Inventors and Inventions

By 25aeyer
  • Jethro Tull

    Jethro Tull
    Agricultural pioneer and the inventor of the seed drill which was a major innovation that was able to plant seeds in the earth instead of on the surface which would cause the seeds to be blown away or eaten by animals.
  • Abraham Darby

    Abraham Darby
    English Inventor who created an innovative way for iron smelting using sand casting and coke. He produced marketable iron using a coke-fired furnace
  • Thomas Newcomen

    Thomas Newcomen
    English Inventor best known for the steam engine, the first practical fuel-burning engine. He created a steam engine for the purpose of lifting water out of a tin mine.
  • John Roebuck

    John Roebuck
    English Inventor knowns for the creation of the lead chamber process of manufacturing sulfuric acid and a process for producing malleable iron. This invention is known as the Iron Room
  • Richard Arkwright

    Richard Arkwright
    English Inventor who created the spinning frame, also known as the water frame after it was adapted to use water power. This machine spun thread or yarn from fibres such as wool or cotton.
  • James Hargreaves

    James Hargreaves
    English Inventor who created the spinning jenny, which was a hand powered spinning machine similar to the spinning wheel. This machine could spin several threads at one time by the threads being placed in a horizontal position.
  • Edmund Cartwright

    Edmund Cartwright
    English inventor of the first wool-combing machine. This invention transformed the textile industry by speeding up production and automating the weaving process. The device was used to weave cloth and tapestry
  • Eli Whitney

    Eli Whitney
    American Inventor of the Cotton Gin which is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, enabling much greater productivity than manual cotton separation.
  • Robert Fulton

    Robert Fulton
    American Inventor of the Steamboat. The success of his steamboat changed river traffic and trade on major American rivers. He named his steamboat Clermont, and it carried passengers from NYC to Albany and back.
  • Elias Howe

    Elias Howe
    American Inventor of the first ever lockstitch sewing machine. His invention helped the mass production of sewing machines and clothing. This revolutionized the sewing industry and helped to free women from some of the drudgery of daily life at the time.
  • Cyrus Field

    Cyrus Field
    Cyrus West Field is known for the telegraph cable and secured a charter to lay a well-insulated line across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean
  • John Wesley

    John Wesley
    American inventor known for simplifying the production of celluloid. Celluloid was an artificial plastic and it was used by filmmakers. Celluloid consists of a transparent thermoplastic that makes a much sturdier and more durable option than early filmmaking tools.