Franklin helped …show more content…
He wanted to measure the distance between certain points so that he might establish more efficient postal routes. For this purpose, he devised an odometer that attached to his carriage, it counted the rotations of the wheels, which calculated the distance the carriage traveled (“It’s The Little Things” 9). Everyone knew that Benjamin Franklin loved to read, so he came up with a great idea to help him reach his books on upper shelves that were out of his reach at his library, he created the “Extension Arm” (“It’s The Little Things” 5). The device had two fingers that were attached to the end of a long piece of wood or pipe, the fingers could be opened or closed by pulling on a cord that manipulated them (“It’s The Little Things” 5). Similar devices are still used …show more content…
Franklin made modifications to improve and extend his library chair by attaching a fan that was operated by a foot pedal and created a reversible seat that allowed the chair to function as a seat and as a small step ladder or stepping stool (“It’s The Little Things” 4). Franklin invented a 24-hour, three-wheel clock that was much simpler than most clock designs of the time. Franklin's clock, like others from that period, only had one hand. Minute hands were not added to clocks until later. Ben Franklin loved the water. Growing up in Boston, he was drawn to the sea and often dreamed of becoming a sailor (“It’s The Little Things” 3). Ben learned to swim “and became an expert swimmer. Wanting to increase” his speed in the water, Franklin devised fins that he wore on his hands, the fins were shaped like lily pads or an artist's “paint pallet and helped the swimmer attain greater” speed with each stroke (“It’s The Little Things” 3). Being a humble and unselfish man that he is, of the numerous inventions Franklin created, he did not patent a single one (“It’s The Little