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Dr. Franklin InventsanImproved Cast Iron Stove.
Benjamin Franklin is often erroneously credited with inventing the stove. The Good Doctor did make a major improvement to the cast iron stove and wrote a pamphlet on stove construction which was instrumental in influencing stove design. Ben’s stove was also designed to be used in the existing fireplace rather than occupy floor space.
Stoves, however had been around since at least 1490 when the first recorded stove of brick and tile had been produced in Alsace, France. The Scandinavian and Russian tile stoves are improvements on this design.
The first cast iron stove was produced in Lynn Massachusetts in 1642.
Judge Samuel Sewall’s Diary entry for January 16, 1702:
“A good fire in the stove warmed the room.”
The Chinese had “Central Heating” about 200 B.C. and the Romans had “Central Heating” around 100 B.C.
Let's let the Good Doctor explain the matter in his own words.
In order of time, I should have mentioned before, that having, in 1742, invented an open stove for the better warming of rooms, and at the same time saving fuel, as the fresh air admitted was warmed in entering, I made a present of the model to Mr. Robert Grace, one of my early friends, who, having an iron-furnace, found the casting of the plates for these stoves a profitable thing, as they were growing in demand. To promote that demand, I wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled “An Account of the new-invented Pennsylvania Fireplaces; wherein their Construction and Manner of Operation is particularly explained; their Advantages above every other Method of warming Rooms demonstrated; and all Objections that have been raised against the Use of them answered and obviated,” etc. This pamphlet had a good effect. Gov’r. Thomas was so pleas’d with the construction of this stove, as described in it, that he offered to give me a patent for the sole vending of them for a term of years; but I declin’d it from a principle which has ever weighed with me on such occasions,
viz.,
That, as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours; and this we should do freely and generously.
An ironmonger in London however, assuming a good deal of my pamphlet, and working it up into his own, and making some small changes in the machine, which rather hurt its operation, got a patent for it there, and made, as I was told, a little fortune by it. And this is not the only instance of patents taken out for my inventions by others, tho’ not always with the same success, which I never contested, as having no desire of profiting by patents myself, and hating disputes. The use of these fireplaces in very many houses, both of this and the neighbouring colonies, has been, and is, a great saving of wood to the inhabitants.
Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography 1706-1757
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