Gadget of the year: 1810

Peter Durand’s tincan is widely credited for the storage of food. Since it is patented in the year 1810, and has created revolution in food storage sector, I would like to give the title as "Gadget of the year: 1810"

The patent specifies that it was issued to Peter Durand, a merchant of Hoxton Square, Middlesex, United Kingdom, for a method of preserving animal food, vegetable food and other perishable articles using various vessels made of glass, pottery, tin or other suitable metals. The preservation procedure was to fill up a vessel with food and cap it. Vegetables were to be put in raw, whereas animal substances might either be raw or half-cooked. Then the whole item was to be heated by any means, such as an oven, stove or a steam bath, but most conveniently by immersing in water and boiling it. The boiling time was not specified, and was said to depend on the food and vessel size. The cap was to be partly open during the whole heating and cooling procedure, but right after that, the vessel should be sealed airtight by any means, such as a cork plug, a screw-cap with a rubber seal, cementing, etc.,

The patent itself consists of two distinct parts: first, the description of the original idea, and second, observations by Durand himself. Durand was clearly suspicious of the invention. However, having a curious mind, he performed a thorough test of it by himself, sealing meat, soups and milk, and boiling them as described. The original inventor had only experimented with small food volumes, whereas Durand envisioned future large scale production and therefore preserved up to 30 pounds (13.6 kg) of meat in one can. For unknown reasons, Durand used only tin cans rather than glass vessels. He arranged for the cans to sail with the Royal Navy for a period of four to six months. Several members of the Royal Society and the Royal Institution examined the food upon its arrival, and found that it was perfectly preserved.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Durand

Gadget of the year: 1801

The Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801, that simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles with complex patterns. Since it is invented in the year 1801, and has created revolution in clothing sector, I would like to give the title as "Gadget of the year: 1801"

Jacquard’s invention helped not only the textile industry, but helped in the advance of technology.  The Jacquard loom not only cut back on the amount of human labor, but also allowed for patterns to now be stored on cards and to be utilized over and over again to achieve the same product.

The idea behind the Jacquard-loom was a system of punch cards and hooks.  The cards were made very thick and had rectangular holes punched in them.  The hooks and needles used in weaving were guided by these holes in the cardboard.  When the hooks came into contact with the card they were held stationary unless it encountered one of the punched holes.  Then the hook was able to pass through the hole with a needle inserting another thread, thus forming the desired pattern.  Intricate patterns were achieved by having many cards arranged one after the other and/or used repeatedly.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacquard_loom

Gadget of the year: 1800

About 95% percent of today's electronics drives on battery and hence the due credit goes to Alessandro Volta for this wonderful invention. Since it is invented in the year 1800, and has become sensation for this invention, I would like to give the title as "Gadget of the year: 1800"

How it works:

The battery made by Volta is credited as the first electrochemical cell. It consists of two electrodes: one made of zinc, the other of copper. The electrolyte is sulfuric acid or a brine mixture of salt and water. The electrolyte exists in the form 2H⁺ and SO₄^2-. The zinc, which is higher than both copper and hydrogen in the electrochemical series, reacts with the negatively charged sulfate (SO₄^2-). The positively charged hydrogen ions (protons) capture electrons from the copper, forming bubbles of hydrogen gas, H₂. This makes the zinc rod the negative electrode and the copper rod the positive electrode.

We now have two terminals, and the current will flow if we connect them. The reactions in this cell are as follows:

zinc

Zn → Zn²⁺ + 2e^-

sulfuric acid

2H⁺ + 2e^- → H₂

The copper does not react, functioning as an electrode for the chemical reaction.

However, this cell also has some disadvantages. It is unsafe to handle, as sulfuric acid, even if dilute, is dangerous. Also, the power of the cell diminishes over time because the hydrogen gas is not released, accumulating instead on the surface of the zinc electrode and forming a barrier between the metal and the electrolyte solution.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Volta