your children to turn over every day. Two or three times a morning, it will be annoying for a long time." With this health bed, you can control it with one hand. You can flip it any way.
In continuous improvement and optimization, Xin Shiwu has added a timer function, which can be set to turn over for the bedridden every few hours.
"I usually go up and flip through the meal after I eat it, so I can exercise it."
This is Xin Shiwu's first invention after his retirement, and it is also one of the five works that have obtained national practical technology patents.
Unfortunately, Xin Shiwu's old father did not enjoy the results that his son had painstakingly developed.
"There is a lot of time to retire, and dancing is not good, but invention is okay."
In fact, Xin Shiwu's road of invention had already begun to take shape decades ago.
As the name suggests, Xin Shiwu has been fond of researching all kinds of machines since he was a child, and usually likes to make some "new things" by hand.
After graduating from Fengxiang Normal School in 1968, Xin Shiwu was assigned to teach in an elementary school in Qianhe Town, Baoji County, where he was a math teacher and music teacher.
While teaching, Xin Shiwu found that the school lacked teaching equipment, so he made by himself the commonly used teaching aids such as rulers and compasses, as well as some instruments for experimentation.
"Because there is no instrument in class, a lot of knowledge in textbooks cannot be taught." Xin Shiwu said that he once taught geometry in a class. When introducing the leveling instrument to students, he found that the students were particularly interested in this instrument, but such a professional instrument It was extremely scarce at the time, so he wanted to make a measuring instrument.
However, he himself only used it a few times in school, and didn't know much about the structure of the leveling instrument. He tried several times and ended in failure.
Occasionally, Xin Shiwu heard that the engineer who built the Wei Canal nearby had a precise leveling gauge. He originally wanted to borrow it to see it, but he didn't want to borrow it at all.
In order to understand the structure of the leveling instrument as soon as possible, Xin Shiwu often went to the construction site to observe and ask after teaching.
He spent more than a year continuously improving and perfecting, and finally produced a simple version of the measuring instrument enough to meet the needs of daily teaching.
"In those days, I lacked everything, and I liked to do it myself, so I gradually fell in love with invention." When Xin Shiwu was in junior high school, he especially liked physics. He also learned the working principle of electric motors in class, plus every time I saw machines, I loved it. After doing some research, I have mastered a lot of mechanical knowledge.
"I just combine the knowledge learned in textbooks with real life, and use the working principles of these machines to draw inferences from one another and make some small inventions."
After teaching in a rural elementary school for 3 years, Xin Shiwu entered the People’s Commune in 1970 and was later transferred to the Organization Department of the County Party Committee.
In 1988, Xin Shiwu went to work in the local health bureau and stayed in the last post of his life for 12 years.
In 2000, when he was the Deputy Director of the Health Bureau, he took a back seat and devoted all his energy to invention and creation.
After working hard for a lifetime, I didn't get any free time after retirement.
But in Xin Shiwu's eyes, his other life has just begun.
"After retiring, I have too much free time, we are also old, we don't have the energy to go to work, playing cards are distressed, and dancing is not good, but invention is still good."
Qinqiang electric percussion instrument has been developed to the fifth generation, and one person can play twelve instruments at the same time
In addition to his interest in mechanical equipment, Xin Shiwu's biggest hobby is listening to Qin Opera.
Once, when Xin Shiwu participated in a Qinqiang self-music class, he found that whether it is a literary or a martial arts band, at least five or six people are required to perform in order to perform normally.
"But it is quite difficult for five or six people to train, and even a few years can not train a percussion band." He wondered, can he invent an electric percussion instrument that can be played by only one person?
Although Xin Shiwu has been learning Banhu since he was seven or eight years old, he also knew a little about other instruments in Qinqiang literary and martial arts, but he had to play several roles and perform Qin Shengqin Yun, which was originally composed of five or six people, with a similar degree of difficulty. Not low.
Moreover, if you want to create a mechanical beating of five musical instruments by manipulating the keyboard, you need not only knowledge of automation, electronics, physics, etc., but also various professional skills such as welding, woodworking, and fitter.
For Xin Shiwu, who only has a technical secondary school diploma, it is not simple at all.
Various electronic components are naturally indispensable to make electric percussion instruments, but almost none of the electronic components sold on the market meet Xin Shiwu's needs.
In order to find these parts, Xin Shiwu went to electronic component shops in and outside the city, and even tried to order online.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find an electronic component, buy it and install it, and find that it’s not suitable, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive.” When he encountered a problem he didn’t understand, Xin Shiwu went around asking a teacher to answer his doubts, thinking about it day and night, sometimes sleeping until midnight. Suddenly remembering a thought, I got up to write and draw.
"I have learned geometric figures in junior high school, so I can draw drawings." The circuit drawings drawn by Xin Shiwu look extremely complicated.
After hundreds of days and nights of research and development, Xin Shiwu's ideal "Qinqiang electric percussion instrument" was finally completed.
