Magnetic Levitation

Back in 1991, The Nature Company in the USA marketed a wooden magnetic levitation toy. It was quite simple, with a wooden base containing four concealed magnets, and a floating wooden rod that had two - very visible - circular magnets attached. As far as we know, the company behind the idea was the Carslisle Company, of Carson City, NV. They called it 'Revolution'.

Then in 1992 Peter Broxton took out a patent in the UK for Pen-Ultimate, a levitating pen that worked on the same principle. He also brought out a version that not only was a pen, it also had a strange design on the side, which only revealed its meaning when you spun the pen. It was actually a version of the thaumatrope, and the two half images combined, when spun, to give the jokey message 'do not spin'.

Then in 1993, the Carslisle Company brought out a newer, plastic version of their original Revolution toy.

There is still a levitating pen on the market today based on this principle. The design is slightly different, but it is still called 'Pen-Ultimate'.