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When dealing with the word machine, most people automatically picture something
in their mind that's electronic and almost robotic like in nature. But
that wasn't always the case. You may not consider something made of wood
a machine, but if you were living in the time of the cave men civilization,
the first basic lever that was used by cave men to raise a rock out of the ground
is technically considered a machine. And that was made out of out a stick. No
fancy buttons to push or ratchet straps attached or anything like that. This
section of the site though will be dealing with the invention and innovation
of machines.
Machine is a word that is derived from the Latin word machina, and it defines
any type of device that uses energy to perform an activity. Any device that
performs or assists you in performing some sort of job is considered a machine.
The equipment involved in a microdermabrasion procedure is one such example
of a machine. There are two categories that machines can be divided into, and
they are 'simple' and 'complex'. Simple machines redirect force to make work
easier. Examples of simple machines include levers, wheels and pulleys. Complex
machines involve gathering simple machines and making them work together. An
example of a (very) complex machine is a computer.
But as you've already gathered by reading this website, we tend to focus
more on industrial machines and how the innovative machines that came out of
the industrial revolution have changed the way we manufacture goods and perform
services. During the industrial revolution there were a number of innovations
that were first introduced. One such machine that was invented was the spinning
jenny. It was the world's first spool spinning wheel that helped reduce
the workload of yarn production, because it let one worker work on at least
eight spools at once. The advent of cotton mills came about because of the invention
of this spinning jenny machine.
When it comes to discussing the invention of machines that defined industry,
you can't ignore the steam engine. Initially used for pumping out mines,
the steam engine was eventually applied to power machines that led to the development
of semi-automated factories, where waterpower wasn't originally available.
Steam engines would grow to be quite useful, as they would come to drive power
transportation vehicles such as steamboats and locomotives. And steam turbines
today generate almost half of the world's electricity. If it wasn't
for the invention of the steam engine, maybe your grandparents that traveled
here by boat would have never had the opportunity to live here, and you may
have never had the chance to buy that real estate property or other
home that you currently reside in.
We hope that we've provided you with enough information about the invention
of machines and how they relate to industry. Maybe next time you're riding
up the elevator,you might wonder how the
counterweights balance the load of the elevator and help it stop and start to
let you off at the right floor. Industrial machines and their parts have come
a long way since the spinning jenny or the steamboat, and it's fascinating
to think of what the future has in store for us. Without the invention of the
machines mentioned and many others, who knows where we might be today.
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