Inventions Category
The hypodermic syringe
A fearsome sight for many, the hypodermic syringe was nevertheless an improvement on the animal bladder and…
The marine chronometer
As one of history’s greatest seafaring nations, Britain has made many contributions to oceanography, with the marine…
The symphonium and the concertina
Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-75) from Gloucestershire is best known for the ‘Wheatstone bridge’, a device for measuring…
Capt. Henry J. Round, ‘the tame wizard’
Staffordshire-born Henry Joseph Round (1881-1966) lived and breathed engineering and was affectionately nicknamed ‘the tame wizard’ by…
The adjustable spanner
For Yorkshireman Richard Clyburn (1796/7-1852) to become a consulting engineer in his early 30s, he must have…
The fire extinguisher
After the Great Fire of London in 1666 there was a gradual move towards organised firefighting (initially…
Hawk-Eye
Referees and umpires, we all should agree, have a very difficult job. The assistance of digital camera…
Venn diagrams
Yorkshire-born Dr. John Venn (1834-1923) had two obsessions ~ logic and Cambridge University. His deep interest and…
Belisha beacons
The flash rate of Belisha beacons (0.75 seconds on, 0.75 seconds off) might have been chosen by…
The diving bell
Dr. Edmund Halley (1656-1742), of comet fame, lived in the era of seafaring buccaneers who sometimes sank…
Polythene and Perspex
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) was once the UK’s largest manufacturing company and from the 1930s to the…
Netlon and Tensar
Dr. Brian Mercer (1927-98) was born in Blackburn towards the end of the British textile industry’s golden…