I learned about four inventions this week and they were the combine harvester, the solar compass, the propeller, and the mechanical computer. First, I learned about the combine harvester. Presbyterians couldn’t supply pastors fast enough. The inventor of the combine harvester, Hiram Moore was born in 1801 in New Hampshire, and his neighbor Hascall had a farm but had no workers. Moore’s harvester was pulled by 18 horses and grain was shot at the top. Moore’s factory, The Mobile Grain Factory, grew into the caterpillar factor company in 1925 and crop prices have fallen since the 1800s.

Second, I learned about the solar compass. The inventor of the solar compass, William Austin Burt, born in 1792, was interested in nautical and created many inventions such as the typewriter, the photographer, and many more. The solar compass allows surveyors to find north by reference to the sun. It is a very complex invention with moveable parts to determine position. The solar compass led to growth of U.S. industry and steel production.  

Third, I learned about the propeller. The most basic form of boat propulsion is rowing. The inventor of the propeller, Francis Pettit Smith, born in 1808 in England, was a farming apprentice and grew interested in how boats were powered. A propeller is a device consisting of a hub with blades that turn fast by an engine. It helped ships be more steady, lighter, and efficient. The propeller had a major impact on the rise of immigration to America in 1850. Steamships carried immigrants across the sea to America. 

Finally, I learned about the mechanical computer. Egyptians and Greeks used the abacus to do math but the Romans developed a more complex abacus. The inventor of the mechanical computer, Charles Babbage, born in London in 1791, became self taught in math. He built it to eliminate human error. It helped man step forward into the future. A different engine was constructed in 2002.