inventions of the industrial revolution

7/25/2019 Inventions of the Industrial Revolution

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/inventions-of-the-industrial-revolution 1/5

Inventions of the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was another of those extraordinary jumps forward in the story of

civilization.

Stephen Gardiner

The Industrial Revolution took root during the late 18th and early 19th centuries in Great Britain,

and then spread to the rest of Europe and North America before finally engulfing the whole world. It

brought about a sea change from handmade goods to machine-made goods, and from small-scale

production to large-scale production, and also transformed cottage and small-scale industries into

large industrial establishments.

Industries and factories became new sources of employment and earning. It also helped people to

move out of villages to towns and cities, and work in mills and factories. But most importantly, this

period was marked by technological and industrial inventions that influenced and affected everyaspect of human life.

Major Inventions During the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was the result of scientific inventions that led to the mechanization of the

textile industry, improved roads and railway networks, and the development of iron-making

techniques. A series of inventions had begun at the start of 18th century, which triggered major

developments that followed soon after. This Buzzle article is about some of the most important and

interesting inventions made during the Industrial Revolution.

The Seed Drill

Before the invention of the seed drill, seeds were planted by hand. This process was time-consuming

and also involved intensive labor. The seed drill was helpful in sowing seeds at specific positions,

and covering them too. This device increased the crop yield ratio by about nine times, and also made

the sowing process cheaper, as it needed less labor.

Coke Smelting

Earlier, wood and biofuels were used to smelt iron. The use of coal in smelting process, not only

helped make the process quicker, but also cheaper. It also helped in getting rid of the extra

workforce that was employed for the purpose of wood-cutting, as coal was more abundantly found in

most of the surrounding regions.

The Atmospheric Engine/Newcomen Steam Engine

The atmospheric engine worked on the principle of creating a partial vacuum by condensing steam

under a piston, within a cylinder. It was largely used for pumping out water from the mines. Later

on, James Watt improvised on the engine, thus, making it technically more efficient.

The Flying Shuttle

Invention of the flying shuttle brought about a considerable change in the process of weaving. It



worked by allowing the shuttle to carry the weft, that was to be passed through the warp threads,

faster over wider clothes, thus, allowing the weaver to produce wider fabrics in lesser duration of

time. This, in turn, helped increase the productivity of the weaver, also by reducing the labor

involved.

The Lightning Rod

The lightning rod was aimed to protect buildings during lightning strikes. The rod had a pointed tip,

and was grounded to the earth. During a thunderstorm or lightning strike, it would collect the

charge and make it neutral by earthing it. Thus, it was able to protect a lot of houses, which were

under frequent threat of fires from lightning. It is interesting to note that modern-day lightening

rods follow the same principle, which was used by Franklin.

The Spinning Jenny

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, Britain's textile industry worked with the help of artisans who

worked from home, using the spinning wheel and the hand loom. However, the traditional methods

of producing yarn restricted large-scale production of goods. With the invention of the spinning

jenny, artisans could spin almost 120 threads at a time, instead of only a single thread.

The Water Frame

The water frame was a spinning frame that worked with the use of water. It provided more power to

the spinning frame than manually operated ones. Hence, not only did it reduce the amount of labor

required, but it also increased the spindle count, and provided a much stronger thread than the

spinning jenny.

The Steam Engine

Watt developed the improved version of the steam engine, more efficient than the one invented by

Thomas Savery. Though mainly known for its use in running a train, the steam engine was also used

to run machinery in factories and mines. The engine was powered by high pressure steam, and was

able to work at places which lacked a nearby source of water. Thus, it was able to overcome the

problem faced by the water frame, which could work only at places where water was available.

The Military Submarine

Bushnell invented the first military submarine and named it "turtle". Hand-powered and capable of accommodating only a single person, it was invented to perform underwater operations. Though it

failed in its first mission to destroy a naval ship, this submarine still stood out as a prototype for

modern-day submarine technology.

The Threshing Machine

The threshing machine was invented to mechanically separate seeds or grain from the husks and

straw. The machine brought about an end to the laborious and time-consuming manual method

which had been prevalent for thousands of years. It also made the process quite easier and faster.

The Power Loom

The invention of the power loom was a great breakthrough in the weaving industry. It was a



mechanized loom that used a rotating shaft for power transmission. The power loom used water as

the source of power instead of steam, thus, making the weaving process faster, easier, and cheaper.

Cartwright patented the power loom in 1785, one year after having invented it.

The Gas Turbine

The gas turbine was used to propel horseless carriages. The basic principle of the turbine was to

produce mechanical energy from a combustible fuel. This principle is used in the internal

combustion engine and even for modern gas turbines, which are used to propel jets.

The Cotton Gin

The cotton gin enabled separation of cotton seeds from raw cotton fibers, which otherwise had to be

done by hand. This invention facilitated large-scale production, and with lesser workforce. Whitney's

cotton gin, was capable of cleaning 23 kg of lint everyday, and proved to be of great help to the

cotton industry.

