Franklin is a multi-genius with gifted talent. The French considered him a Renaissance man since he was a scientist, inventor, author, and statesman. On the other hand, the British named Franklin a dangerous traitor after proposing a revolution against the crown.
He was popular as a postmaster, political figure, firefighter, musician, and swimmer, among other accomplishments. Well, here are a few of Franklin's most influential inventions, which are still in use today.
So, let's dive in.
He was popular as a postmaster, political figure, firefighter, musician, and swimmer, among other accomplishments. Well, here are a few of Franklin's most influential inventions, which are still in use today.
So, let's dive in.
Lightning Rod
Franklin developed a cheap solution to prevent houses from burning down based on his understanding of electricity. Lightning struck the rod, and electricity was diverted near a building. As a result, they became trendy, and even King George III installed one at his palace. Since then, lightning rods have been improved, including a version by Nikola Tesla.
Street Lamps
Street lamps were shaped like globes in London where the air couldn't circulate, accumulating smoke and obscuring the light. In addition to being time-consuming to clean, they were fragile, making a stroke more likely to destroy them.
A neighbor, Mr. John Clifton, suggested an idea Franklin saw at their house. He proposed making street lamps out of four flat panes with a long funnel above to draw smoke and crevices beneath to allow airflow.
A neighbor, Mr. John Clifton, suggested an idea Franklin saw at their house. He proposed making street lamps out of four flat panes with a long funnel above to draw smoke and crevices beneath to allow airflow.
He used whale oil to build street lamps. The structure proposed by Franklin ensures bright light. They are even prettier to clean. Also, he discovered that burning two wick tubes side by side at a certain distance apart ensures a more significant amount of light than burning two separate burners.
Floating Fins
Swimming fins are another best invention of Franklin. Usually, Franklin loves swimming and invented these fins when he was 11. His swimming fins consist of two oval planks and holes in the center. The plank offered him greater thrust as he swam. He even tried a board strapped around his ankles, but that was a bit uncomfortable.
Glass Armonica
He experienced the first glass armonica during his trip to London. It's a musical glass used to create musical notes. It produces notes when rubbed with wet fingertips on a table. The notes were tuned by pouring water over them.
He thought that glasses would improve the music playing experience. The drinks were placed on a spindle and arranged according to their sizes. A wheel turned the spindle that's placed on the case. During its heyday, it was known as the armonica.
He experienced the first glass armonica during his trip to London. It's a musical glass used to create musical notes. It produces notes when rubbed with wet fingertips on a table. The notes were tuned by pouring water over them.
He thought that glasses would improve the music playing experience. The drinks were placed on a spindle and arranged according to their sizes. A wheel turned the spindle that's placed on the case. During its heyday, it was known as the armonica.
Franklin's Stove
The Franklin Stove was invented in 1742. His stove was often referred to as the "Pennsylvania Fireplace." The fireplaces provide huge heat that can burn wood, produce smoke, and slight sparks causing a fire.
Franklin observed the air leaving the chimney, and he wondered where it came from. Later, he created an open stove made of more efficient cast iron by recycling the hot air within the house using an inverted siphon. This enables the fireplace with direct access to the outside air.
Odometer
The postmaster general of the United States in 1753, Franklin, sought to improve the service and increase profits for the post office. He frequently traveled from Philadelphia to Boston and wanted to find the quickest route for sending letters. Not Franklin invented the odometer, but he adapted it in a way that was never done before.
He made an odometer attached to the letter carriage's front wheel and measured the number of revolutions per minute. Dials measured each process, and by the end of the journey, the distance traveled could be calculated by multiplying the number of courses by the wheel's circumference.