Sunday, March 29, 2009

TIME TO TEACH A FEW "NOT SO WELL KNOWN FACTS"

What did people do before there were digital watches?
Before the inexpensive miniaturization that became possible in the 20th century, most watches were pocket watches, which had covers and were carried in a pocket and attached to a watch chain or watch fob. Watches evolved in the 1600s from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 1400s.




Did Phillip's head really look like a screwdriver?
Henry F. Phillips (1890 – 1958), a U.S. businessman from Portland, Oregon, has the honor of having the Phillips-head screw and screwdriver named after him. The importance of the crosshead screw design lies in its self-centering property, useful on automated production lines that use powered screwdrivers. Phillips' major contribution was in driving the crosshead concept forward to the point where it was adopted by screwmakers and automobile companies.