20 British Inventions Your Household Can’t Live Without

20 Can't Live Without British Inventions Your Household 1536 STAIR LIFT King Henry VIII Although many credit Pennsylvanian C.C. Crispen with the invention of the stair lift, there is evidence to suggest 1596 that it was in fact invented almost 400 years prior by the infamous English monarch. An injury sustained during a jousting match saw Henry VIII unable to get about easily; as such his servants hauled a chair up and down stairs FLUSHING TOILET on a block and tackle system. Sir John Harington The flushing toilet we know today stems from the invention by Harington containing a flush valve to let water out of the tank and a wash-down to empty the 1755 bowl. Harington installed one in his own home, as well as one for his godmother Queen Elizabeth I at REFRIGERATOR Richmond Palace, but she refused to use it as it made too much noise. William Cullen It's hard to imagine a time before refrigeration - what 1780 happened to food?! - but before Scot, William Cullen's refrigerating machine that was the case. Cullen used a pump to create a partial vacuum over a container of diethyl ether, which then boiled, absorbing heat from the TOOTHBRUSH surrounding air. Later inventors worked on this initial format to create the fridge we know today. William Addis William Addis is credited with producing the first mass-produced toothbrush after creating one from a small animal bone and some bristles while he was in 1795 prison. Upon his release Addis started a business manufacturing toothbrushes, called 'Wisdom Toothbrushes'. The company now manufactures 70 CORKSCREW million toothbrushes a year in the UK. Reverend Samuel Henshall While nobody is exactly sure who invented the corkscrew, the first patent for it was granted to Rev. 1810 Henshall. The simple design involved adding a simple disk, known as the Henshall Button, between the worm TIN CAN and shank. Many homes will now have different Peter Durand variations of the traditional corkscrew, from a winged one to a sommelier knife. Tins of beans, peas and soup, are all staples of the kitchen cupboard, ready to be thrown into a pan or microwave at a moment's notice. However, this wouldn't 1818 be the case without Peter Durand (as well as Frenchman Philippe de Girard) who patented the idea. It was later FIRE sold to Bryan Donkin and John Hall who set up the world's first commercial canning factory. EXTINGUISHER George William Manby Originally called the 'Extincteur', Manby patented his invention in 1813.The device comprised a copper 1827 cylinder filled with three gallons of potassium carbonate solution, and used compressed air to jettison the LAWNMOWER solution at a fire. Nowadays, Manby's invention has Edwin Beard Budding developed into different variations to tackle specific types of fire. Budding was so cautious of how his invention would be received that he only tested it in the dead of night. The lawnmower was initially designed to cut the grass on 1850 sports grounds and large gardens, which had previously been done by scythe - a laborious and highly skilled task. The seaside town of Southport is home to the British LIGHT BULB Lawnmower Museum, displaying over 200 models. Joseph Swan While Thomas Edison is widely credited with inventing 1860 the light bulb, he wasn't the only person to contribute to its development. In 1850, chemist Joseph Swan developed a light bulb that used carbonised paper filaments, instead of the more costly platinum ones. LINOLEUM However, due to vacuum pumps of the day not being Frederick Walton efficient enough his first prototype never went to market. In 1860, Walton patented a process for making linoleum, commonly called lino, which was to become the first widely used smooth-surfaced floor covering. Walton formed the Linoleum Manufacturing Company in 1864 1876 and by 1869 was exporting to Europe and the US. Walton's invention changed the surfaces of bathrooms and kitchens the world over. TELEPHONE Alexander Graham Bell Credit for the invention of the telephone is much 1884 debated with some saying Italian-American Antonio Meucci should be given it. However, Bell was granted a patent for it on 7th March 1876 and it quickly LIGHT SWITCH developed. Bell had long been fascinated with the idea of John Henry Holmes transmitting speech, beginning his research into the mechanics of it at 16. While we take light switches as a given, the technology used was revolutionary. Holmes' "quick-break" light switch overcame the problem of a switch's contacts 1901 developing electric arcing whenever the circuit was opened or closed. This technology is still used in most ordinary light switches the world over. ELECTRIC VACUUM CLEANER Hubert Cecil Booth 1919 As an engineer Booth was used to designing ferris wheels and suspension bridges, but after seeing a poor demonstration of a compressed air-based cleaning system for trains he decided to turn his hand to TOASTER something new. Thus, the electric vacuum cleaner was born, sucking up dirt rather than blowing it away. To this Charles Strite day, modern vacuums are based on Booth's principle. During the 1910s there were several variations of the electric toaster, however Strite was the first to patent the automatic pop-up toaster - the ultimate in convenience appliances! In 1925, Waters Genter 1925 Company used a redesigned version of Strite's toaster to create the first model to brown bread on both sides simultaneously. MECHANICAL TELEVISION John Logie Baird 1955 0 The concept of the television didn't start with Baird, in fact there were 50 serious attempts at its invention in the 1920s; however, Baird's invention was the most successful. In 1925, he gave the first public display of a AUTOMATIC working television and by 1927, Baird was able to ELECTRIC KETTLE demonstrate a colour television. Bill Russell & Peter Hobbs While the electric kettle has been around since 1891, the founders of Russell Hobbs changed the industry 1965 with their ground-breaking vapour controlled design. Before this invention kettles were prone to boiling dry if left unattended. Russell Hobbs is now one of the leading COLLAPSIBLE household appliance manufacturers in the UK. BUGGY Owen Maclaren Inspired by a visit from his daughter and grandchild, and 1983 watching parents struggle with conventional pushchairs, the former test pilot and designer of the Supermarine Spitfire undercarriage set about creating the first collapsible buggy. Using his knowledge of lightweight, BAGLESS VACUUM collapsible structures Maclaren's invention went on sale CLEANER in 1967, and his name is now synonymous with buggies. Sir James Dyson After becoming frustrated with his vacuum's diminishing performance and the need to replace dust bags, Dyson 1989 set about developing his own using cyclonic separation. After being rejected by manufacturers, due to the bagless aspect disrupting the profitable dust bag market, WORLDWIDE WEB Dyson set up his own manufacturing company. The Dyson Dual Cyclone became the fastest-selling vacuum Tim Berners-Lee cleaner ever made in the UK. In 1989, Berners-Lee first described the concept of a global system allowing researchers to share information. After years of research, paper writing and hard work the first website was launched in 1991, it explained the 1991 concept of the World Wide Web and how individuals WINDUP RADIO could create their own websites, and life has never been Trevor Baylis quite the same since! Invented to spread information about AIDS to the people of Africa, Trevor Baylis devised a radio powered not by batteries but by winding a crank. While it might not be of much use to most households, it was a lifeline to many in Africa, and saw Bayliss meet Queen Elizabeth Il and Nelson Mandela. Sources www.kettlereviews.com www.livescience.com glotech www.bbc.co.uk making it easy www.radiotimes.com www.britannica.com www.glotechrepairs.co.uk www.wikipedia.org