The electric percussion instrument is composed of three bronze wares, namely Baogu, Banhu, Bangzi, Yazi (also known as Tanban), and cymbals, big gongs, and small gongs.
Each musical instrument is equipped with an electromagnetic device, which is connected to a miniature keyboard that controls pronunciation through the device. After pressing the button and energizing, the device generates attractive force, and the instrument produces sound when the instrument is struck.
With this all-in-one electric percussion instrument, the Qinqiang performance that originally required five or six musicians to play can be handled by Xin Shiwu alone. This caused a sensation in the local area, and major media rushed to report it.
With this set of "electric equipment", Xin Shiwu was invited to participate in the "stunt" performance in Baoji City and the third Shaanxi Art Festival, winning first place.
At the end of 2003, Xin Shiwu not only boarded the performance stage of the Spring Festival Gala in Shaanxi Province, but also embarked on a train going north to Beijing to participate in the recording of the program "Qu Yuan Za Tan" of CCTV.
When he operated an electric percussion instrument alone in the middle of the stage, the host once commented: "This is the only one in the country."
However, Xin Shiwu's research and development of "electric percussion" has not stopped.
Later, it took him more than a year to develop the second generation of electric percussion instruments, adding some performance instruments in Qinqiang literary scenes, such as banhu, erhu, electronic organ, cello, yangqin, bass, etc.
"The second generation has added some western musical instruments, it is more difficult, and the technological content is relatively high." Xin Shiwu made a miniature keyboard according to one-thousandth the size of an electronic piano, installed it on the erhu piano pole, and put the electronic piano on it. The outer contours and keyboards of western musical instruments are removed, leaving only the keyboard sound board, and then use wires to connect the keys of the electronic piano to the mini keyboard, and control the playing of the electronic piano by playing the mini keyboard.
"In fact, it is equivalent to using two erhu and banhu to control the performance of all instruments."
When asked whether he encountered any insurmountable problems in the process of invention, Mr. Xin Shiwu liked to say: "You must have the spirit of gnawing hard bones, and you must continue to explore and ponder. If an experiment is unsuccessful, you will try ten or a hundred times. , The problem can always be solved.” Now, the Qinqiang electric percussion instrument has been developed to the fifth generation, and one person can play twelve kinds of civil and military instruments at the same time.
Inventing inevitably requires dealing with various tools and equipment, and injuries are naturally unavoidable.
In July 2016, because he was not familiar with the performance of electric saws, Xin Shiwu accidentally saw the little finger of his left hand when he was cutting the wooden plug of an electric musical instrument.
"At that time, my family members unanimously opposed it, and they disagreed that I should continue to invent." Xin Shiwu recalled. The doctor said that the severed finger could no longer be connected. Under the persuasion of his family, he was hospitalized for 4 months.
"Oh, I didn't want to do it at the time, but I have spent a lot of effort step by step until now, and I really can't let it go." After being injured, Xin Shiwu also seriously considered whether to give up his "dream" but do nothing to live in the elderly. It made him feel extremely boring. Soon after he was discharged from the hospital, Xin Shiwu began to "return to his old career."
"After he was injured, I have been in a bad mood, so I was so alone." Li Qiaocui, Xin Shiwu's wife, was very worried when he thought of his injured finger. .
But thinking about the past 20 years, he likes to deal with machines without playing cards or smoking.
"You stop him, he doesn't feel good, so I turned around to support him again." After fifty years of companionship, Li Qiaocui couldn't bear to kill his dream.
20 days to manufacture "elevating elevators" to go up and down the stairs, the total cost is less than 300 yuan
Among Xin Shiwu's many inventions, his favorite is the "automatic stair climber" installed at the stairway on the first floor for neighbours to go up and down.
This is also Li Qiaocui's favorite invention.
Xin Shiwu and his wife live on the second floor of the community, and they have to climb more than ten meters of stairs every time they go up and down.
"When my wife was young, she did housework and farm work, and was tired. When she gets old, her legs and feet are not good, her psoas muscles and knee joints are severely strained, and it takes more effort to go upstairs." Old people with inconvenient legs and feet like their wives are common. Exist, living in a building without an elevator is a problem.
As the age continues to grow, Xin Shiwu feels more and more the limitations and difficulties of the elderly in their daily lives.
How can I go up and down the stairs more easily and conveniently?
Xin Shiwu originally planned to make a dedication tool, but because the results were too high, he gave up.
"I made a lot of plans based on various ideas, and finally thought about building an automatic stair climber." In April 2019, Xin Shiwu began preparations. It took more than half a year to design, select materials, and simulate hundreds of experiments. Production began on October 10 and was completed in only 20 days. It was officially put into use on November 1.
The stair climber is fixed on the stair guardrail on the first floor. It is composed of guard plates, handrails, seats, and two upper and lower rails. "All the materials are purchased from the second-hand market, and the total is less than 300 yuan."
The working principle of the stair climber is not complicated.
