THE overall winner of Sheepvention’s 2023 Inventions Competition has always been a bit of an inventor.
Crop farmer Steven Hein, from Mintaro in South Australia invented a bead breaker just before pneumatic tyres came along, and even invented a triple flush toilet long before water saving became a thing. But neither gained much traction back in the day.
All that is set to change since Mr Hein took out three prizes at Sheepvention’s 2023 Inventions Competition: first place in the Livestock Equipment & Technology Class with the Woolmaster Wireless Control Handpiece, SheerSpeed - a shearing handpiece and counter, and second place in the same category with his magnetic grinding papers.
Then, to really make his day, Mr Hein’s took home $2000 when he won the overall Rob F. Stewart Best Invention Award for the SheerSpeed handpiece.
Mr Hein started out his farming life as a shearer, so he knows a thing or two about efficiencies and safety when it comes to shearing large numbers of sheep. And his magnetic grinding papers will certainly make life easier for anyone who knows how time consuming and fiddly it can be to change grinding papers.
Son Roger Hein, who makes up the father and son duo, said while grinding papers are usually glued on and can take something like 15 minutes to replace and then a day to wait while the glue cures, the magnetic papers can be switched over in about two minutes.
“They’re like normal sanding paper on one side with a magnet on the other, much like a fridge magnet,” Roger said.
“They won’t stick to aluminium but do work really well with steel.”
The magnetic grinding paper was born out of the idea of making the process of changing grinding papers easier and more efficient. No glue is required to keep these papers on, and the papers come in 40 grit for sharpening combs and 80 grit for sharpening cutters. The time and effort saved changing paper is a huge plus for farmers and shearers.
Magnetic grinding papers are ready to use as soon as they are installed on the disc and do not need to be clamped during periods of non-use.
Mr Hein started playing around with prototypes of the Wireless Control Handpiece about five years ago. A standard handpiece with the addition of an on/off switch and transmitter fitted, it has been road tested by shearers to ensure comfort, reliability, simplicity, portability and safety are at the forefront of this invention, he said.
The transmitter in the handpiece talks to a receiver (a ‘Counter’) which digitally records the tallies of the shearer, as opposed to using a traditional counter. The beauty of this, safety wise, is that learner shearers in particular can maintain control of their sheep, Mr Hein said.
Other first place winners in the 2023 Inventions Competition were Ruby Mibus, in the Primary/Kindergarten section for her Pet Lamb Feeder (Ruby also won Best Overall Student Invention); Phillip Healy for his Sheep Rest Lifter in the Champion Farm & Design Class; Paton Livestock for their Feeder in the Farm Machinery and Technology Class; Sherri Symons for her Wool Pellets in the House & Garden Class; and Brad Pickford for his Breed’n Besty Castrating Simulator in the Business, Corporate & Education Technology Class.
Sherri Symons also won the new 2023 J. Nagorcka Memorial Award for her Wool Pellets.
First place prize winners took home $250, 2nd place $150, and 3rd place $50.
Invention convenors Gary Gebert and Dan Mirtschin have been working with inventors for these awards for about 14 and seven years respectively. They both sort of fell into their volunteer roles but have loved every minute.
There have been a lot of inventions that started here and have taken off worldwide. For example, Brad Pickford’s Breed’n Betsy won Sheepvention’s major prize in 2010 and is now selling in about 60 countries, Mr Mirtschin said.
Both convenors encourage all inventors to submit entries for next year. Entries are judged on concept, innovation, ingenuity, marketability, quality of workmanship, need, and safety.
So, what are you waiting for?
