Shows A - Z : How's That Work? : Bread Maker, Bar-Code Reader, Water Pump : Home & Garden Television

Bread Maker, Bar-Code Reader, Water Pump
Machines that prepared dough came into the bread-making fold around 1900. The first device had a large pail with a crank on top that turned a hook, which in turn mixed the ingredients. This "kneady" invention was such a hit, it won the gold medal at the 1902 St. Louis World's Fair. Next, bar codes grew out of the need for a quick and reliable system to track goods in grocery stores. Hearing the complaints of frustrated store managers, two friends, Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver, built the first bar-code reader in 1951. It was about the size of a small table and relied on Morse code, a light bulb and parts from a 1920s film soundtracking machine. Finally, the earliest water pumps date back more than 2,000 years. Back then, their designs were simple, yet ingenious. They were usually made of wood and, when an animal wasn't available to provide muscle power, humans did the work. These masters of moving water evolved significantly in 1840 when James Watt invented the modern steam pump. It was first used to pump water out of mines, but went on to power many pivotal inventions of the Industrial Age.

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