Category Archives: Inventions

Carpet

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Carpet

Carpets can be petted with one’s foot. Probably.

  • Carpet is an invention made of a layer of textiles, that is used to cover a floor.
  • ‘Carpets’ are also known as ‘rugs’, although this term is generally used in reference to movable versions.
  • Generally, carpets are made of a nylon, polyester, wool, acrylic, sisal or polypropylene fibre.
  • Carpets are commonly used for ornamental and decorative purposes, to protect feet from cool floors, for comfort purposes, or to hide floor anomalies.
  • Carpets can be made through weaving, knitting, felting, tufting or hooking, often on a loom, and are made by hand or machine.

Carpet, Invention, Trivia, Ten Random Fats, Rug, White, Cream, Synthetic

  • Cotton, polyester, nylon, or sisal bindings are generally used on a carpet edge to seal the edges, and thus assist in preventing unravelling.
  • The origin of carpets dates from 1000 to 2000 BC or beyond; with the oldest discovered one dating back to 400 to 300 BC, found in 1949 in Siberia, Russia.
  • A machine, known as a ‘power loom’, used to produce carpets, was invented in the 1830s by American, Erastus Bigelow, which immediately increased production.
  • It is typical for a carpet to feature two layers – the top layer of fibres, and a backing affixed to the fibres.
  • If the carpet is to be secured to the floor, a soft underneath layer known as ‘underlay’ is added to enhance its properties and increase its life.
Bibliography:
Carpet, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpet
Carpet History, 2009 Carpet & Rug Pedia, http://www.carpetandrugpedia.com/Carpet-History.htm
Early U.S. Carpet has Woven Wool, n.d, The Carpet and Rug Institute, http://www.carpet-rug.org/About-CRI/History-of-Carpet.aspx

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Calendar

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Calendar

Flip the calendar over to a new year.

  • Calendars are a form of keeping and documenting time using a periodic system, often with paper or in modern times, electronics.
  • The term ‘calendar’ originates from the Latin word ‘calandae’, or ‘kalandae’ which can be translated as ‘moon’, which was noted as Ancient Rome’s first day of each month.
  • The movement of the sun and/or moon are the most common basis of a calendar, and this was also common throughout ancient history, however, there have been as many as 80 dating systems in history (some only with slight variants to others), due, in part, to discrepancies with natural cyclic events and the established yearly schedule, religious observances, and culture.
  • The international, and most commonly used, modern 365 day calendar, known as the ‘Gregorian calendar’, first surfaced in 1582 AD, introduced by Ugo Boncompagni, better known as Pope Gregory XIII, which is based on the Julian one that was adopted in Rome around 45 BC under the rule of Julius Caesar.
  • Calendars typically feature some combination of years, weeks, months, weekdays and days, and weeks may begin on Sunday or Monday.

Calendar, Day, Month, December 2015, Trivia, Random Facts, Paper, Invention, TIme

  • The Gregorian calendar was originally used by countries influenced by Roman Catholicism, expanding in use though the modern society by the 1800s to the 1900s.
  • Calendars can be purposed for the marking and reminding of events; and some religions have versions separate to the modern form, for their own purpose.
  • Some of the first known calendars originated in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Babylonia in the Middle East, and while most of the world has now adopted the Gregorian structure, as of 2015, there were still a handful of countries which had not.
  • Physical calendars are often displayed in rows and columns, and depending on the form, they may be displayed on a wall, on a magnetic surface, in a book, or on an electronic device; and often one month, day, or week is displayed per page.
  • Depending on the calendar system used, months, weeks and years may differ in length (counted in number of days), while the Gregorian system uses seven day weeks; month lengths of 30 or 31 days except February which generally has 28 days; and a year of 365 days, except every four years when a leap year occurs, where February has an extra day.
Bibliography:
Calendar, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar
History of the Calendar, 2007, infoplease, http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0002061.html
History of the Calendar, n.d, History World, http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac06

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Phoropter

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Phoropter

Even modern phoropters look like gizmos from the 1900s.

  • Phoropters are an invention used primarily to determine the refraction error – the inaccuracy of an eye’s ability to focus light, of a person’s eyes.
  • ‘Phoropters’ are also known as ‘refractors’, and the word may be spelled ‘phoroptors’.
  • A phoropter has a set of interchangeable lens, and as the lenses are changed, the patient is required to comment on the lens effectiveness.
  • The term ‘phoropter’ originated as a trademark from 1921, originally owned by DeZeng Standard, and was a shortened form of ‘phoro-optometer’.
  • While using a phoropter, a patient is normally required to look at an eye chart from behind the machine as the machine’s lenses are interchanged, to determine whether they can see more clearly, or less so.

Phoropter, Invention, Optometrist, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Mechanism,

  • Phoropters typically consist of twin ellipsoid plates that sit next to the left and right sides of one’s face, and are connected to an overhanging and adjustable beam.
  • The practice of using lenses interchangeably to measure optics originated from the 1600s, while early predecessors of the phoropter first emerged in the 1800s.
  • Phoropters were first patented in 1909 by American Henry DeZeng, though a patent by American Nathan Shigon was also accepted a year later.
  • Although commonly used to measure refraction error, phoropters can be used to determine optical posture, as well as rest positions and amplitudes of the eyes.
  • Ophthalmologists and optometrists, especially those who handle eye tests, will most often use a phoropter, to enable an accurate spectacles’ prescription for a patient.
Bibliography:
Phoropter Handouts, n.d, Scribd., http://www.scribd.com/doc/19428106/Phoropter-Handouts#scribd
Phoropter, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoropter
What Is It: Phoropter, 2013, Eyeglass Guide, http://www.eyeglassguide.com/my-visit/vision-testing/phoropter.aspx

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Plate Armour

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Plate Armour

Plate armour has saved the lives of millions.

