Ideas & InventionsPittsburgh

Inventors and Their

Inventions

George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. (1859-1896)

He was a bridge-builder who invented the Ferris Wheel. The first Ferris Wheel was 76 meters tall (25 story building).

Harry Davis and John P. Harris

Opened the First Motion Picture Theater in 1905The Nickelodeon

George Westinghouse (1846-1914)

He invented a rotary steam engine, a device to mount train cars back on the tracks, air brakes for trains, automatic signal and switching system for railroads, improved the equipment and tools for oil drilling and distribution, automated substations for telephone switchboards.

William Stanley Jr. (1858- 1916)He designed a practical induction coil system that varied alternating current (AC) voltage while we worked for George Westinghouse. His coil became the prototype for all future transformers and made practical the transmitting of electricity for consumer uses such as lighting.

Jonas Salk (1914- 1995)

He was the head of the Virus Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh where he discovered a vaccine for polio. In 1952, when he inoculated the first volunteers, there were over 57,000 reported cases of polio in the US. When he died, he had been working on a vaccine for the AIDS virus.

Alan Russell and Keith LeJeune

Founders of Agentase LLC in 1998, they invented a color changing sensor that can detect nerve agents like sarin and mustard gas. It was named one of the Top 10 Army Inventions in 2004. This same technology is used to test the freshness of fish.

Stephanie L. Kwolek (1923- )

She invented Kevlar in 1971 while working for DuPont in Wilmington, DE. She grew up in New Kensington, PA and earned a BS in Chemistry from CMU in 1946. Kevlar is a synthetic fiber that is 5 times stronger than steel and is used in radial tires, brake pads, bullet-proof vests, racing sails, fiberoptic cables, suspension bridge cables, snow skis, safety helmets and camping gear.

Brandon (1990- ) and Spencer Whale (1993- )

1n 1998, Brandon invented the PaceMate, elastic bracelets with small electrolyte-soaked sponges. It helps in transmitting EKGs over the phone for patients with pace makers.

1n 1999, Spencer invented a child’s wheelchair with an attached IV stand. They were first used at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital.