Bifocals, Franklin Stove & Lightening Rod

• Bifocals ~ Franklin described his invention of bifocal glasses. Two pairs of lenses were cut horizontally in half and mounted in a new frame, with the reading lens at the bottom and the distance lens at the top.

• Franklin Stove ~ Franklin began designing the Pennsylvanian fire-place, a stove that was more efficient than an open-hearth fireplace, and heated a room more evenly. Franklin refused a patent for his cast-iron stove. Franklin continued to modify his stove designs throughout his lifetime, and stoves based on his original model are now known as “Franklin stoves.”

• Lightening Rod ~ Franklin described and proposed lightning rods as a means to protect buildings from fire. Franklin equipped his house with a lightning rod, connecting it to bells that rang when the rod was electrified.