1821-1830
In this decade we find the conversion of electricity into mechanical motion and many other important electrical developments, which, however, are omitted from this list as we are confining ourselves to mechanical inventions. There were marked developments in steam railroads. Stephenson built the “Rocket” which won prizes on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, and the first locomotive was imported into this country in 1829. The tubular locomotive boiler was invented by Seguin in 1828 and Ericsson’s portable steam fire engine was built in 1830. In the previous year an important improvement in spinning mules was made when John Thorpe invented the ring frame.