  • Plate armour is an invention designed as a body covering, that was worn to defend against attacks, and was most commonly used for humans, but it was also used on horses.
  • The stereotypical image of plate armour is often known as a ‘suit of armour’.
  • The Ancient Greeks and Romans were major innovators in using plate armour, with the torso most protected, although full body coverings were relatively non-existent during this time.
  • Plate armour was reinvented in Medieval Europe around the 1200s, and reached a full suit by the 1400s, capable of protecting the entire body.
  •  A full suit of plate armour, including the helmet, generally weighed around 15 to 29 kilograms (33 to 64 pounds) and only minimally restricted movement.

Plate Amour, Suit, Metal, Shiny, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Medieval, Armor

  • The development of plate armour led to the redevelopment of weaponry, with such weapons aimed at penetrating the weakest points of the armour.
  • Plate armour declined in viability by the late 1600s due to the introduction of practical and portable fire-powered weapons, which most armour was useless in defending against.
  • A suit of plate amour typically consisted of a helmet, a torso covering, leg and arm coverings, and a pair of gauntlets to cover the hands.
  • Plate armour ranged in quality and price, from those available to commoners, to those commissioned by royalty, and they are still available for sale today, mainly as collector’s item or used for medieval festivities.
  • Either steel or iron was normally used to craft plate amour, and higher quality armour was generally well-tempered.
Bibliography:
Armour, 2013, Medieval Warfare, http://www.medievalwarfare.info/armour.htm
Arms and Armor—Common Misconceptions and Frequently Asked Questions, 2015, Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/aams/hd_aams.htm
Plate Amour, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_armour

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Glass

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Glass

The facts are reinforced with a nice layer of glass.

  • Glass is a common material popularly used for the construction of an object or a building, and is frequently used to make various types of containers, windows, beads, toy marbles and sculpting.
  • Light can reflect, refract and pass through glass, while the material is also impervious to water, has a slow erosion rate and is resistant to chemicals.
  • Silica is generally used in the making of glass, which is most often derived from sand, and it typically has other chemical additives, most commonly limestone and soda ash, for ease of use, durability, and to improve its properties.
  • Glass-making practices originated in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia around 3500 BC, although material of volcanic origin, mainly obsidian, were utilised prior to this time; while containers made of the material were made from the 1500s BC.
  • Glass is generally transparent, although it can also be opaque, with colourings derived from foreign particles or ions that can include metals and oxides and other compounds, while brown and green colours are the most commonly used.

Glass, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Colour, Clear, Transparency, Material, Assortment

  • The Great Conservatory at Chatsworth, built in the 1830s, in England’s Derbyshire, was among the first buildings to use glass as a major construction material, and along with the 1851 Crystal Palace built in England’s London by the same designer, Joseph Paxton, it contributed to revolutionising the material for construction purposes.
  • The 1800s and 1900s saw the most innovation of glassmaking techniques, including laminating and frosting, along with a comeback of historical methods.
  • To make glass, appropriate materials are melted at extremely high temperatures, refined and then moulded or formed through methods including blowing and pressing.
  • The mass production of glass products increased from the late 1800s onwards, with the introduction of automated bottle and sheet making machinery.
  • As glass is 100% recyclable, it can be recycled over and over, and when it goes through the recycling process, it uses less natural resources and 75% less energy than if it was made from raw materials, and it reduces the quantity of rubbish going to landfill.
Bibliography:
Glass, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass
History of Glass, 2013, British Glass, http://www.britglass.org.uk/history-of-glass
History of Glass, n.d., History of Glass, http://www.historyofglass.com/

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Match

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Match

Strike a flame with a match.

  • Matches are disposable items useful for the convenient and inexpensive ability to quickly light a flame.
  • Typically matches are a wooden or cardboard stick with an end cap, called a ‘head’, that ignites under friction.
  • Heads of matches are commonly made of phosphorus sesquisulfide, potassium chlorate, or antimony (III) sulphide.
  • The term ‘match’ comes from the word ‘meiche’, meaning ‘candle wick’ in Old French.
  • There are two main variants of matches, ‘safety’ variants, which generally cannot alight unless stricken upon a specially made material; and those that can ignite using friction on a dry, rough surface, known as ‘strike-anywhere’ variants.

Matches, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Fire, Invention, Wooden, Redheads, Red Phosphorus, White

  • Simple matches originated from as early as the mid 950s in China as sulphur-dipped wooden sticks, although they were possibly used a few hundred years earlier.
  • A variety of matches were invented in the early 1800s, including the chemical match in 1805, by Jean Chancel of Paris, France, although most were not safe or economical.
  • The first practical match to light through friction was invented by the Englishman John Walker, a chemist, in 1826, and improvements were made to it in 1830, by Charles Sauria of France.
  • A striking surface especially made for matches originated in Sweden, invented by Gustaf Pasch in 1844, notably using red phosphorus, as opposed to the previously used white phosphorus heads, and this was the beginning of the ‘safety’ version.
  • Surfaces made for match striking typically contain red phosphorus, glass crystals, carbon black, a binder and a neutraliser.
Bibliography:
The Chemistry of Matches, 2015, Compound Interest, http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/11/20/matches/
A History of the Match, n.d, The Museum of Everyday Life, http://museumofeverydaylife.org/exhibitions-collections/current-exhibitions/history-of-the-match
Match, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match

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