I learned about four inventions this week and they were the platform scale, railroad T–rail, multi-coil magnet, and the mechanical reaper. First, I learned about the platform scale. Scales have been used since ancient times and they increased in importance in the monetary economy of the middle ages. The inventor of the platform scale, Thaddeus Fairbank, was born in 1796 in Massachusetts, built an iron foundry in 1823 and solved the problem of too large counterweight. Platform scales measure large and heavy objects. Demand for the scale was strong and he began selling the scales overseas.

Second, I learned about the railroad T–rail. The inventor of the T– rail was Robert Stevens, born in New Jersey in 1787. He worked with his father to build steamships and improved their designs. The T-rail is an upside down “T” and the heavier it is, the more load it can carry. Steven’s rail became the American standard. The T-rail was sturdy and easy to install.

Third, I learned about the multi-coil magnet. The inventor of the multi coil magnet wasm Joseph Henry, born in 1797 in New York. Henry became an engineer after college. Non-insulated wire shorted out when touching each other and Henry could squeeze coils close to each other. He built the world’s strongest electromagnet and it made the telegraph possible.

Finally, I learned about the mechanical reaper. Reaping is the first step in harvesting and then comes threshing. The inventor of the mechanical reaper, Cyrus Mccormick, was born in Virginia in 1809, and his father spent years trying to make a mechanical reaper. Mccormick’s reaper was pulled by horses and had a carriage that had a moving knife to cut wheat. His reaper changed farming and his company eventually became an international harvester.