The Battery/Voltaic Pile

Based on his experiments related to electricity, Volta was able to separate the basic components in

water viz., oxygen and hydrogen. Through his experiments he came to know that electricity could be

made to flow through a conductor. The idea helped him produce the world's first battery, which later

came to be known as the 'voltaic pile'. As a tribute to the great scientist, the electric potential, volt,

has been named after him.

The Locomotive

The power of steam was initially used by Richard Trevithick for running carriages on the roads.Later in 1804, he became the first person to utilize steam power to run locomotives on the rail track.

Later, George Stephenson, an engineer in the mining industry, further developed more powerful

locomotives and led to the establishment of the first two rail lines in England (1825 and 1830).

The Safety Lamp

The safety lamp invented by Davy was quite successful in saving the helpless workers in deep, dark

mines. It was designed in order to provide illumination, prevent explosions, and inform the workers

of any potential threat(s) underground. Thus, it helped save a lot of lives during the period of the

Industrial Revolution.

The Electromagnet

The electromagnet, invented by Sturgeon, worked on the principle of magnetic fields. When electric

current was passed through iron, the latter was magnetized, and the other iron objects were

attracted towards it. The electromagnets, at that time, were used basically in telegraph sounders.

Today, they have versatile uses in motors, generators, bells, transformers, and so on.

The Heliograph

Nipce is credited worldwide for developing the heliograph, an apparatus used for sending

telegraphic messages by using a mirror to turn the sun's rays off and on. This helped him produce

the world's first ever photograph, which was taken by Nipce after waiting for a duration of eight



long hours.

The Typographer

The invention of the typographer resulted in the development of typing, and became the most

potential writing tool at that time. Most use of the typographer was in offices. Writers and business

processes also started using this machine as the basic material for printing words. In the later

period, this invention facilitated the development of the typewriter.

The Electric Dynamo

Faraday went on to interrelate his electromagnetic induction studies to invent the first dynamo,

which is said to be the predecessor of modern-day generators and alternators. Later, the developed

dynamo was able to provide power for industries and factories on a large scale.

The McCormick Reaper

The invention of the reaper machine made it easy for farmers to reap their crop. The reaper was

able to do the work of five men alone, thus, making the process cheaper and less labor-intensive.

Thus, manual work was eventually replaced by machines.

The Corn Planter

Similar to a seed drill, the corn planter helped farmers plant their corn faster, and with much ease.

Moreover, the machine also facilitated the reduction in manpower, which could then be used in

some other productive task. The corn planter also helped in controlling weeds. During the industrial

revolution, Henry Blair became the second African-American to receive a patent.

The Screw Propeller

The screw propeller was designed to propel steam boats by the power generated from rotational

motion in a fluid. The propeller later went on to be used in big ships and marines. Smith was also the

inventor of the first screw-propelled steamship, "SS Archimedes".

The Revolver or Revolving Gun

The revolver or the revolving gun was the predecessor of modern-day semi-automatic pistols.

Though Colt never claimed to have invented the revolver, his was the first ever practical revolvinggun in the world. While it was considered to be a novelty arm in the initial days, it quickly went on to

become an important firearm in future wars, and was incorporated in the armed forces.

The Telegraph and Morse Code

Bettering the invention of Samuel Sommerring's telegraph, Samuel Morse went on to develop the

electric telegraph that brought about a revolution in the field of long-distance communication.

Moreover, he also developed the Morse code, which was quite effective in facilitating

communication. As a result, the first transatlantic cable was laid in the year 1858.

The Pedal Bicycle

This first pedal bicycle invented by Macmillan was propelled with the help of horizontal



reciprocating movement of the rider's feet on the pedals, which remains the basic principle even for

modern-day bicycles. The invention of the bicycle helped people travel easily and with more speed,

and also proved beneficial in saving a lot of time.

Inventions During the Second Industrial Revolution

The second industrial revolution began in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Also known as

the technological revolution, there were many great many inventions in the field of science and

technology during this period. The important inventions of the period have been listed below.

(1840-1900)

InventionInventorYearFacsimilieAlexander Bain1843Sewing MachineElias

Howe1845DishwasherJoel Houghton1850Manned GliderGeorge Cayley1853Rotary

Washing MachineHamilton Smith1858Machine GunRichard Gatling1862DynamiteAlfred

Nobel1866Modern TypewriterChristopher Sholes1867Mushet steelRobert

Mushet1868TelephoneAlexander Graham Bell1876Cylinder PhonographThomas

Edison1877Photographic filmGeorge Eastman1884Automobile (internal-combustion

engine)Karl Benz1885Gas-engined MotorcycleGottlieb Daimler1885Commercial Pneumatic

TireJohn Boyd Dunlop1888AC motor and TransformerNikola Tesla1888EscalatorJesse W.

Reno1891Diesel-engineRudolf Diesel1892Portable Motion-picture CameraLumiere

Brothers1895Roller CoasterEdwin Prescott1898Motor-driven Vacuum CleanerJohn

Thurman1899ZeppelinFerdinand von Zeppelin1900

The Industrial Revolution is one of the most important epochs in the history of mankind. It set the

wheels of scientific inventions and technical advancements in motion, the benefits of which we are

still reaping even after two centuries!

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/inventions-of-the-industrial-revolution.html



inventions of the industrial revolution

Documents