Inventions

Discover how the tools that define our era were created.

• Abacus
• Absorption Refrigerator
• Actinometer
• Aeolipile
• Air Compressor
• Airplane
• Alembic
• Ammonia Production
• Anchor
• Anemometer
• Anvil
• Apiary
• Aqueduct
• Arc Lamp
• Arc Welder
• Arch
• Arch Bridge
• Archimedes' Screw
• Arrow
• Astrolabe
• Autoclave
• Awl
• Axle
• Balance Scale
• Balance Wheel
• Ball and Roller Bearing
• Ball Mill
• Barbed Wire
• Barograph
• Barometer
• Barrel
• Basic shelter
• Basic Surgery (instruments)
• Bearings
• Bellows
• Bessemer Converter
• Bicycle
• Bimetallic Strip
• Biogas Digester
• Blast Furnace
• Boiler
• Bolometer
• Boring Machine
• Bourdon Gauge
• Bow
• Bow Drill Fire
• Brakes
• Bread
• Bridge
• Brush
• Bucket Elevator
• Building
• Bunsen Burner
• Button
• Cable-Stayed Bridge
• Calendar
• Calipers
• Calorimeter
• Camera Obscura
• Can Opener
• Candle
• Canning
• Canoe
• Capacitor
• Carburetor
• Carding Machine
• Cart
• Cathetometer
• Cathode Ray Tube
• Centrifugal Pump
• Centrifuge
• Chain
• Charcoal Kiln
• Chariot
• Childbirth
• Chimney
• Chip Log
• Chisel
• Marine Chronometer
• Cistern
• Clinometer
• Clothing and fabrics
• Cloud Chamber
• Club
• Cobblestone Path
• Coherer
• Collodion Process
• Colorimeter
• Comb
• Combine harvester
• Compass
• Concrete Mixer
• Connecting Rod
• Containers
• Corduroy Road
• Corkscrew
• Cotton Gin
• Crane
• Crank and Cam
• Crankshaft
• Crookes Radiometer
• Cross-Staff
• Crossbow
• Crossflow Turbine
• Crosswalk
• Crucible
• Crystal Radio
• Cupola Furnace
• Cyanotype
• Daguerreotype
• Dam
• Daniell Cell
• De Laval Nozzle
• Dental Filling
• Dental Prosthetics
• Diesel Engine
• Difference Engine
• Differential
• Differential Pulley
• Dilatometer
• Diode
• Distillation
• Diving Bell
• Drainage
• Drawing Compass
• Drill Bit
• Drill Press
• Dynamite
• Dynamo
• Dynamometer
• Electric Arc Furnace
• Electric generator
• Electric Motor
• Electrolysis
• Electrolyzer
• Electromagnet
• Quadrant Electrometer
• Electroplating
• Electroscope
• Electrostatic Generator
• Escapement
• Eudiometer
• Evaporative Cooler
• Eyeglasses
• Fabric Dyeing
• Fanning Mill
• Fermentation
• Splint
• File
• Controlled Fire
• Fire Piston
• Fire Plow
• Fire Saw
• Fireworks
• Firing
• Fishing Hook
• Fishing Line
• Fishing Net
• Flint and Pyrite Ignition
• Froth Flotation Cell
• Fluidized Bed Reactor
• Fly catcher
• Flying Shuttle
• Flypress
• Flywheel
• Fog Collector
• Forge
• Formwork
• Foucault Pendulum
• Foundation
• Fractionating Column
• Frame
• Francis Turbine
• Fuel Injector
• Furnace
• Galvanometer
• Gas Lighting
• Gas Mantle
• Gas Mask
• Gas Turbine
• Gas Welder
• Gasifier Stove
• Gasometer
• Gauge Blocks
• Gear Pump
• Gears
• Geiger Counter
• Geneva Drive
• Glass Blowing Pipe
• Glider
• Governor
• Grain Silo
• Greenhouse
• Grinding Wheel
• Grouse Pit
• Gutter
• Gyroscope
• Hammer
• Hammer Mill
• Hand Axe
• Hand Drill
• Hand Drill Fire
• Manual Mill (grain)
• Hand Plane
• Hand Washing Basin
• Harrow
• Heat Exchanger
• Heat Pipe
• Heat Pump
• Heliograph
• Heliotrope
• Horse Collar
• Horseshoe
• Hose
• Hot Air Balloon
• Hot Blast Stove
• Hot Bulb Engine
• Hourglass
• Hydraulic Accumulator
• Hydraulic Jack
• Hydraulic Press
• Hydraulic Ram Pump
• Hydrocyclone
• Hydrometer
• Hygrometer
• Ice House
• Incandescent Light Bulb
• Inclined Plane
• Incubator
• Induction Coil
• Induction Furnace
• Induction Motor
• Inductor
• Insulation
• Interferometer
• Internal Combustion Engine
• Jacquard Loom
• Jaw Crusher
• Jib (Lifting Arm)
• Kaplan Turbine
• Kiln / Oven
• Kipp's Apparatus
• Knife
• Kulema Trap
• Lathe
• Lathe Tool
• Latrine
• Lead-Acid Battery
• Leclanché Cell
• Lens & Refraction
• Lens Grinding
• Level
• Lever
• Leyden Jar
• Lightning Rod
• Lime Kiln
• Lithography
• Loom
• Loudspeaker
• Fishing Lure
• Macadam Road
• Magnet
• Magnetometer
