vii, 216 pages : 29 cm

Presents the earliest patents for many everyday items and the stories of the inventions

Includes bibliographical references (pages 197-205) and index

Introduction -- AC induction motor -- Adding machine -- Addressograph -- Air brake -- Air conditioning -- Airplane -- Aluminum manufacturing -- Ammonia process -- Anesthesia -- Artificial limb -- Atomic reactor -- Automobile -- Bakelite -- Barbed wire -- Beehive -- Bicycle -- Billiard ball -- Bottle cap -- Bridge caisson -- Cable car -- Calculator -- Cannon -- Carborundum -- Carpet loom -- Clock -- Color film -- Condensed milk -- Cotton gin -- Cyclotron -- Design patent -- Diesel engine -- Dirigible -- Dynamite -- Electric motor -- Electric welder -- Elevator -- Ethyl gasoline -- Fertilizer -- First patent in America -- FM radio -- Frozen food -- Glass bottles -- Guncotton -- Gyroscope -- Halftone printing plate -- Helicopter -- Hydroplane -- Incandescent lamp -- Instant photography -- Internal combustion engine -- Jet engine -- Laser -- Lathe -- Linotype -- Lock -- Machine gun -- Magnetic tape recorder -- Motion picture -- Number one -- Nylon -- Phonograph -- Phonograph records -- Plant patent no. 1 -- Plow -- Presidential patent -- Printing press -- Radio -- Reaper -- Revolver -- Rocket -- Roll-film camera -- Sewing machine -- Smokeless gunpowder -- Steel manufacture -- Submarine -- Telegraph -- Telephone -- Television -- Transistor -- Triode vacuum tube -- Typewriter -- Vulcanized rubber -- Xerography -- Zipper