Inventions in Small Packages

Here are some of my small questions to some of the most necessary inventions of our time, and they all came in 'Small Packages'!


1. Can Opener

Did you know that: The can opener was invented 48 years after cans were introduced.

The first manual can opener was patented in 1858 by Ezra J. Warner. The design did not change for much of the next 50 years, when the first serrated wheel can opener was invented in 1925 by the Star Can Company.

Just a few years later the first electric model debuted and the technology has continued to evolve in the years since. Modern day can openers include the original manual models as the least expensive, with higher end electric and battery operated models featuring a hands-free option, requiring little to no effort. - mahalo.com


2. False Teeth

Did you know that: George Washington's false teeth were made of whale bone!

If you grew up in America, you've probably heard that George Washington had wooden teeth, and that they made him miserable. If that story is true [we'll look into it later], it seems as if the future First President of the United States may have suffered from a poor choice of dentists, as well as poor dental hygiene.


There was really no excuse for Washington's dentures to be poorly made; false teeth are known to have existed as early as 700 BC. We can thank the Etruscans for the innovation of artificial choppers. They used ivory and bone replicas, which were then attached to the patient's mouth with gold bridgework.

By Washington's time, dentures were hand-carved, and held in place by silk threads, a gentler and less-expensive means of support than gold. The downside of this method, however, was that those unfortunates who had both upper and lower plates had to remove them before eating [Talk about gumming your food!].

The next big "innovation" was the use of silver springs to hold dentures in place. If the fake teeth were not fitted correctly, they had an unfortunate tendency to pop out of the mouth! It's believed that Washington's dentures were made with the unwanted "ejector" feature. They probably weren't made of wood; popular materials in those days included ivory, silver, and mother-of-pearl. As you can probably guess, proper fitting of these early devices was vital; sadly, the needed technology hadn't yet been invented. Plaster modeling of the mouth wasn't even invented until about 1745. Porcelain teeth were first crafted around 1820; they fit better, and looked more natural than other artificial teeth. But they were incredibly heavy!

As more modern materials entered the picture, dentures became lighter, more durable, and more life-like. With the perfection of fitting techniques, they became more comfortable. With the introduction of adhesives like Poly-Grip, they stopped falling out of people's mouths. If the Father of the America were alive today, he would be wearing dentures more comfortable, more life-like, and more secure than he could have ever imagined. He would also be notable for his incredible age, but that's another story.


3. Buttons for Clothes





Did you know that: Have you ever asked yourself why there are buttons on the ends of jacket sleeves?According to information passed down through the ages, none other than Napoleon Bonaparte dictated that buttons be attached to jacket sleeves to stop the annoying habit soldiers had of wiping their runny noses on their jacket sleeves.

Buttons have been made of many different materials. As might be expected, bone was one of the earliest substances used. Button-shaped objects were made as early as the Stone Age. In 3,000 BC Phoenician men wore button-shaped pendants made of bone. Objects, which may have been buttons, have been found in Egyptian tombs dating from the 6th Dynasty, circa 2,800 BC. Antler and horn buttons have been made since the 1600s, usually out of scraps left over from making combs and other household objects.

Experts believe that these early examples were not used to fasten clothing but as decoration.
Some believe that buttons were first used for fastening garments in 12th century France.
French bead makers began making buttons for this purpose out of bone.

4. Ballpoint Pen

Did you know that: Ballpoint pen and rollerball pen refills work in much the same way as a roll-on deodorant works. The ball is in a socket that helps keep the ink from flowing out or air from getting in. As the ball rolls gravity forces the ink from the reservoir onto the ball which dispenses the ink onto the paper.

The Ballpoint Pen, or Biro, is the most popular everyday writing instrument in the world. Chances are there is one sitting on your desk, in your pocket, or in your car as you read this. They are easy to use, easy to transport, and more likely the reason one may have so many: they are cheap and disposable.


However it is quite often asked when were ballpoint pens invented, and to answer that, one has to learn a bit about the history of pens themselves.

Prior to the ballpoint pen, the most common pen was the fountain pen. This device uses a reservoir of liquid ink located in the based of the pen, which through gravity is fed to the tip, or nib. While examples have been found as early as the 10th century, it wasn't until the mid-nineteenth century that fountain pens came into true prominence as a superior to the traditional quill pen. Unfortunately, in many cases it was still very difficult to refill the pen with ink. Various techniques and types were invented and patented, but people still craved a more simplistic pen.



5. Wedding Rings!


Did you know that: Preferably gold and platinum should be the right choice of a custom wedding ring. Because your wedding ring needs to be durable enough so that it lasts for the rest of your life. - custom-weddingrings.com










The ancients believed that the third finger, left hand, had a special vein, vena amoris, the vein of "love" running from this finger directly to the heart. While having no basis in scientific anatomy, the romantic custom still stands. King Edward VI of England designated the third finger, left hand, as the ring finger and in 1549 the Book of Common Prayer designated the left hand as the marriage hand. In all ancient cultures the circle was considered to be the symbol of perfection; it is perfect unity, without beginning or end. It is the symbol of the sun, earth and universe, and represents holiness, perfection and peace. The caveman bound himself to his mate with a cord of woven rushes to symbolize their spirits as one.


The ancient Northerns believed that a lovers knot symbolized love, faith, and friendship. The
hair of the beloved was woven into such a knot, and was worn as a ring. Among the Anglo-Saxons a part of the "wed" was a ring worn on her right hand. Out of such diverse beginnings have evolved our engagement and wedding rings. The word "betrothed" derives from the Anglo-Saxon "troweth", meaning truth. Thus betrothed means giving a truth or pledge. The engagement ring indicates to all that she has pledged her love to one man. The Greek "adamant" means steadfast or invincible, and it is from this word that the diamond gets its name. Diamonds were believed to be invincible, chosen to symbolize purity and light, and as protection against the dark forces of evil. It was believed that its sparkle arose from the lovers' fires, and that it possessed great harmonizing powers. The icy fire of the true white diamond is still the symbol of love.

Maximillian of Austria really wanted to marry Mary of Burgundy, but was afraid she would not accept his proposal. He was advised to buy her a diamond. He did, she accepted, and they were married on August 17, 1477. This is the first reported diamond engagement ring.

The wedding ring is the concrete sealing of the marriage pact. In every ancient culture can be found rings with inscriptions and designs denoting them as marriage rings. In the 12th century Pope Innocent the Third ordained that marriages must be celebrated in the church, and that the ceremony must include a marriage ring.

Consequently, the wedding ring has a religious significance that is lacking in the engagement ring. The wedding ring is placed on the ring finger first to be closest to the heart.

Look how my ring encompasseth thy finger,
Even so thy breast encloseth my poor heart;
Wear both of them, for both of them are thine.
Richard the Second: William Shakespeare, 1593

- stellarjewelry.com