Airplane
Wright brothers, USA, patent 821,393 of 1906. Flying machine control, and the wars that followed.
Overview
The Wrights patented three-axis control, not lift, filing in 1903 and granted 821,393 in 1906. Glenn Curtiss's ailerons infringed in their view; the patent war choked US aviation while Europe raced ahead. The government forced a 1917 cross-license pool when World War I demanded planes. The 1906 patent remains aviation's foundation deed. Twelve seconds at Kitty Hawk became the century of flight.
Related Patents
Steamboat
Fulton's North River Steamboat, the Clermont, ran New York to Albany in 1807 under a New York state monopoly from his patent right...
Steam Locomotive
Stephenson patented improved rails and locomotive designs while building Killingworth colliery engines, then the 1825 Stockton and...
Otis Elevator Safety Brake
Otis demonstrated his safety brake dramatically at the 1853 Crystal Palace, cutting the hoist rope above a crowd. The patent's too...
Safety Bicycle
Starley's RoverSafety standardized the diamond frame, equal-sized wheels, and rear chain drive, replacing the dangerous penny-fart...