Inventions Before The Industrial Revolution

Everything begins somewhere. No matter whether it is a book, TV show, or piece of art it began with an idea. Some ideas though, last through time. Inventions that can change a life or even a lifetime.
The Hero (or Heron) of Alexandria as he was known. He has no legal name as far researchers can find. Not much can be told about the man behind the inventions really at all. Due to his title it is assumed he lived inside the city of Alexandria, Egypt and though it is up to debate most historians agree he was most likely alive around 62 A.D. Mathematician and inventor he made many various inventions before the Industrial Revolution. His most notable invention though, is the world’s first ever vending machine which dispensed holy water for a small fee. His vending machine was made of a simple lever system unlike today’s complex vending machines.
Following Hero’s invention of the first vending machine the next earliest vending machine to be made was coin-operated and made of brass. This vending machine dispensed tobacco and
A machine which dispensed envelopes, stamps, and notepaper was invented by Percival Everitt in 1883 which gained quick hype. This machine was soon found at many train stations and post offices. It is also gave birth to the first company to specialize in only vending machines beginning in 1887, The Sweetmeat Automatic Delivery Company. Despite all this activity in England the first vending machine didn’t arrive in the U.S. until 1888 and dispensed gum. The idea of adding games to these machines as a further incentive to buy came in 1897 when the Pulver Manufacturing Company added small figures, which would move around whenever somebody bought some gum from their machines. This idea spawned a whole new type of mechanical device known as the "trade simulators". The birth of slot machines and pinball is ultimately rooted in these early