Spanish inventions : submarine, calculator, syringe, spanish guitar, mop, stapler
Blog of the Negosimmo real estate agency.
Some Spanish inventions...
1. The submarine.
In the mid-19th century, in 1859, the Catalan Narciso Monturiol surprised the naval world with the first submersible ship. It was made of wood and its propeller was manual, something that would be solved a few decades later by the Murcian engineer Isaac Peral, who in 1888 designed the first steel submarine powered by electricity: a revolution.
2. The calculator.
The history of the calculator is full of Spanish inventions. Although the first mechanical calculator dates back to the 17th century, when the French philosopher and scientist Blaise Pascal created the first mechanical calculator, it was the Spanish inventor Ramon Verea who, in 1878, managed to design in New York the first mechanical calculator capable of performing the four basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, division and multiplication), processing numbers of up to nine digits. Some also consider Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852-1936) as the precursor of the first digital calculators, and even of calculation in general, thanks to an electromechanical arithmometer capable of performing complex operations.
3. The cable car.
It was in 1887 that Leonardo Torres Quevedo filed the first patent for what he called the "multiple-wire cable car system", but it was not until 1907 that the first cable car for transporting people entered service in Monte Ulia (San Sebastian).
4. The gyroscopic plane.
What we now call a helicopter once had a much cooler name: gyroplane. The first models were by Juan de la Cierva, who designed them in the 1920s, although the central idea for this invention was the Majorcan Pere Sastre Obrador.
5. The astronaut's suit.
In 1935, Emilio Herrera Linares invented the "astronautic suit", a suit with a microphone, a cooling system and a visor to avoid ultraviolet rays, which allowed anyone to reach 22,000 meters of altitude without consequences. This model of suit was used in the development of special clothing for NASA.
6. The disposable syringe.
Until the 1970s, hypodermic syringes were made of glass, with the various problems that this entailed (cost, hygiene, etc.). It was not until 1975 that engineer Manuel Jalón, originally from Rio, created Febersanitas, a factory of disposable hypodermic syringes made of plastic. Since then, billions of these syringes have been manufactured and distributed worldwide, representing a major advance in health safety.
7. The mop.
Of all the Spanish inventions that have changed the world, the mop may not be the most revolutionary, but it has marked a turning point in the daily lives of millions of people. Originally named as a floor scrubber, this stick with a cotton plume at one end was invented in 1956 by Manuel Jalón. Its current name, fregona, is the result of a coincidence, when Enrique Falcón decided to use this word to refer to it in the notes of the first order in July 1957, although depending on the region, it is also known as "mocho".
8. Chupa Chups.
Chupa Chups was the first candy to be consumed in space in 1995. The creator of this candy with a stick was Enric Bernat, and although the idea seems very simple, it revolutionized the sector in 1958 and spread beyond our borders.
9. Table football.
Alejandro Campos Ramírez, was a Galician poet, publisher and inventor known for having created table football. In 1936, this poet was injured in one of the bombings of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. It was during his stay in the hospital that he met many injured children, most of them mutilated, who complained of not being able to play football. That is why he came up with the idea of table football and patented it in 1937.
10. The Spanish guitar.
The classical 6-string guitar as we know it today was developed in Spain between the 13th and 18th centuries as a modification of the old vihuela.
11. The stapler.
This 18th century invention is of Basque origin and was created at the request of Louis XVII of France. Today, it is a patent that has made life easier for everyone, although it was not until the 20th century that it spread beyond our borders.
Some Spanish inventions...
1. The submarine.
In the mid-19th century, in 1859, the Catalan Narciso Monturiol surprised the naval world with the first submersible ship. It was made of wood and its propeller was manual, something that would be solved a few decades later by the Murcian engineer Isaac Peral, who in 1888 designed the first steel submarine powered by electricity: a revolution.
2. The calculator.
The history of the calculator is full of Spanish inventions. Although the first mechanical calculator dates back to the 17th century, when the French philosopher and scientist Blaise Pascal created the first mechanical calculator, it was the Spanish inventor Ramon Verea who, in 1878, managed to design in New York the first mechanical calculator capable of performing the four basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, division and multiplication), processing numbers of up to nine digits. Some also consider Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852-1936) as the precursor of the first digital calculators, and even of calculation in general, thanks to an electromechanical arithmometer capable of performing complex operations.
3. The cable car.
It was in 1887 that Leonardo Torres Quevedo filed the first patent for what he called the "multiple-wire cable car system", but it was not until 1907 that the first cable car for transporting people entered service in Monte Ulia (San Sebastian).
4. The gyroscopic plane.
What we now call a helicopter once had a much cooler name: gyroplane. The first models were by Juan de la Cierva, who designed them in the 1920s, although the central idea for this invention was the Majorcan Pere Sastre Obrador.
5. The astronaut's suit.
In 1935, Emilio Herrera Linares invented the "astronautic suit", a suit with a microphone, a cooling system and a visor to avoid ultraviolet rays, which allowed anyone to reach 22,000 meters of altitude without consequences. This model of suit was used in the development of special clothing for NASA.
6. The disposable syringe.
Until the 1970s, hypodermic syringes were made of glass, with the various problems that this entailed (cost, hygiene, etc.). It was not until 1975 that engineer Manuel Jalón, originally from Rio, created Febersanitas, a factory of disposable hypodermic syringes made of plastic. Since then, billions of these syringes have been manufactured and distributed worldwide, representing a major advance in health safety.
7. The mop.
Of all the Spanish inventions that have changed the world, the mop may not be the most revolutionary, but it has marked a turning point in the daily lives of millions of people. Originally named as a floor scrubber, this stick with a cotton plume at one end was invented in 1956 by Manuel Jalón. Its current name, fregona, is the result of a coincidence, when Enrique Falcón decided to use this word to refer to it in the notes of the first order in July 1957, although depending on the region, it is also known as "mocho".
8. Chupa Chups.
Chupa Chups was the first candy to be consumed in space in 1995. The creator of this candy with a stick was Enric Bernat, and although the idea seems very simple, it revolutionized the sector in 1958 and spread beyond our borders.
9. Table football.
Alejandro Campos Ramírez, was a Galician poet, publisher and inventor known for having created table football. In 1936, this poet was injured in one of the bombings of Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. It was during his stay in the hospital that he met many injured children, most of them mutilated, who complained of not being able to play football. That is why he came up with the idea of table football and patented it in 1937.
10. The Spanish guitar.
The classical 6-string guitar as we know it today was developed in Spain between the 13th and 18th centuries as a modification of the old vihuela.
11. The stapler.
This 18th century invention is of Basque origin and was created at the request of Louis XVII of France. Today, it is a patent that has made life easier for everyone, although it was not until the 20th century that it spread beyond our borders.