- Diesel Engine
- Mousetrap
- Radio
- Semi-Automatic Shotgun
Diesel Engine
Rudolph Diesel invented the diesel engine after realizing that the aging steam engine was quite inefficient. The diesel engine uses compressed air to run an engine, along with a new fuel, which Diesel developed. Diesel’s engine was put into locomotives and boats. It is now quite common among semi trucks and sometimes pick-ups. Diesel engines can also run on things like soybean oil. One major advantage of the engine is that you don’t need a battery to start it. It uses compressed air to ignite the fuel, instead of electricity.
Mousetrap
Small rodents like mice transfer disease, like the bubonic plague. This gives reason to want to kill rodents. A mousetrap swings a bar onto the mouse’s neck, and keeps it out of misery. If the mouse has disease, then you won’t have to go through getting sick by killing it after it is caught in a live trap. All patent holders for mousetraps teamed up to market the mousetrap. It is one of the most often improved inventions in the US. The paragraph below has more on that.
Bonus Question
Over 4,000 mousetraps were patented; only a few were successful. If you want to become an inventor, I think a few ways to increase your chances to be successful would be to make sure you have a great product, and have a good marketing campaign.
Radio
A man named Marconi studied Heinrich Hertz’ work on electromagnetic waves. He invented wireless telegraphy out of Samuel Morse’s telegraph. Marconi was from Italy, but he ended up taking his design to Britain, where the people were interested almost immediately. When the TITANIC was wrecked, none would have survived if it hadn’t been for the wireless operator. He managed to send a message by wireless to another ship to pick up the few survivors. Wireless telegraphy was the first radio. Radio technology helps us in so many ways, from radio broadcasts, to cell phones, to security systems, and almost every wireless device you can think of.
Semi-Automatic Shotgun
John Browning invented a semi-automatic shotgun that fires the bullet, automatically loads the next round, and ejects the spent cartridge. You can shoot much faster with the semi-automatic shotgun than with other guns. Browning has created the look of many modern guns.