Tag Archives: Tool

Soup Ladle

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Soup Ladle

Soup ladles are a relatively new invention.

  • Soup ladles are spoons used primarily for serving liquid-based foods, such as soup, sauce, stew or beverage.
  • Soup ladles have deeper bowls than spoons, as well as a notably long handle.
  • ‘Soup ladles’ are also known simply as ‘ladles’.
  • Some soup ladles have a pouring lip on the bowl edge, that allows a steadier flow of food from the utensil.
  • Soup ladles are typically made of stainless steel, plastic or wood, but also silver, aluminium, and bamboo are sometimes used.

Ladle, Invention, Soup, Spoon, Culinary, Ten Random Facts, Kitchen, Many, Few, Three, Black, Plastic, Green, Blue

  • Soup ladles come in sizes that range from approximately 12 to 38 centimetres (5 to 15 inches) in length, and the bowl size is usually proportionate to the length of the handle, and they are used for different food items, depending on their size.
  • Soup ladles are not only used to serve liquid foods, but they can be also used during the cooking process, as well as to stir food.
  • Some soup ladle bowls have volume measurement markings to determine the amount of liquid in the bowl.
  • The term ‘ladle’ is derived from the word ‘hladan’, meaning ‘to load’ in Old English.
  • Soup ladles were most likely invented in the 1800s, and an early style utensil with a similar purpose, known as a ‘cup holder’, was patented in 1876, that was invented by Joseph Scherer from Buffalo, New York in the United States, and was a wire frame with a wooden handle that was designed to hold a teacup or similar item for the purpose of scooping soup or other food.
Bibliography:
Ladle (Spoon), 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladle_(spoon)
Scherer, J 1876, ‘Cup-holder’, US178963, 20 June, pp. 1, Patents, Google
What is a Soup Ladle, 2014, WiseGEEK, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-soup-ladle.htm

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Padlock

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Padlock

Everything is secure with a padlock.

  • Padlocks are security devices used to keep items secure, that can usually be opened via a code or key, and are portable.
  • Padlocks commonly have a cylindrical ‘U’ shaped top, called a shackle, typically attached to a rectangular base or body, and sizes vary greatly, with different sizes used on proportionate objects.
  • To use a padlock, the shackle is placed over or through a latch, and the shackle is then closed.
  • Padlocks have been used for thousand of years by Ancient Egyptians and Babylonians, and they were in use from 1000 BC in Asia’s China, and they became more widespread via travelling merchants.
  • Padlocks are typically made of steel or brass, or a combination of both, and they were originally made from wood, although silver, brass and bronze were later used.

Padlock, Three, Some, Secure, Key, Black, Rectangle, Traditional, Ten Random Facts

  • A ‘padlock’ is said to have been named so, between the 9th and 11th century, when the invention was used to secure paddocks.
  • In the 1800s, padlocks become more commercially viable, were manufactured in mass production processes, and the security of the locks were improved.
  • Padlocks typically are locked by the shackle catching on an internal mechanism in the body of the device, and they are often self-locking by a person pushing the shackle closed, but occasionally they require a key for assistance.
  • Padlocks are often unlocked by using a key or entering a number or letter combination, and they can be illegally unlocked by using a lock pick or a heavy tool, such as a hammer, chisels or bolt cutters.
  • Pictures of padlocks are used as a popular symbol for securing, and are used universally on the internet and online world.
Bibliography:
History of Padlocks – Who Invented Padlock?, n.d., History of Keys, http://www.historyofkeys.com/padlocks-history/history-of-padlocks/
Padlock, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padlock

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Mousetrap

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Mousetrap

Snap goes the mousetrap.

  • Mousetraps, also known as ‘mouse traps’, are devices typically used to catch, and sometimes kill mice.
  • Mousetraps are generally placed inside human shelters to remove mice that cause a nuisance, often by eating human food supplies.
  • The classic mousetrap is typically rectangular, and catches mice by using a weight trigger and spring mechanism to set off a crushing bar.
  • The first deadly mousetrap said to be patented, was invented by New York resident American James Keep in 1879, although previous traps for mice existed, and earlier patents included traps that were not fatal.
  • The traditional spring triggered mousetraps were first patented by American William Hooker in 1894, and later in Britain in 1898 by James Atkinson, and John Mast from the United States improved Hooker’s invention in 1899, by making the trap safer to set.

Mousetrap, Classic, Modern, Snap, Bait, Set, Tunnel, Alive, Ten Random Facts, invention, Flickr

  • Mousetrap bait options include cheese, peanut butter, bread, chocolate, oats or meat.
  • In addition to spring loaded traps, other mousetraps include devices that electrocute, drown or glue, although the latter generally are illegal under the animal cruelty act in some areas due to the slow death of the mouse.
  • There are a number of mousetraps that do not kill the mouse, often in the form of a cage, and simple ones can be made from household supplies.
  • Mousetraps are typically made of plastic, metal and/or wood, depending on the style of trap, and some are designed for single use, so that they can be easily disposed of with the mouse.
  • Disposal of a mouse caught in a non-fatal mousetrap can be tricky, especially if there is a desire to keep the mouse alive, as they have a natural instinct to return to their original dwelling, and are easily preyed upon in natural environments.
Bibliography:
Mouse Trap, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mousetrap
Mouse Trap Exhibition, n.d, Dorking Museum and Heritage Centre, http://www.dorkingmuseum.org.uk/mousetrap-exhibition/

