Page 293 - Inventions - A Visual Encyclopedia (DK - Smithsonian)

bring a falling elevator to a standstill perfected his technique of creating a expected the broken bits of chocolate
if the cables broke. In 1861, Otis calotype (early photograph) using in her cookie mix to melt. Whichever
patented his steam engine for a camera and paper treated with story is true, Wakefield’s “Toll House
elevators but died the same year. silver nitrate and potassium iodide. Chocolate Crunch Cookie” is the basis
of America’s favorite cookie.

RAUSING, RUBEN TOYODA, SAKICHI
(1895–1983) (1867–1930) WELLESLEY, ARTHUR
At lunch one day at home in Sweden, The Japanese industrialist and (1769–1852)
Rausing’s wife Elizabeth suggested founder of the group that would The famous Wellington boot takes its
he invent something lightweight to become Toyota was also the inventor name from the British statesman and
transport liquids such as milk or juice. of the automatic power loom. Toyoda military leader Arthur Wellesley, the
Head of a struggling food packaging was 18 years old when he decided 1st Duke of Wellington. The war hero
company, Ruben rose to the to become an inventor. In 1891, he was often seen wearing his favorite
challenge. In 1944, he patented the patented his first invention—the leather boots. In the early 1800s, REFERENCE
sterile, tetrahedron-shaped, plastic- wooden handloom, which required he was given a pair of Hessian boots
coated carton he developed with just one hand rather than two. By by a group of German soldiers.
Swedish engineer Erik Wallenberg. 1896, he had developed Japan’s first Wellington asked his bootmaker to
The company moved to the square steam-powered loom. Throughout his copy the design, but remove the
design a few years later. Today, Tetra life, Toyoda made improvements to tassel and extend the front over the
Pak is one of the most successful his original design, with patents knee for added protection. The style
packaging companies in the world. granted all over the world. was copied by aristocrats everywhere
and nicknamed the “Wellington.” The
rubber version was patented in 1852.
RITTY, JAMES SIKORSKY, IGOR
(1836–1918) (1889–1972)
The cash register was the cunning The Russian-American inventor of the WOODS, GRANVILLE
idea of Ritty, the proprietor of an helicopter had an early fascination (1856–1910)
American bar. He came up against with flight. He believed the best way Woods was an African American
the problem of his takings to fly was to go straight up with a engineer who was granted more
disappearing without any record. horizontal rotor. In Russia, Sikorsky than 50 patents in his lifetime,
He got together with his mechanic came up with early unsuccessful many for inventions applying to
brother John and invented a machine prototypes for the helicopter. In 1919, the safety and improvement of
with keys that could be pressed to he immigrated to the US, formed an the railroads. In 1887, he invented
record the amount of money taken at aircraft company, and developed the the Synchronous Multiplex Railway
each transaction. In 1879, he patented first four-engine plane. Then, in 1939, Telegraph, which enabled contact
his machine “Ritty’s Incorruptible he developed the first helicopter, between a moving train and a
Cashier” and opened a factory the VS-300, which was used by the station. Thomas Edison took him
in Dayton, Ohio, to produce US military. to court, claiming he had invented
his invention. it first, but Woods won the case. He
also helped improve inventions like
WAKEFIELD, RUTH GRAVES the safety circuit, telephone, and
TALBOT, WILLIAM HENRY (1903–1977) phonograph, and invented an egg
FOX (1800–1877) Many inventions are a happy incubator and an automatic brake.
In 1835, Talbot made a photographic accident, and that is what happened
negative of the window of his home, when Wakefield baked cookies for
Lacock Abbey, UK—it is the earliest the customers at her Massachusetts
surviving negative in the world. roadside inn around 1938. Wakefield
Talbot’s love of drawing inspired him claimed the chocolate chip cookies
to find a different way of capturing she created were like that by design,
images on paper. In 1841, he but other stories suggest that she

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