Patent Pending Blog - Patents and the History of Technology

The Ancient Greek Atomic Theory of Matter

In about 400 BC the Greek philosopher/scientist Democritus developed the theory that all matter was made of tiny units.  The different properties of matter were caused by interactions between the tiny units, such as whether they were smooth or rough.  Matter made of smooth units formed liquids, because the units could move around freely.   Matter made of units that stuck together formed metals and other solids. 

This theory was verified much later, when chemistry was again advanced in Europe in the 19th century AD.  In the 20th century it was clarified that the "hooks" theorized by the ancient Greeks were electrons.  Some atoms had their electrons available to hook onto other atoms, and some had their electrons sealed up so they could not interact.  How available they are to "hook up" determined how reactive an element is.  And like the Greeks theorized, liquids are made of particles that don't hook to their neighbors very well. 

The modern science of chemistry was started when John Dalton revived the ancient Greek theory in order to explain chemical observations. In 1808 he proposed that an element was componsed of tiny particles called atoms, with each atom of a certain element having the same properties as other atoms of the same element, and each atom being indivisible into smaller units.  Science today observes that atoms are practically indivisible, but under extreme conditions they can be broken into even smaller units.   Dalton's theory met fierce resistence by the scientific establishment, but gradually became a central theory of science.

The First Motorcycle

The first motorcycle was a steam powered oddity built by Sylvester Roper in 1869.  It was a steam powered bicycle or motorcycle.  It went through several revisions, and by 1896 it could do 40 mph, and ran 7 miles on one load of coal.  The small boiler was mounted between the riders legs on a bicycle-like frame.  It had two cylinders, and a smokestack.  Twist grips on the handlebars served as throttle and brake.  The inventor liked to say, "It would climb any hill and outrun any horse."

Roper died like we all should, at the age of 73 riding the third version of his crazy contraption around a track at 40 mph.  He died in the saddle, and was dead before his bike hit the ground.

Shown is his earliest version, and the last version. 

The First Automobile -Cugnot's Steam Vehicle

Which was first, the automobile or the American Revolution?  Surprisingly, the automobile was first.  In 1768, the French military engineer Nicholas-Joseph Cugnot built a self propelled vehicle for moving large artillery pieces.  It was steam powered, and was configured in a tricycle configuration, with the front wheel providing steering, and a huge boiler vessel hanging off the front "bumper", so if it hit anything, it would be sure to rupture the boiler.  It was capable of 2-3 mph, and in addition to pulling an artillery piece, the vehicle could carry up 4 people. Cugnot's vehicle was slow and unmaneuverable and crashed into a wall, the incident becoming the first automobile crash in history.  The weight of the steam engines of the day was just too great to put on a vehicle and the chassis was way too heavy, and the steering was rudimentary, but it did move under its own power. Other steam powered devices are in the Steam Power section.

Down Sleeping Bag

Here is  a pretty warm looking down sleeping bag, patented in 1935.  It included removable down blanket inserts which could be added for use in extra cold weather.

These Guys Mean Business!

Can Openers Again

This appears to be the WWII era patent for the P-38 can opener.  However, it appears that there were a series of earlier patents for can openers that were pretty darn similar, if not identical.  The earliest seems to be from 1913.  One question that pops to mind, is how could the latter of these patents have been allowed?  My guess is that 1) maybe the examiner for the latter patents didn't know about the existence of the earlier ones, or 2) each of the the latter ones have slight changes to the design, and the claims include the changes.  The changes don't have to be improvements, they just have to be different than the earlier design, and not obvious.  Thanks to my buddy Eric for the in-depth search.

Another post on the P-38 can opener.

Tandem Bike Conversion Kit

I don't know if this is the first, but it is certainly an early tandem bike. This is a conversion kit, for making a regular bike into a tandem. This kit was patented in 1894.

The P-38 GI Can Opener

In the early days of WWII, the Army designed C rations.  What they needed to go along with the canned food of C rations was a very small disposable can-opener.  Designed in 30 days by the Subsistence Research Laboratory of Chicago, the tiny folding can opener was perfect.  As the troops used it in field conditions, it was realized that it was the perfect invention.  It was tiny, almost weightless, and it did the job.  Experience proved that 38 punches of the can opener would open a C ration can, and it became the P-38.  It also was perfect as an emergency screwdriver, as a cleaner for boots and a million other tasks. Link to P38 can opener patents. 

   

The Sikorsky Le Grande

Igor Sikorsky started his airplane designing career designing aircraft for the last Tsar of Russia, Nicolas II.  In 1913, ten years after the Wright brother's first flight, Sikorskiy proved the critics wrong by building and flying a huge airplane called the Le Grande.  It had a wingspan of 92 feet, 3/4 the length of the Wright brothers first flight.  It weighted 9000 pounds, with 4 100 hp engines.  Experts of the day did not think that something that large could ever become airborne.  The Le Grande had a balcony in front of the pilot cabin, and a passenger cabin for eight. The Le Grande flew flawlessly through54 flights, until it was hit by an airplane engine falling from another airplane during an airshow.  By piloting the Le Grande, Sikorsky was the first person to fly a multi engine airplane.

Ancient Greek Science and the Round Earth

It was common knowledge to the ancient Greeks that the Earth was round.  In 205 BC, Eratosthones calcalated fairly accurately the circumference of the Earth.  He knew that at the time of the summer solstice a person could look into a well at Syene, and the bottom of the well would be in full sunlight.  On the same date and time, a pole in Alexandria cast a shadow at an angle of 7.2 degrees.  He concluded that the distance between Alexandria and Syene was thus 7.2/360, or one fiftieth the circumference of the Earth.  He calculated the distance between the two cities as 800 km, so the circumference of the Earth must be 50 times that, or 40,000 km.  He was way off, since the actual circumference is 40,075 km.