Patent Earth Blog

Henry Ford was one of the pioneers of the automotive industry. Even today, 120 years after it was founded, Ford Motor Company remains one of the worlds largest car manufacturers. While Henry Ford would go on to leave a controversial legacy, there is no doubting the impact he had on the modern world. Considered one of the fathers of the automobile industry, Henry Ford's legacy is something most people are at least somewhat familiar with. That said, there's still a lot about this titan of indus …

For many people, elevators are one of those parts of everyday life that you just don't think about. They get in, push a button, get off and go about their day without giving it a second thought. But elevators at not only mechanically fascinating, they have also played a major role in shaping our modern day society.Getting Into Elevators Elevators are an integral part of the modern world, so much so that most don't think twice about using one throughout the day. However, these seemingly mundan …

The guitar is one of the most popular instruments in modern music. It is the core instrument of genres like rock and blues and it is beloved by music aficionados and hobbyists alike. What few know, though, is that the modern guitar is a relatively recent invention. The evolution of the guitar is certainly an interesting journey, starting before written language and developing through the modern-day. A story that's as much about engineering and innovation as it is music, the tale of the guitar st …

George Westinghouse was a famous and influential inventor and visionary. Though typically discussed in relation to his rival, Thomas Edison, Westinghouse's own contributions to the railway and electrical technology make him far more than a bit player in the legacy of industrial America. Let's explore George Westinghouse's life, accomplishments and legacy to detail just how critical he was in making the world what it is today.Humble Beginnings George Westinghouse Jr. was born in 1846 as the eigh …

Thomas Edison is one of the most industrious men to have ever lived in the United States. Widely regarded as the greatest American inventor of all time, his claim to fame as one of the fathers of electricity has cemented his place in history. There's a lot more to Edison than just having perfected the light bulb, however. Let's explore the life and legacy of Thomas Edison to learn more about this great mind.Early YearsThomas Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio. His parents were S …

When making a list of history's smartest people, Nikola Tesla occupies a well-earned space near the top. One of the leading minds of the 19th and early 20th century, Tesla revolutionized electricity as we knew it and paved the way for much of the modern world's gadgetry and appliances.However, Telsa didn't get this way overnight. Like with many prolific people, the story of Nikola Tesla is a long and winding affair filled with eccentricity and intrigue. To better understand this complex man and …

Bicycles are a wonder of modern technology, persisting to this day despite there being many other more efficient means of transport. While being fun and easy to use are its main appeal, the bicycle also sports a long history of innovation and evolution that brought it to where it is today.One thing that makes bicycles so special is that they represent not only the evolution of technology, but also the evolution of human skill. While much technology is created to make life simpler and easier, fe …

It is widely accepted that crude blades made from stone were among the first tools to be developed & used by mankind. So it comes as no surprise that the first surgical instrument would be a variation of the blade, that fundamental tool which found ubiquitous use in so many of man's earliest activities such as hunting, preparing food, making art, crafting other tools and of course our earliest attempts at medicine & surgery.The Scalpel in Ancient TimesThe modern word "scalpel" is derived from t …

There was a brief period in the not too distant past when it seemed that mankind had explored all there was to explore. There was no body of water we had not sailed, no mass of land we had not set foot on. The entire world was mapped, from pole to pole, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and everything in between. We had explored it all. That is until the 1950's, when we set our sights on the grandest frontier of them all: Space.A Man Goes Into SpaceWhen U.S. President Kennedy took office in …

The barber chair has been a fixture in barbershops for more than a century and a half, with engravings from as far back as the Civil War era showing designs not entirely unlike those still in use today.However, the barber chair truly came to prominence around the turn of the century, when a number of patented inventions by an enterprising young man named Ernest Koken led to the basic chair design that is still in use today. Koken barber chairs dominated the first half of the century, and they re …