History Lesson #30

Posted byDJW

Inventions

  1. Platform Scale
  2. T-Rail
  3. Multi-Coil Magnet
  4. Mechanical Reaper

Platform Scale

Thaddeus Fairbanks invented the platform scale in America in 1830. A platform scale is accurate, and it is the kind of scale you might use on the road. If you have ever been to a farmers market or grocery store, they might have platform scales to measure vegetables and other produce. The Fairbanks scale spread around the world, and he made many more types of scales for different purposes, such a railroads and medical centers.

T-Rail

The T-rail was another American invention, invented by Robert Livingston Stevens after he started the first railroad company in America. The T-rail is much stronger than other designs, and it became the world standard. They are also easier to install than others, and that helps efficiency a lot.

Multi-Coil Magnet

It started with the electromagnet, when Hans Christian Øersted discovered the link between magnets and electricity, and William Sturgeon invented the electromagnet later. Then Joseph Henry took it a step further by using more coils; He was able to do this when he used insulation on his wire, because now the coils could touch. This let more wire into one space, allowing for stronger magnets. Henry’s influence and advice led Alexander Graham Bell to invent the telephone, which led to the iPhone, as well as the power grid.

Mechanical Reaper

Reaping took a long time and a lot of hard work before the mechanical reaper. Reaping is harvesting the wheat, and threshing is taking out the bad stuff. The threshing machine had already been invented in England, and now the hardest part of the job was reaping. Robert McCormick had spent years trying to develop a mechanical reaper, but when he failed, Mrs. McCormick convinced her husband to hand over the work to Cyrus McCormick, their son. Cyrus finished his dad’s work, and the mechanical reaper was the result. A (team of) horse(s) would pull the reaper, which would use the motion of the wheels to cut the wheat, slide it along a wood or metal piece, and knock it onto the ground for workers to pick up. The reaper and threshing came together to form the combine, one of the most popular farming tools. The reaper and threshing machine, and later the combine, led to larger farms and more food output.

My Favorite Invention This Week

My favorite Invention this week was the reaper, because it led to the combine, one of my favorite farm tools.