7. Rolltop Desk
Category – Science
In the curio shop, Trouble uses his laptop on a rolltop desk. This workspace has shelves and secret compartments that can be hidden by rolling down wooden slats. The queen of all rolltop desks was the Wooton patent desk. The name shows that William Wooton patented his desk invention. With doors closed, it looked like fine mahogany furniture. When the cabinet opened, it revealed more than a hundred pigeonholes for sorting paper and objects. A Wooton patent desk was the Victorian version of the Blackberry or iPhone, allowing people to stay efficient and organized. To see this amazing desk, visit a website devoted to it –
Click here to see images of Wooton patent desks.
Question –
· What is the patent system and why was it established?
Assignment – You can find the answer by typing www.wikipedia.org into your Internet browser, then entering the word “patent” into the search box and clicking the arrow icon.
Bonus Question –
· Thomas Edison is the inventor with the most patents, a total of 1,093. Can you name two of his important patents? (Hint – You use one of them when you enter a dark room).
Assignment – Discover the answer by typing http://www.about.com into your Internet browser, entering “Thomas Edison” into the search box. Click “GO” and then select the first entry about Edison’s inventions.