Ben Franklin`s Inventions

p The Inventions of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most well known , politicians scientists and inventors of the Enlightenment Era in North America . He was known for his role as Ambassador to France , and his work to gain French military assistance during the American Revolution . He was also one of the Founding Fathers responsible for signing both the Declaration of Independence , and helping to draft the U .S Constitution . Although Franklin was brilliant , he was also known as self-effacing and approachable (Essig , 2006

Franklin was also responsible for

the founding of the Philadelphia Fire Department , the first free public library , and the University of Pennsylvania . Despite his great involvement in civic and political duties , Franklin was first a businessperson with one of the most successful printing businesses in Philadelphia , and a scientist . His scientific work ranged from experiments in the uses of electricity to the inventions of useful items such as the Franklin stove , or bifocal eyeglasses (Essig , 2006

According to Isaacson (2003 , one of the main factors that caused Franklin to be thought of as a genius was the varied nature of his interests . He became involved in projects that ranged from civic to scientific in nature , and he never took himself seriously . This was seen by some such as John Adams as frivolity , and was considered off-putting by many of the more puritanical of the Founding Fathers

The earliest known invention of Benjamin Franklin was the development of a copperplate press in 1728 that used ornate designs , and different colors of ink to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to forge money from the state of New Jersey . It was also during this period that Franklin invented a method of casting printing type by using molten metal , and lead molds cast from existing printing type . These innovations in the field of printing and graphic arts would earn Franklin professional recognition nearly 200 years later in 1902 when the Franklin Gothic typeface was named after him

One of Franklin 's most important inventions was the Franklin stove invented in 1745 it was one of the world 's first clean burning wood stoves . Accordng to Essig (2006 )this stove utilized hot air circulation and the process of convection to circulate war air around the room while simultaneously filtering out the cold air that entered the room through doors , windows , and the basement . Franklin turned down an offer made by the Governor of Pennsylvania to patent the Franklin stove , and instead he published the design in s and broadsheets in all 13 Colonies so that all of the citizens of the colonies could build and utilize the Franklin stove . This wood burning stove was innovative because it was both clean burning and enclosed so that homemakers no longer had to worry about burning embers flying out of the fireplace , and potentially setting the home on fire

Another one of Franklin 's inventions continues to benefit the medical field even today . This invention is the urinary catheter , invented in...