Chron-O-John is one of Dr. Fred Edison's invention, and is actually a time machine, constructed using an old car chassis and three toilets. It operates with a diamond although Dr. Fred used a cheap imitation diamond. This however made the three specimens, Bernard, Laverne and Hoagie to end up in different times, separated by 200 years.
The pods came complete with a highly sophisticated Time-Flux Hydraulic Vortex Chamber. Flushing a small, inanimate object, made it accessible to the other two pods.