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THE TREVITHICK SOCIETY

FOR THE STUDY OF INDUSTRIAL HISTORY IN CORNWALL

Established 1935

List of Trevithick's patents

Richard Trevithick was a genius in the field of mechanical engineering whose inventions proved to be of immense importance in helping to shape the development of the industrialised world during the 19th century. The following is a list of his patents:

 

GB2599/1802
24 March 1802
Construction of steam engines; application thereof for driving carriages, and for other purposes

GB3148/1808
05 July 1808
Machinery for towing, driving, or forcing, and discharging ships and other vessels of their cargoes

GB3172/1808
31 October 1808
Stowing ships' cargoes by means of packages, to lessen expense of stowage, and keep the goods safe

GB3231/1809
29 April 1809
Naval architecture and navigation; applicable to other purposes

GB3922/1815
06 June 1815
High pressure steam engine; and application thereof, with or without other machinery, to useful purposes

GB6082/1831
21 February 1831
Steam engine

GB6083/1831
21 February 1831
Apparatus for heating apartments

GB6308/1832
22 September 1832
Steam engine; application of steam power to navigation and locomotion

 

Trevithick's notable achievements include:
 

1801: The Camborne Road Locomotive - the first car

1802: The Coalbrookdale Locomotive - the first portable engine to run on rails

1803: The London Road Carriage - the first coach

1804: The Penydarren Locomotive - the first train

1805: Drove a barge by steam

1808: The Catch-me-who-can railway locomotive, the first fare paying passenger train

1812: The Trewithen threshing machine: using his engine for agriculture

1818: The first steamboat was fitted with Trevithick puffer engine

 

His genius was not restricted to steam engine development.  He also invented, but did not patent:

 

The Cornish boiler

Containerisation of shipping

A ships propeller

Refrigeration

A rock boring machine

Water-jet propulsion

He also demonstrated that a ship could be made of iron.