• Manometer
• Manual Lathe
• Map
• Masonry
• Matches
• Measuring Container
• Measuring Tools
• Mechanical Calculator
• Mechanical Clocks
• Nails and Mechanical Joints
• Mechanical Press
• Mechanical Refrigeration
• Mechanical Watch
• Micrometer
• Microphone
• Microscope
• Microtome
• Mill
• Milling Cutter
• Milling Machine
• Mirror
• Molding
• Mole Traps
• Monowheel
• Mortar and Pestle
• Motion Picture
• Mouse Trap
• Movable Type
• Multitool
• Needle
• Newcomen Atmospheric Engine
• Nickel-Iron Battery
• Noria
• Oar
• Octant
• Oil Lamp
• Oil Pump
• Oil Refinery
• Oscilloscope
• Painting Walls
• Pantograph
• Parabolic Solar Concentrator
• Parachute
• Passive Ventilation
• Pelton Wheel
• Pendulum Clock
• Percussion Drilling Rig
• Perpetual Motion
• Phonograph
• Photography
• Photometer
• Pickaxe
• Pin
• Pipes
• Piston
• Pitot Tube
• Metal Planer
• Planetary Gear
• Planimeter
• Pliers
• Plow and tools
• Plumb Bob
• Pneumatic Tire
• Polarimeter
• Spring Pole Lathe
• Potter's Wheel
• Pottery
• Power Loom
• Printing Press
• Propeller
• Protractor
• Psychrometer
• Pulley
• Pump
• Pycnometer
• Pyrheliometer
• Pyrometer
• Quadrant
• Rack and Pinion
• Radar
• Radio
• Raft
• Rail
• Rain Gauge
• Rammer
• Reaper
• Refractometer
• Structural reinforcements
• Relay
• Resistor
• Retort
• Reverberatory Furnace
• Paved Road
• Rocket
• Rocket Stove
• Rolling Mill
• Roofing
• Roots Blower
• Rope
• Rotary Kiln
• Ruler
• Safety Lamp
• Sail
• Salinometer
• Savonius Wind Turbine
• Saw
• Sawmill
• Scalpel
• Scarecrow
• Scissors
• Scraper
• Screw
• Screw Conveyor
• Screw-Cutting Lathe
• Screwdriver
• Scythe
• Seal
• Seed Drill
• Seismograph
• Semaphore Telegraph
• Septic Tank
• Sewage System
• Sewing Machine
• Sextant
• Metal Shaper
• Shield
• Shoes
• Shovel
• Sickle
• Silver Mirror
• Simple Boat
• Simple Electric Generator
• Simple fortification
• Simple housing
• Simple Irrigation
• Simple Machines
• Siphon
• Sled
• Slide Bearings
• Slide Rule
• Sling
• Slow Sand Filter
• Solar Cell
• Solar Chimney
• Solar Cooker
• Solar Furnace
• Solar Ignition
• Solar Still
• Solar Water Heater
• Solenoid
• Sonar
• Soxhlet Extractor
• Spark-Gap Transmitter
• Spark Plug
• Spear
• Spectrometer
• Spectroscope
• Spherometer
• Sphygmomanometer
• Spindle
• Spinning
• Spinning Jenny
• Spinning Mule
• Spinning Wheel
• Spirit Level
• Spoke Lacing
• Spring
• Spring Scale
• Stamp Mill
• Steam Bath
• Steam Condenser
• Steam Engine
• Steam Hammer
• Steam Injector
• Steam Locomotive
• Steam Shovel
• Steam Turbine
• Steamboat
• Stethoscope
• Stirling Engine
• Stirling Refrigerator
• Stirrup
• Stone Knife
• Stone tools
• Stroboscope
• Submarine
• Sundial
• Surface Plate
• Surgery Tools
• Suspension Bridge
• Sword
• Syngas Generator
• Syringe
• Tachometer
• Tape Measure
• Telegraph
• Telephone
• Telescope
• Tension Snare
• Tesla Coil
• Tesla Turbine
• Thatching
• Theodolite
• Thermocouple
• Thermoelectric Generator
• Thermometer
• Thermostat
• Thimble
• Threshing Machine
• Timepieces
• Toilet
• Tongs
• Toothbrush
• Torch
• Torsion Balance
• Transformer
• Transistor
• Traps
• Triode Vacuum Tube
• Trip Hammer
• Trompe
• Truss
• Turgo Turbine
• Typewriter
• Universal Joint
• Vacuum Flask
• Vacuum Pump
• Vacuum Tube
• Valve
• Van de Graaff Generator
• Vapor-Compression Refrigeration
• Venturi Tube
• Vernier Caliper
• Capillary Viscometer
• Vise
• Voltaic Pile
• Voltameter
• Wagon
• Wall
• Water Aspirator
• Water Clock
• Water Filter
• Water Frame
• Water Supply
• Water Turbine
• Water Wheel
• Watermill
• Wedge
• Well
• Wheatstone Bridge
• Wheel
• Wheelbarrow
• Winch
• Wind Turbine
• Wind Vane
• Windcatcher (Badgir)
• Windmill
• Window
• Winnowing Machine
• Wire Drawing Bench
• Wolf Pen Trap
• Wood Gasifier
• Wooden Pavement
• Wrench
• X-ray
• X-ray apparatus
• X-ray cooling system
• X-ray tube
• Yoke
• Zeer Pot