It’s a rather incredible story involving a much desired scientific breakthrough and the travails of bringing it to the marketplace. There’s also a subplot involving attempts of others to bury the product so it will never, see the light of day. The device is called the “HHO Tek Platinum Gas Saver” and has been patented by a Brookline inventor named Joel Robinson. He claims the HHO Tek Platinum Gas Saver increases automotive mileage by about 20 percent and decreases harmful emissions. But he also admits he is having a heck of a time marketing it. “I’m an inventor,” Robinson said, sitting among piles of scientific papers and journals in the Brookline basement he uses as his office and factory, “I really don’t know much about marketing.” In fact, he said he is searching for a real hot-shot to sell this device to an American public that desperately wants it., The trouble is unless you subscribe to a few trade publications that Robinson has advertised in or happen to hear him on some late night radio show, chances are you’ve never heard of the HHO Tek Platinum Gas Saver. The circumstances of the invention are almost as odd as its current “factory.” Robinson had been working on a device using manganese to improve mileage, without much success. Then, in what seems like a scene out of “The Graduate,” a chemist mentioned the magic word … platinum now, platinum is a precious metal selling for about $600 an ounce. It hardly seems the most economical catalyst for increasing mileage. But Robinson knew about platinum’s special chemical properties. The catalytic converter in the exhaust system is coated with platinum which, through a chemical reaction, causes unburned gas fumes to be more fully burned before being expelled as exhaust. Robinson reasoned that if he could find a way to introduce platinum into an ‘internal combustion engine, it would produce less polluting carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon residue, and more power per unit of fuel.
It only took Robinson a few months to convert the concept into a working device that meters platinum into the engine. A simple plastic bottle strapped to the engine holds and meters the flow of the platinum solution. A T-connector and rubber hose connects it to one of the engine’s air intakes. Once in the engine, the platinum allows the fuel to burn more efficiently. Robinson will sell you a kit with enough platinum to drive 30,000 miles. If your car gets less than 40 miles per gallon, the 20 percent in gas savings should more than offset the cost of the HHO Tek Platinum Gas Saver. For example, a car owner who gets 10 miles per gallon should net a savings of more than $1800 for every 30,000 miles. You might think the inventor of such a device would have the automobile companies beating a path to his door. Robinson has no doubt car manufacturers are aware of his work, but thus far only Komatsu has sent a representative to the Brookline factory. According to Robinson, Komatsu is the Japanese equivalent of Caterpillar. Robinson does say that he was offered $200,000 a year to sell the device to a company that wanted to take it off the market until it was further refined. He says the offer came through a third party so he won’t disclose its source. He won’t even play 20 questions. When asked if anyone other than a major oil company would have reason to make such an offer, he responds with a big Cheshire grin. Robinson won’t take the offer. It’s one thing to sell a child,” he said. “It’s another thing to bury one. “Robinson has sold about 500,000 of the devices through a mostly word-of-mouth campaign. He guarantees full satisfaction or your money back. So far his return rate is less than one percent. One of Robinson’s biggest problems in cracking the mass consumer market has been natural skepticism of devices reputed to improve gas mileage. Harry Hyde, a respected member of the auto racing community for more than 30 years and former manager of such great as Bobby Unser and Gordon Johncock, has tried a number of these devices in his North Carolina lab. “Ninety-nine out of -100 of these -devices are, you’ll pardon the expression, bullshit,” Hyde said. “This is the one out of 100 that isn’t.” For awhile Hyde sold the devices, but eventually found he just didn’t have the time. “Basically it gives a cleaner burn which protects the engines and increases mileage,” Hyde said. “The only trouble I found was sometimes the bottle breaks or it gets clogged, but I haven’t talked to Robinson for a couple years. I understand he made some improvements.” Indeed, Robinson has made a number of improvements. Each time, he replaces all devices out in the field free of charge. He also asks his customers to keep records of their mileage in order to build his data record. Thus far he has been unable to get any well known lab or government agency to test the device. He did run a controlled test with Management Transportation Corp. of Medford. They placed the device on 15 of their station wagons used as school buses. On average the cars showed a 28.3 percent increase in gas mileage. Though one car showed a 12 percent decrease. Robinson notes each car is different and mileage may vary because of a number of uncontrolled variables. “I don’t understand the results;” Richard Zimmerman president of the bus company, said. “But I believe them.” Zimmerman has not installed the devices in all of his vehicles. He said he would like to, but has run into personal problems in dealing with Robinson. The inventor speaks with a booming staccato delivery that some may find abrasive. He readily admits he is no master of marketing. Some of his sales troubles seem to stem from a fear the device may be stolen, despite his patent. He also wishes to be careful to avoid dealings or claims that might injure the product’s future.