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Nutcracker

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Nutcrackers have many uses: nut cracking, displaying, starring in ballets…

  • Nutcrackers are items used to break nut shells to access the nut, using combined mechanical and human power.
  • A nutcracker in ancient times was a partially hollowed stone that held the nut, and another stone was used to crack the nut shell.
  • The oldest nutcracker known to the world and made from metal, was found in the Taranto area in Italy, Europe, and dates back to 300 to 200 BC.
  • Modern nutcrackers are generally similar to pliers, except the ends near the nut are pivoted, causing a different lever action, and they are typically made of metal or wood, but ivory, china, bone, silver, and brass have been used.
  • From the 1400s, nutcrackers were very decorative, resembling a person or fictional character, and were commonly made in France and England.

Nutcracker, Old, Black, Macadamias, Ten Random Facts, Invention, Culinary, Food, Tool

  • Nutcracker figurines today are used more often ornamentally, notably during the Christmas season, and for this reason they are becoming a Christmas symbol.
  • The nutcracker has been depicted in the famous book and ballet of the same name, and the English term was in use as early as 1481.
  • Some nutcrackers have a screw type mechanism which is wound down on to the nut to force the shell to crack, and these can be useful to crack very hard shelled nuts like macadamia nuts.
  • In the early years of German nutcrackers, the crackers were believed to be protectors based on their appearance and stature.
  • Decorative nutcrackers are popular items to be collected, particularly those from the remote mountainous region of Sonneberg, in Thuringia, Germany.

Bibliography:

History of Nutcrackers, 2014, Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, http://www.nutcrackermuseum.com/history.htm
Nutcracker, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutcracker

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Computer Mouse

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Computer Mouse

Click, click, click-click, click; goes the computer mouse.

  • A computer mouse is a technology input device, generally used to move a pointer on a computer screen, although the technology is also used for some game consoles.
  • A computer mouse typically has two buttons, one on the left and one on the right, and a small wheel in the middle, known as a ‘scroll wheel’, and in some designs, it can also be pressed like a button, but it is generally used to scroll through information on a computer screen.
  • A computer mouse typically fits underneath one’s hand, with a finger on each of the left and right buttons, and was named so, because it originally resembled a mouse, with the cord as its tail.
  • The plural of computer mouse is ‘computer mice’, and ‘computer mouses’ is also an acceptable plural, often used by a person to distinguish it from the rodents.
  • Computer mice were invented by American Douglas Engelbart, an engineer, in the United States, in 1963, and were proven to be one of the most efficient cursor moving devices, although they were not commonly available for personal computer use until the early 1980s.

Computer mouse, blue, microsoft, logitech, wireless, wire, USB, Black, Silver, Ten Random Facts, Three

  • A computer mouse can perform actions via clicks of the buttons, with single and double clicks performing different actions depending on the button, and holding or moving the mouse with a button held activates different responses on the computer screen.
  • A computer mouse is typically connected to a device via cord, such as a USB, or wireless, often with a USB or serial receiver that plugs into the computer.
  • The outer layer of a computer mouse was originally made of wood, but are now typically made of plastic, and are found in all shapes, sizes and colours.
  • A computer mouse movement is measured in mickeys, as in ‘Mickey Mouse’,  which refers to the number of pixels the cursor has moved, compared to how many inches or centimetres the mouse has moved.
  • A modern computer mouse generally contains optical sensors like light-emitting diodes and photodiodes, and sometimes laser diodes, that track movement of the device.
Bibliography:
1963: Douglas Engelbart invents the Mouse, 2014, Berkley Engineering, http://coe.berkeley.edu/about/history-and-traditions/1963-douglas-engelbart.html
Mouse (computing), 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_(computing)

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Comb

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Comb

A comb equals tidiness.

  • Combs are grooming tools with long, thin spokes called ‘teeth’, that are particularly used in hair styling.
  • Combs are typically made of metal, plastic or wood and have numerous teeth evenly spaced apart, although many combs have half of the teeth spaced closely together, and the other half spaced in a more open arrangement.
  • Combs have been used for thousands of years, and the earliest known time is in Ancient Persia, 5000 years ago.
  • Combs are commonly used for styling, decorating, securing and separating hair or textile strands, and to neaten hair.
  • Combs can be used as a simple instrument, with the spokes able to produce a musical sound when picked.

Comb, Pink, Black, Blue, Pale, Handle, Hairdresser, Ten Random Facts

  • Combs were originally made of wood, bone, ivory and shell, and later tin, silver and brass, and were commonly made as decorative hair accessories.
  • A comb with fine teeth can be used to catch or kill parasitic animals such as fleas or lice.
  • Combs come in many shapes, sizes and colour, but are commonly flat and rectangular.
  • Sharing combs can transfer infections, parasites or diseases from one’s head to another’s.
  • Combs are generally cheap items that are commonly purchased from grocery or department stores, and are sold singularly, or in packets of two or more.
Bibliography:
Comb, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comb
History of Comb, n.d, Lifestyle Lounge, http://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/history-of-comb-7186.html
Jackson-Arnautu N, History of the Comb, n.d, EHow, http://www.ehow.com/about_4661215_history-comb.html

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