2 GH THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES , INVENTIONS TO IMPROVE LIFE

By David Fernández de Mendiola

  • LOCOMOTIVE

    The locomotive was built by Richard Trevithick in 1804.
    It consists of an engine in which coal is burnt in a boiler. Heat is recovered to heat water and convert it into steam. The steam is heated and stored to obtain a high pressure. The pressure generated pushes a piston inside a cylinder, so that it can push heavy wagons.
    The transport of people and heavy material became popular and in this way transport was able to evolve rapidly.

  • SEWING MACHINE

    On 10 September 1846, he was granted the first patent for a sewing machine. The patent was challenged in court in the 1850s on the grounds that the invention belonged to Walter Hunt, who had previously invented it without patenting it.
    The main function of the sewing machine, as its name suggests, is to sew cloth and other materials with thread so that these two materials can be combined to make garments or other uses.
    This made the laborious work of sewing much quicker and easier.

  • ANAESTHESIA

    Horace Wells was an American dentist who first used anaesthesia in dentistry, specifically with nitrogen oxide.
    Anaesthesia is a medical treatment that prevents patients from feeling pain during procedures such as surgery.
    The first anaesthesia created was made of nitrous oxide.
    Thanks to anaesthesia it has been possible to carry out long-lasting operations that would otherwise have been extremely painful and even unbearable for the human being, ultimately ending his or her life.

  • LIFT

    Elisha Graves Otis developed a safety device for elevators in the USA and was a lift manufacturer. In 1852, he invented a safety device that made lifts much safer by preventing a fall in the event of a broken rope. It enables fast, convenient and safe access to any floor of the building. It eliminates the burden of having to climb steps with shopping bags, prams or suitcases. Increases the current and future value of the building.

  • SUBMARINE

    Narciso Monturiol, inventor of the Ictíneo, the first submarine vessel, in which he sailed for the first time in 1859.
    High-strength steel was the main material used in submarines, with a depth limit of 250-400 m. To exceed this limit, some submarines were built with titanium hulls.
    The possibility of approaching and attacking an enemy underwater, without being seen, represented a key strategic advantage in any sea battle, as was demonstrated in the two great World Wars.

  • BICYCLE

    Pierre Lallement is considered by some to be the inventor of the bicycle.
    A bicycle is a means of transport that has two wheels, with pedals that transmit movement to the rear wheel via a chain, a sprocket and a chainwheel. The benefits of transport, mental health, household economy and less pollution of the air we breathe, among others.

  • SOAP TABLET

    It dates back to 1884. In other words, it was not until the last century that the first bars of soap were manufactured. It was the German Adolph Klumpp who developed the refrigerated press responsible for the solidification of the hitherto liquid soap or soap bar. First used to wash fabrics, it gradually became part of personal hygiene until it became an indispensable element. This is how this product has changed over time.

  • Automobile

    The automobile originated in the late 19th century, when in 1885, German inventor Carl Benz patented his Benz Patent-Motorwagen. However, these vehicles became widely available during the course of the 20th century and developed economies became dependent on them. While all of these inventions made a great contribution to humanity, it was the creation of the automobile that enabled people and goods to move from place to place more quickly and easily than was previously possible.

  • COCA-COLA

    In 1886, in a pharmacy named Jacobs, in Atlanta, Georgia, the history of the most famous drink in the world began, thanks to the pharmacist John S. Pemberton, who worked with the formula of a medicinal principle based on syrup (still secret) and natural water known as "Coca Pemberton Wine". A soft drink that many people like and a company that employs a lot of people.

  • PLANE

    In 1890 Clément Ader
    invented what he called the "plane", a heavier-than-air element designed to fly. This invention was powered by a two-cylinder steam engine. The results of the invention are highly controversial. At first it flew at a height of 20cm and travelled about 50m. Airships have come to be made of less and less dense and more and more resistant materials.