Artur Fischer, who has died aged 96, was one of the most prolific inventors in the world, with more than 1100 patents to his name; his innovations ranging from the plastic wall plug to a line of bestselling toys. A locksmith by training, Fischer came to inventing more by necessity than by design. "It's always the same process," he observed. "At first you don't know what it is that you want, just that you want something." His first patent, for a photo flashbulb with a synchronised trigger, was devised "because I wanted to have a picture taken of my daughter, but it was too dark in the flat".In 1948, he founded Fischerwerke, and a decade later came up with his biggest financial success: the Fischer wall plug. This small nylon tube expanded as a screw was fitted into it, allowing them to be fastened on to materials (such as plasterboard) that would not usually support heavy objects.It became a staple of the building industry, used by everyone from DIY enthusiasts to architects on Dubai's tallest skyscrapers. Around 14million wall plugs are now produced around the world every day.Fischer honed his original concept obsessively, and the expanding screw became a key component of a medical device for holding broken bones together.In Germany, however, the product with which he will be forever associated is Fischertechnik, a building toy to rival Lego.Fischer had put together the original kits in 1964 as a novelty Christmas gift for clients, but their appeal proved widespread and by the end of the decade they were selling out across the US. The sets became increasingly sophisticated, including photosensitive cells and electric motors.Schools incorporated them into physics lessons and engineers used them to model new projects. The Fischertechnik fan club challenged young enthusiasts to showcase their own inventions. The club's modern, online incarnation has 30000 members worldwide.The son of a tailor, Artur Fischer was born on December 31 1919 in Tumlingen, Germany. Early on his mother fostered his interest in engineering, buying him a Märklin construction set. After high school he was apprenticed to a master locksmith in Stuttgart before being drafted for military service. He became an aircraft technician in Stalingrad, enduring the siege of the city and a spell in a prisoner-of-war camp.Once back in Germany he founded a one-man workshop in Hörschweiler, taking on his first apprentice after the success of his flashbulb. In 1980, he handed responsibility for the family business to his son Klaus. In 2014, he received the European Inventor Award for lifetime achievement.1919-2016..