After energizing, the motor drives the reducer, and the reducer drives another reducer to reach a suitable speed through two decelerations, thereby driving the seat to lift.
At present, the maximum load-bearing capacity of the stair climber can reach 180 catties, and it takes about 1 minute for a single trip, and the speed is more suitable for the elderly.
In addition, for the elderly, it is also very simple to use.
Just put down the seat, fasten the seat belt after the person sits firmly, and plug in the power cord with the control switch to go upstairs.
In order to facilitate the use at night, Xin Shiwu also installed a small lamp holder on the guard plate.
Nowadays, the automatic stair climber has become a "special elevator" for the old couple, and they have to ride two or three times a day.
"It does not take up the area of the stairs, nor does it affect other people's going up and down at all." Xin Shiwu explained.
In order to devote more than 100,000 pensions to the invention, the spouse picks up the tatters to subsidize the family
"When people are old, they have limited mobility and can't walk, but I still want to go to the living room and take a look on the balcony." In order to solve the worrying problem of himself and his peers, Xin Shiwu invented an "electric car" with massage function. , Not only can come and go freely in the house, but also activate the back-beating device during the movement.
From the "electric massage chair" and "electric mop" in the living room to the "automatic back rubbing machine" and "lifting toilet" in the bathroom, from the "electric turning bed" in the bedroom to the "vegetable washing machine" and "dishwasher" in the kitchen, more than 80 The square meter room is full of piles, and switches made of plastic medicine bottles and instructions for use pasted on the medicine bottles can be seen everywhere. Tools such as pliers, axes, screwdrivers and so on are placed in the corner of the bedroom in an orderly manner.
The 2 square meter balcony where welding machines, cutting machines and other equipment are placed is Xin Shiwu’s exclusive "science laboratory", where he has completed all his inventions.
For more than 20 years, the world has carried all his dreams and retirement life.
Of course, behind the success, there is always a person who pays silently.
On weekdays, Xin Shiwu, who is devoted to invention, "does not listen to housework", and all the trivial matters inside and out are handled by his wife and children.
Although Xin Shiwu couldn't get in, he was worried about his wife's hard work.
In the winter of 2013, when Xin Shiwu helped his wife to wash vegetables, his hands were soaked in cold tap water, and he was sorely frozen.
At that time, he wanted to invent an automatic vegetable washing machine that could not only solve the problem of washing vegetables in cold water in winter, but also reduce the burden of housework for his wife and children.
After thinking about the working principle of the washing machine, Xin Shiwu placed a filter on the bottom of the bucket, and placed the vegetables to be cleaned in another filter. After power on, the leaf and root vegetables were washed by rotating it from three angles with positive and negative water flow. clean.
After dozens of trials, a simple version of the vegetable washing machine was completed.
Subsequently, Xin Shiwu used the same principle to invent a dishwasher, and both obtained national patents.
"I was the first to enjoy the dish washer and vegetable washing machine. This is what he cares about me. With an electric mop, mopping the floor is easier." Li Qiaocui said, although he doesn't do housework , But the dish washer and dishwasher he invented are also for his own sake.
"So, you have to support him happily."
Over the years, in order to invent and create, Xin Shiwu spent hundreds of thousands of pensions.
In order to support him, Li Qiaocui often quietly carried sacks and clips to pick up rags when Xin Shiwu was busy studying.
“Actually, I didn’t make any money from the invention, and the investment in the past few decades is not small.” She thought, this is the family life of two people. Let him invent.
"He wants to live and invent, and he asks him for money every day. He is not happy mentally and psychologically, and he is in a bad mood."
In Li Qiaocui's eyes, Xin Shiwu invented so many things, which is also a contribution to society, so she always does her best to protect his "inventive dream".
"No matter what he does, the body is healthy. A healthy body is a blessing and a blessing to the family."
Not long ago, the CCTV news interview broadcasted "Baoji 70-year-old Old Man Xin Shiwu: Inventing and Ingenuity to Build a Home", which attracted more netizens to pay attention to him. For a while, Xin Shiwu's news about "using science and technology to spoil his wife" was on the Internet and friends. The circle keeps "swiping the screen".
On November 8, "The 76-year-old uncle developed 31 artifacts for the elderly" topped the Weibo hot search list, with 49.36 million readers on the topic.
After the reporter carefully explained the meaning of "Weibo Hot Search", Xin Shiwu smiled heartily and said: "Then am I becoming an Internet celebrity?"
Xin Shiwu said that he was busy before and had no time for publicity and promotion.
Many people are paying attention to him now, and manufacturers have made a special trip to see inventions such as health beds, electric percussion instruments, and vegetable washing machines.
He said that he has not invented new products now, and intends to stop first, organize all the previous inventions into a book, and then produce a batch of health beds to put in nursing homes, nursing centers and other nursing institutions to serve more elderly people with disabilities.
"I see that my inventions have an effect on social progress, and I feel happy in my heart."
This edition / our reporter Wang Jing