In 1845 Barlow received a patent for a steam-powered hemp-retting mechanism to separate the fiber from the stalk of the plant. Although the device worked well, it was too expensive for general use. Barlow's most widely used invention was a mechanically operated orrery, or model of the solar system. The remarkably accurate apparatus showed the location of the planets on any given day of the nineteenth century. Many of the "planetariums" were sold to schools, and they were purchased by the U.S. government for use at the Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The invention was demonstrated by Barlow's son, Milton, at the world expositon in Paris in 1867 and at exhibitons throughout the United States. A few Barlow planetariums have been exhibited in museums in the United States.
Many of Barlow's inventions were devised with the aid of his son, Milton. Among them were a cradling harvester, a mechanical device for cutting nails and tacks, and a cannon with a rifled barrel that greatly improved accuracy. It was undoubtedly someone from this ingenious family who invented the Barlow knife, the sturdy, single-bladed jack knife that has become a treasured keepsake for many people. Barlow's numerous inventions did not bring financial success, and on more than one occasion he was forced to mortgage his personal property to satisfy his debts. In 1861 he suffered a stroke and spent the last years of his life with a daughter in Cincinnati. He died on June 22, 1865, and was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
In 1845 Barlow received a patent for a steam-powered hemp-retting mechanism to separate the fiber from the stalk of the plant. Although the device worked well, it was too expensive for general use. Barlow's most widely used invention was a mechanically operated orrery, or model of the solar system. The remarkably accurate apparatus showed the location of the planets on any given day of the nineteenth century. Many of the "planetariums" were sold to schools, and they were purchased by the U.S. government for use at the Naval Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The invention was demonstrated by Barlow's son, Milton, at the world expositon in Paris in 1867 and at exhibitons throughout the United States. A few Barlow planetariums have been exhibited in museums in the United States.
Many of Barlow's inventions were devised with the aid of his son, Milton. Among them were a cradling harvester, a mechanical device for cutting nails and tacks, and a cannon with a rifled barrel that greatly improved accuracy. It was undoubtedly someone from this ingenious family who invented the Barlow knife, the sturdy, single-bladed jack knife that has become a treasured keepsake for many people. Barlow's numerous inventions did not bring financial success, and on more than one occasion he was forced to mortgage his personal property to satisfy his debts. In 1861 he suffered a stroke and spent the last years of his life with a daughter in Cincinnati. He died on June 22, 1865, and was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.
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