Category Archives: Inventions

Paper Clip

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Paper Clip

One of the most common inventions!

  • The modern paper clip is a bendable, double oval, metal paper clip.
  • There are many inventors of the paper clip but JohnVaaler of Norway is most notable for his patent in 1899.
  • In 1896, Matthew Schooley invented a bent wire paper clip or holder.
  • The paper clip was invented by several people in different countries around the same period of time.
  • Of all the early inventors, John Vaaler’s paper clip looked most similar to the modern paper clip.

Multiple Paperclips, Metal, Silver, Ten Random Facts

  • Various designs and variations of the modern paper clip were invented from the period 1896-1950s.
  • In 1958, paper clips were surveyed for their uses. Some of the results of the survey included: paper clips were used as toothpicks, fingernail and ear cleaners, fasteners for nylon, bras and blouses, tie clasps, chips and markers in games, chains and childish weapons.
  • During World War II, the Norwegians wore paper clips to protest against the occupation of the Nazi.
  • The largest paper clip was displayed in Oslo, Norway in 1989, and was made from iron, and was 7 metres (22 feet, 11 inches) long and weighed 602 kg (1327 pounds).
  • The modern paper clip is thought to have originated from the company Gem Manufacturing Ltd in England.
Bibliography:
Harrison, I 2004, The Book of Inventions, Cassell Illustrated, Great Britian

Fireworks

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Fireworks

Ooh Pretty! Don’t you just love fireworks!?

  • Fireworks are explosive, chemical reacted projectiles that are typically shot in the air and are typically used for colourful entertainment and are sometimes used at religious occasions.
  • Fireworks date back to the tenth century China.
  • The largest firework display was for the 50th anniversary of Kuwait’s constitution in November 2012, and displayed 77,282 projectiles.
  • There are three classes of firework explosions: class A are highly explosive; class B are low explosive and not publicly sold; and class C are low explosive and are publicly sold.
  • The colour of a firework depends on the metal used. For example, a blue coloured firework contains copper metal.

Firework, Red, Green, Blue, New Years Eve, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Sky, Dark

  • Some agriculture farmers use fireworks to scare off bird pests.
  • In most countries, people under the age of 18 are not permitted to buy or set off fireworks.
  • Fireworks make noises that sound like bangs (reports), crackles, hums or whistles, depending on the type of firework.
  • Fireworks project shells which explode in mid air or on the ground and can cause fires due to unextinguished flames.
  • Fireworks come in a variety of effects, numbering in the twenties, which include the ‘Chrysanthemum’, ‘Spider’, and ‘Cake’.
Bibliography:
Fireworks 26 November 2012, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks>

USB Flash Drive

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USB Flash Drive

USB Flash Drive. It is a USB that flashes and drives. Well, not really.

  • A USB drive is removable hardware storage that is typically used for computers, although other systems like gaming consoles and smart-phones also now use USBs.
  • ‘USB’ stands for ‘Universal Serial Bus’, and the ‘flash’ in the full name of the USB drive means the USB writes to flash memory.
  • The first USB drive was invented in 1999 by the companies Amir Ban, Dov Moan and Orsn Ogdon.
  • Since September 2011, some USB drives could hold up to 256 GBs.
  • A USB drive has a typical shape of a flatter rectangular prism, but some USBs come in shapes of everyday items like pocket knives and pieces of LEGO.

USB Flash Drives, Stick, Tevion, Cruzer SanDisk, Verbatim, D-Link, SanDisk Cruzer Blade, SanDisk, Cruzer Switch, Spelean, Bosch Sparck Plug, Ten Random Facts

  • USB drives are newer compacted versions of the old floppy disc.
  • USB drives use very little power.
  • USB drives can fail and not work properly when they have been through to many ‘write and erase’ cycles.
  • Microsoft™ named the memory storage and called them USB Flash Drives, in 2005.
  • A typical USB drive contains a male A-plug, a USB mass storage controller device,  a flash memory chip, test points, a crystal oscillator, a LED light, a write-protect switch, and space for a second flash memory chip.
Bibliography:
USB flash drive 17 November 2012 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_flash_drive>

iPhone

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iPhone

Popular, smart phone.

