Leeds Inventions

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 3:13 pm

Solar Powered Fridge by Miss Emily Cummins http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20101027 ... 28.jpCould be the new Matthew Murray - works at the Round Foundry!

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 3:56 pm

Heres one for you kids of the 60's-remember SPIROGRAPH! the stupid,mad art and design toy thatwas branded as being 'simple to use'.............yeah right.Anyway that was invented by an engineer from Leeds called Denys Fisher.

Leeds Hippo · Post by **Leeds Hippo** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 8:41 pm

Brandy wrote: Heres one for you kids of the 60's-remember SPIROGRAPH! the stupid,mad art and design toy thatwas branded as being 'simple to use'.............yeah right.Anyway that was invented by an engineer from Leeds called Denys Fisher. I never knew it was invented in Leeds. Some impressive maths behind it's design.In March 1965 the first Spirograph went on sale in Schofield’s department store in Leeds.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirograph ... .eceAnyone know where Denys Fisher Toys were based in Leeds?

slw · Post by **slw** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 10:03 pm

My mum worked at a toy factory at Thorp Arch (in the 70's ??) She thought it was Fisher Price but said it could have been Denys Fisher. She can remember that they made Stretch Arm Strong though !

slw · Post by **slw** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 10:23 pm

Denys Fisher was at Thorp Arch according to this http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameversi ... ition-1971

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 10:26 pm

Nice one slw. Not seen you around for a while where have you been hiding?

slw · Post by **slw** » Thu 18 Nov, 2010 10:32 pm

Hi Brandy, (and all the rest of the SL gang)Hope you are all good I've still been here, lurking in the background... reading all the posts and enjoying Secret Leeds

Mick McCann · Post by **Mick McCann** » Tue 11 Jan, 2011 9:11 pm

Great thread, a few on here I missed. Leeds Hippo wrote: Micrometer by William Gascoigne (Never heard of this guy before)born in Middleton 1612!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ga ... scientist)(Have to copy and paste - link takes you to wrong WG) First man to be able to accurately calculate the size of planets and the distance between them. Developed the crosshairs for telescopes and, for me, the telescopic sight.What intrigued me about this fella was that he died quite young, leaving a 'barn full' of instruments he was working on and no one had a clue what they were for.

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Wed 12 Jan, 2011 8:19 pm

Two more:http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/518/news.htmTwo Leeds inventions were listed in the top 100 world-changing innovations from British universities in the last 50 years. They were the first computerised train schedule, designed by Emeritus Professor Tony Wren from the School of Computing and Professor of Auditory Neuroscience Deborah Withington's "localiser" siren, which uses directional sound, reported the Independent and The Guardian.

Cultjunky · Post by **Cultjunky** » Thu 13 Jan, 2011 4:07 pm

The siphonic flush, not that man Crapper, but our own Joseph AdamsonThe last invention needed was the siphonic flush, patented in 1853 by Joseph Adamson of Leeds. The siphon is now found in nearly all modern British loos. The crucial thing about it is that it allows a measured flush to be delivered on command, with no waste of water between times. http://www.funkylab.co.uk/know_it/toilets.htmlThough I'm struggling to find any biographical details about him, must have all gone down the pan