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The Steam Engine - Thomas Newcomen
The steam engine was invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712. For a number of years, the engine was used in the draining of mines and in raising water to power waterwheels. The basic principle was the vacuum created by the push-down of the atmospheric pressure to the piston. -
The Flying Shuttle - John Kay
The flying shuttle was invented by John Kay in 1733; this machine represented an important step toward automatic weaving. A weaver could weave fabrics of any width more quickly than two could before by using the flying shuttle. -
The Spinning Jenny - John Hargreaves
The spinning Jenny was invented by John Hargreaves in 1764 and was patented in 1770. This was a machine that allowed one individual to spin several threads at one time. Same with the flying shuttle, the invention of the spinning jenny was a great improvement to the textile industry. -
The Water Frame - Richard Arkwright
The water frame was invented by Richard Arkwright in 1769. The water frame was a spinning machine powered by water that produced a cotton yarn suitable for warp. This machine did not need skilled operators so Arkwright paid unskilled women and others to work on them. -
The Spinning Mule - Samuel Crompton
The spinning mule was invented by Samuel Crompton in 1779. This machine made it possible for a single operator to work more than 1,000 spindles in the same time. It improved the textile industry by permitting large-scale manufacture of high-quality thread. -
The Cotton Gin - Eli Whitney
The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney in 1793 and patented in 1794. This machine improved the production of cotton in the southern United States by greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber, and had an enormous impact on the institution of slavery in this country. -
The Telegraph - Samuel Morse
The telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse in 1844. It worked by transmitting electrical signals between stations. The telegraph improved long-distance communication and laid the groundwork for the communications revolution. -
The Sewing Machine - Elias Howe
An early sewing machine was manufactured by Barthélemy Thimonnier of France, but later it was destroyed by the tailors. Elias Howe patented the sewing machine in 1846. The sewing machine was a machine for stitching material; it became an important industrial machine. -
The Elevator Safety Brake - Elisha Otis
Elisha Graves Otis invented the first safety brake for elevators in 1852, and in 1853 he started a company to manufacture safe elevators. The elevator safety brake was a system to prevent an elevator car from crashing to the floor. -
The Bessemer Process - Sir Henry Bessemer
The Bessemer process was invented almost concurrently by Bessemer and by William Kelly of the United States. It was an inexpensive industrial process and was the first method discovered for mass-producing steel.
