- Electric Clock
- Blueprints
- Stapler
- Grain Elevator
Electric Clock
Clocksmith Alexander Bain took electromagnetism and added it to timekeeping industry, in addition to the so many other professions it already was a part of, coming out with the electric clock. He patented the electric clock and took it to Charles Wheatstone to see if Wheatstone would fund him. Now, Wheatstone did not know the device was patented, so keep that in mind. He told Bain that he should not pursue it and give it up. But Wheatstone really wanted to pursue the clock himself, and not knowing the clock was patented, he tried to patent it for himself, giving no credit to Bain. But he could not, as Bain had already patented it. Later, when Wheatstone tried to get approved by parliament for something related to the needle telegraph, he was disapproved and had to pay Bain a fee and he quit (what I don’t know) and had no more to do with Bain. The digital computer clock came after the electric clock and has had a great impact. That led the (not so) smart watch which we have today.
Blueprints
Building Process:
- Design (Blueprint)
- Build Plan (Blueprint)
- Work
- Product
John Herschel was a well known scientist in England, and he invented the blueprinting process in the 1840’s. Blueprints are white on blue copies of drawings. How to make blueprints:
- Mix Ammonium Iron Citrate with Potassium Ferricyande
- Rub chemicals on paper
- Let Dry
- Place drawing you want to copy on chemical-soaked paper. (your drawing must be on something clear.)
- Expose to UV light
- The Result is a Blueprint!
Blueprints made it easy to copy drawings quickly and efficiently, not to mention the design could not be changed. Now, computer software has replaced blueprints.
Stapler
Samuel Slocum was a pin maker, and while he was figuring out how to ship his pin to his customers, he came up with the idea for the stapler. The pins were stuck into paper for shipment, and that was the spark. The pins HELD THE PAPER TOGETHER. So he invented a mechanism for holding paper together. Almost everyone who works with paper has a stapler. They are very common things now. Try to find one at your house (if you have one and want to of course). Staplers made it easy to organize paper and carry them around.
Grain Elevator
The Erie Canal increased grain trade because Midwest farming states, like my home state, Indiana, could send their grain to the east coast cities and from there to the rest of the world, via the Atlantic Ocean. More grain means more loading and unloading from ships, which was a long and hard process then. So Joseph Dart set out to fix this problem. Dart came out with the grain elevator. The grain elevator would unload grain, store it, and load it again. Dart’s partner spread the design. This now easy exportation of grain would help propel the USA to the top of the industrial revolution.