I learned about four inventions this week and they were the air brakes, the traffic light, the tape measure, and the pipe wrench. First, I learned about the air brakes. George Westinghouse, born in New York, in 1846, joined the army during the civil war and invented a portable steam engine. A type of friction brake for vehicles in which compressed air pressing on a piston in which drives a brake shoe against the wheel. Thousands of passengers’ and workers’ lives have been saved.

Second, I learned about the traffic light. J.P. Knight, born in England, in 1828, was a talented railroad traffic manager. Traffic lights regulate the flow of traffic and create order by establishing rules. The lights decreased the need for police labor, and increased the volume on videos. 

Third, I learned about the tape measure. Alvin J. Fellows, born in Connecticut, heard that a spring tape measure was invented and he improved it. Tape measures are flexible rulers and are wound around liners for compact storage. They improve the efficiency of house construction and digital technology has been added to further enhance features. 

Finally, I learned about the pipe wrench. Daniel Stillson, born in New Hampshire, in 1826, learned how to use machine tools and developed the pipe wrench in 1869. A pipe wrench is an adjustable wrench designed to grip soft iron pipes. It has given the ability to build longer pipelines and it can be used to install residential furnaces.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were dynamite, the chuckwagon, the typewriter, and ticker tape. First, I learned about dynamite. Alfred Nobel, born in 1833 in Sweden, helped his father make weapons for the Russian Tsar and studied chemistry in Paris. Dynamite is a very powerful explosive that stabilizes the nitroglycerin. It became a weapon for terrorism in the 1880s and led to the creation of the peace prize. 

Second, I learned about the chuckwagon. Charles Goodnight, born in Illinois in 1836, joined the confederacy with Loving and then they drove cows from Texas. A chuckwagon is a horse-drawn wagon operating as a mobile field kitchen and frequently covered with a white tarp. Cattle towns appeared along the trails and gave rise to the marshals and sheriffs.

Third, I learned about the typewriter. Christopher Latnam Sholes, born in Pennsylvania in 1819, tried inventing a typesetting machine and desired to easily print page numbers. Typewriters imprint neat writing into paper and later models reduced jamming. The QWERTY keyboard appeared and people entered the workforce as typists.

Finally, I learned about ticker tape. Ticker tape was invented in 1867 by Edward Carahn. Ticker tape is a narrow strip of paper with stock information printed on it and provides real time price updates. Ticker tape is obsolete today and ticker tape helped create the ticker tape parade.

 I learned about four inventions this week and they were roller skates, barbed wire, cowboy hats, and pasteurization. First, I learned about roller skates. Merlin invented early skates but James Plimpton invented modern skates in 1863. Roller skates are just shoes on wheels but are a lot of fun to use. It led to skating rinks and skateboarding in 1950.

Second, I learned about barbed wire. Free roaming cattle became an increasing problem and Michael Kelly solved it by inventing barbed wire for fences. Barbed wire is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges and can last 10-20 years. It helped cowboys and farmers keep cattle from roaming into danger.

Third, I learned about the cowboy hat. John B. Stetson, born in New Jersey in 1830, traveled west and took notice of hats and discovered coonskin hats had fleas. The cowboy hat is a high-crowned, wide-brimmed hat and made of waterproof fur felt. It became iconic to the wild west and films and television shows emerged depicting cowboys and their hats.

Finally, I learned about pasteurization. Louis Pasteur was born in France in 1822 and investigated why wine was turning sour. Pasteurization kills microbes in food and drinks. Most milk is pasteurized today and also led to the development of the modern field of immunology.

I learned about four inventions this week and they were the postcard, the gatling gun, linoleum, and ratcheting wrench. First, I learned about the postcard. Postal service was reformed in Britain in 1837, and postage stamps made it cheaper for people to send mail. The postcard is simple and useful, making it possible to send cheap messages. Some people collect postcards as a hobby. They became useful in response marketing through mail.

Second, I learned about the gatling gun. Richard Gatling invented the gatling gun and was a store owner, doctor, and inventor. It is a rapid fire shotgun and hand crank rotated barrels to keep them cool. The British empire used them to expand the empire and Americans developed them in the Spanish American War.

Third, I learned about linoleum. Frederick Walton invented linoleum and experimented with drying the linseed linoleum. Linoleum is a durable floor covering and is made of linseed oil with saw dust and cork. It became a popular floor covering until the 1950s and is still used today.

Finally, I learned about the ratcheting wrench. J.J. Richardson invented the ratcheting wrench but the socket was not brand new. The ratchet only allows motion in one direction and is easier to get into small spaces. It is a standard technician tool and original models sell for a lot.

I learned about four inventions this week and they are the ironing board, the internal combustion engine, repeating rifle, and the twist drill. First, I learned about the ironing board. Before the ironing board, people used to use rocks to smoothe cloths and the ironing board was invented in 1858. An ironing board is a long narrow board which you can iron clothes on and with a foam surface for absorbing heat. Home ironing was a much easier task and massive time saver.

Second, I learned about the internal combustion engine. The inventor of the combustion engine, Etienne Lenior, born in Belgium in 1822,  became interested in electricity and used sparks to invent the combustion engine. A combustion engine is an engine which generates power by combusting fuel. It led to jet engines and the Cold War.

Third, I learned about the repeating rifle. The inventor of the repeating rifle, Benjamin Tyler Henry, born in New Hampshire in 1821, worked for Smith & Wesson and developed the lever action rifle. A repeating rifle is a rifle designed with a spring-loaded tubular box holding metal bullets, each that go into the chamber by a lever, pump, or bolt and hold up to 16 bullets or 16.44 to be exact. Rifles were used for military combat and  they allowed a greater rate of fire. 
Finally, I learned about the twist drill. Rotary tools have long been used to bore holes and the bow drill helps make fire. Stevon A. Morse invented the twist drill in 1861. Twist drills are used to drill holes in materials such as plastic, wood, and steel. It was used to carve Mt. Rushmore and build the Hoover Dam.