  • The first release of the iPhone was on June, 29, 2007.
  • The iPhone was inspired by Sony’s™ products and the movie ‘Star Trek’.
  •  The iPhone can video, photograph, play music, send and receive emails, browse the web, send text mails, voice mail, and has the capability of many other functions as well, due to the numerous apps (applications) that can be downloaded.
  • The iPhone is developed by the Apple™ inc and is manufactured in China, by contract, by Foxcon™.
  • By 28th, June 2011, the iPhone had sold over 200 million products.

Apple Smart Phone Black iPhone 4S, Ten Random Facts

  • There are six iPhone models- the iPhone original, 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S and 5.
  • The first five generations of iPhone (original to 4S) had a 9 cm (3.5 inch) liquid crystal touch screen with scratch proof glass and the iPhone 5 has a 10.2 cm (4 inch) screen.
  • iPhones can have a 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB or a 64GB memory storage.
  • The iPhone’s battery can be charged by electricity.
  • iPhones have built in virtual keyboards.
Bibliography:
iPhone 11 November 2012 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone>

Monster Truck

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Monster Truck

Big, no huge, no enormous, no GIGANTIC!

  • The first monster trucks were pickup trucks with large wheels and suspension.
  • Lots of monster truck competitions and shows contain doughnut, jumping, and crushing cars performances.
  • The first monster trucks were invented around the late 1970s.
  • The modern monster truck looks like and literally is a four wheel drive dune buggy.
  • The first trucks were made to claim the title of the ‘Worlds Biggest Truck’ competition.

Monster Truck, Supercross, Superx, Devil's Taxi, Ten Random Facts

  • At the competition, the monster trucks ‘Bearfoot’, ‘King Kong’ and ‘Bigfoot’ gained the most attention.
  • Monster trucks have steering mechanisms at the front and the rear so they can turn sharper corners.
  • Drivers must wear fire suits, safety harnesses and helmets, as well as head and neck restraints.
  • Monster trucks have three switches which can cut off  its electricity and engine if anything goes bad.
  • The most famous and most popular monster trucks are ‘Bigfoot’ and ‘Grave Digger’.
Bibliography:
Monster Truck 20 October 2012, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monster_truck>

Magnet

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Magnet

Attracting and repulsing – that is a magnet’s main properties.

  • Magnets attract certain materials which are iron, nickel and cobalt (all of these make steel, therefore making steel magnetic).
  • There are 3 types of magnets – permanent, which won’t lose it’s magnetic force; temporary, which can lose it’s magnetic force when jolted; and natural magnets, which is a naturally made magnet.  Some magnets are stronger than others.
  • The magnetic domains inside a steel object must be lined up to make the object magnetic. If the domains aren’t lined up, the domains will point in different directions, and won’t be magnetic.
  • The Chinese discovered a natural magnet, called magnetite/lodestone.
  • Putting a strong magnet near a device with a magnet in it (like a TV or PC) could destroy the device.

Horse shoe magnet, Metalic, Steel, Ten Random Facts, Free Digital Photos

Magnet
Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti/ Free Digital Photos
  • If you spread iron filings over a piece of paper which is over a magnet the filings move into the shape of the magnet’s magnetic field.
  • Magnets have north and south poles.  If a north pole meets a north pole, or vise versa, one magnet will be pushed away and this is called repulsion, and if a north and south pole meet, they attract.
  • Maglev is short for the magnetic levatation which can suspend things in the air.
  • Earth is a one gigantic magnet which traps solar flares from the sun in it’s magnetic field.
  • Loggerhead turtles have magnetite/lodestone in their brains, and use these magnets to navigate back to their birthplace to lay eggs.
Bibliography:
Carmi, R 2001, Amazing Magnetism, Scholastic, New York

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