| Description |
ix, 241 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
| Summary |
"An American, Thomas Alva Edison, invented the light bulb, but who invented the pregnancy test? Or the air bag? Who patented the first computer? Stephen van Dulken examines the way inventions and patents such as these have helped to create the American Dream." |
|
"Between 1911 and 1999, the number of registered U.S. patents rose from 1 million to 6 million. Showcasing dozens of those original patent drawings from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, American Inventions shows how trends in the history of the United States are reflected in the patent records. For example, the invention of the Frisbee dates back to 1920 when a Yale University student recalled throwing around the lids from the pie cans of the nearby Frisbie Baking Company, but it was not until 1948 that Fred Morrison and Warren Francioni capitalized on Americans' newfound fascination with flying saucers by applying for a patent on a plastic flying disk. Van Dulken surveys the inventions and patents of the workplace, the home, the kitchen, the open road, and the beauty parlor, to name a few, to find the compelling stories and eureka moments in America history."--BOOK JACKET |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Subject |
Inventions -- United States -- History.
|
|
Patents -- United States -- History.
|
| LC no. |
2003059302 |
| ISBN |
0814788130 cloth alkaline paper |
|
