In 1843, Alexander Bain received a British patent for his fax machine, titled "improvements in producing and regulating electric currents and improvements in timepieces and in electric printing and signal telegraphs." Bain's device--he did not, of course, use the term "fax machine," which is a conspicuously modern invention--employed a pair of carefully synchronized pendulums, one of which scanned a page containing text or a drawing, translating the presence of ink at a particular point on the page into an electrical impulse that could be reproduced at a remote location by causing paper impregnated with an electrochemically sensitive solution (a mixture of ammonium nitrate and potassium ferrocyanide) to darken at the equivalent point. Bain's fax machine did not catch on; nevertheless, Giovanni Caselli's pantelegraph was based on Bain's invention. Caselli's device became the first commercial fax machine, operating between Paris and Lyon from 1865 to 1870.

Bain applied for a new patent of an improved version of his copier in 1850 but could not obtain one because Frederick Bakewell had already obtained a patent for his own image telegraph in 1848; whether the latter should have been granted, in view of Bain's 1843 patent, is arguable, but as neither inventor managed to produce a marketable machine at the time, the question is probably irrelevant. The modern fax machine, however, uses the same principle, and its reinventors have been happy to give due credit to Bain for his remarkable anticipation. Indeed, Bain's fax machine was surely ahead of its time: It was not until the 1980's, about 140 years after Bain's patent was granted, that the fax machine saw widespread use.

Free term papers are not written to satisfy your specific instructions. You can use our professional writing services to buy a custom written research paper, term paper, or essay on Technology at affordable price. CustomTermPapers is the best solution for those who seek help in writing term papers, essays, and research papers related to Technology and other relevant topics.