Famous Inventions in August
August is a month of summer holidays, where many people take the time to relax and enjoy all the fun things that summer has to offer. As such, we think this is a great time to look back and appreciate some of the amazing inventions that have changed our lives over time.
1. The Glass Shaping Machine
Michael Owen invented the glass shaping machine on August 2, 1903. The machine was designed to shape glass into various shapes and sizes, allowing for the mass production of glass tableware. Before Owen’s invention, glass tableware had to be hand-made by skilled artisans.
The invention solved a problem that had existed for centuries: how to mass produce glass bottles and jars. This was a significant step forward for the industry, which was previously only able to produce small numbers at a time because of the labor-intensive process.
The glass shaping machine was a significant step forward in the development of modern manufacturing processes and helped pave the way for future innovations like automated assembly lines and robotics.
2. The Street Car Controller
August 3, 1897, is a day that will go down in history for the invention of the Street Car Controller. The system was created and patented by Walter Knight and William Potter, who were looking for ways to make street cars safer for passengers.
The invention was a response to the problem of controlling the speed of trams when they came to intersections where other vehicles were present. Trams had been widely used for transport around cities since the 19th century, but their speed made them dangerous if they approached an intersection at full speed.
The Street Car Controller solved this problem by allowing operators to slow down or stop streetcars at intersections. It also allowed them to turn corners more safely by making it easier for them to steer their trams.
The invention was a huge success, and it continued to be used for decades afterward: today, these systems are still being used in some countries as well as in parks around the world
3. The Cathode Ray Tube
It’s no secret that the Cathode Ray Tube has beenan enormouse part of our daily lives. You likely have one in your home–it’s what makes your television work. But did you know that it was invented in 1935?
This invention was created by William Coolidge, who worked at General Electric then. He was trying to create a new vacuum tube that would allow for better transmission of images and sound.
However, he couldn’t figure out how to make it work until he realized that adding metal plates to the tube would help stabilize its electron beam when an electrical pulse hit it.
This made his invention possible, and now we can watch all those beautiful shows on our televisions.
4. Frozen Food Packaging
The year was 1930, and Clarence Birdseye had an idea. He wanted to make food last longer, so he invented a way to freeze the food without using ice. He called it “flash freezing” and patented his August invention on August 12, 1930.
Birdseye’s idea was to flash-freeze fruits and vegetables by putting them in a blast of cold air from a machine with spinning blades that blew out a cloud of cold air. The cold air froze the fruit or vegetable instantly, locking in flavor and nutrients without damaging them as much as if they were frozen by placing them in water or ice cubes.
This process revolutionized how food is packaged, shipped and made frozen food a reality for people worldwide.
The exact process can be used today by freezing fresh fruits and vegetables, such as berries at home using an electric dehydrator. It’s also used in industrial food processing plants where large amounts of produce are frozen quickly before being packaged into plastic bags or cans for storage until they reach consumers’ plates or kitchens.
5. The Steerable Skateboard
If you’re a skateboarder, there’s a good chance you’ve had the experience of trying to steer your board while racing. This can be tricky and even dangerous. But thanks to inventor John M. Carlin and his 1993 patent, the steerable skateboard was born—and it changed the game forever.
Before this patent, skateboards could only move forward, not turn. This meant that if you wanted to turn left, you had to stop and turn around on foot—which isn’t exactly easy when you’re on wheels.
But with the steerable skateboard came the ability to turn your board using your body weight as leverage against its inertia. Suddenly, every kid had access to an incredible new form of transportation. And they didn’t even need a license.
6. The Internal Combustion Engine
August 9, 1898. This was the day that Rudolf Diesel was granted a patent for his invention of the internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine was a new way to power vehicles because it did not require an external energy source like steam or electricity.
It was also more efficient than steam engines, which needed to be refueled every few hours by hand and could only work at night when there was no wind.
The engine worked by generating power from burning gasoline in a cylinder with pistons that moved up and down inside it. This allowed the vehicle to move forward without any help from outside sources like horses or steam turbines.
Today, diesel engines are what power most cars on the road today.
7. The Kinetographic Camera
Thomas Edison is one of the most prolific inventors in history. In a career spanning nearly 75 years, he invented the phonograph, an improved version of the lightbulb, and the Kinetographic Camera—which was essentially the first motion picture camera.
Edison’s Kinetographic Camera was patented on August 31, 1897. It used a sprocket filmstrip to record motion and could only record for about 2 seconds at a time. The camera allowed for capturing movement in images, which had never been done before.
The camera was built as part of Edison’s efforts to develop a system to transmit pictures electrically over long distances. He believed this technology would be helpful in reporting news events as they happened around the world.
This invention is what helped make motion pictures possible.
The Bottom Line
So there you have it. August was a pretty good month for inventions—we’ve got to hand it to the people who came up with these ideas. And now that you know about their problems and how they solved them, we hope you’ll be inspired by them as well.
If you have time to look up more information on any of these inventions, we encourage you to do so.
Inventors are always looking for new problems to solve, and that’s why they’re so great. They’re always searching for a new way to improve their lives and the lives of others.
