Original subtitles

Narrator: AROUND THE WORLD, THE RACE TO WIN WARS

AND EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE

HAS CREATED SOME OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS

EVER DESIGNED.

AND WE USE THEM EVERY DAY,

UNAWARE OF THEIR AMAZING ORIGINS.

ON "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS"...

THE NYLON STOCKING.

WHY DOES A DAINTY FASHION ITEM CAUSE RIOTS DURING WORLD WAR II?

THE L.E.D.

EXACTLY HOW IS THIS TINY LIGHT

HELPING NASA ASTRONAUTS EXPLORE THE STARS?

THE ROWLETT RUTLAND TOASTER.

WHAT HAS TOAST AND WORLD WAR II GOT IN COMMON?

WE REVEAL THE AMAZING HISTORY AND ENGINEERING

BEHIND THESE INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

THROUGHOUT HISTORY, HUMANS HAVE DEVELOPED CLOTHING

FOR PRACTICALITY, WARMTH, AND TO LOOK GOOD.

THOUGH THERE IS ONE REVOLUTIONARY ITEM

THAT STANDS OUT FOR ITS AFFECT ON THE U.S. ECONOMY...

...THE NYLON STOCKING.

Gladkowska: AT THE BEGINNING, STOCKINGS WAS MADE FROM SILK AND FROM COTTON.

UNTIL THE 18th CENTURY, IT WAS WORN ONLY BY MEN.

AND ONLY IN THE 19th CENTURY DID WOMEN STARTED TO WEAR STOCKINGS.

EVERYTHING CHANGED IN THE '20s

BECAUSE OF THE REVOLUTION IN FASHION.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT,

SHOWING LEGS BECAME SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE.

Narrator: HOWEVER, ORIGINALLY, THE FABRIC IS NOT SO APPEALING, UNTIL 1935,

WHEN WALLACE CAROTHERS, A CHEMIST AT DuPont LABS,

INTRODUCES A NEW DURABLE ALTERNATIVE TO SILK --

NYLON.

THIS NEW MATERIAL PROVES TO BE EXTREMELY USEFUL.

IT'S DURABLE, WATERPROOF, MOLD-RESISTANT, FAST-DRYING,

AND CAN BE SPUN INTO FIBERS.

DuPont RECOGNIZES ITS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL

AND DECIDES TO USE IT AS A CLOTHING FABRIC.

BECAUSE OF ITS ALMOST TRANSPARENT APPEARANCE

AND HIGH DURABILITY,

NYLON STOCKINGS BECOME INCREDIBLY POPULAR.

THEY'RE THE FASHION STATEMENT OF THE 1940s,

WITH 4 MILLION PAIRS SOLD ON ONE DAY ALONE.

DuPont HELPS CREATE THE PERFECT PRODUCT

FOR THE NEW NYLON MATERIAL.

THEN, IN THE DARK DAYS OF WORLD WAR II...

NYLON WAS NEEDED DURING THE WAR, PARTICULARLY TO REPLACE SILK,

BECAUSE WHEN THE JAPANESE ENTERED THE WAR,

THEY TOOK OVER THE SUPPLY LANES

AND TOOK OVER A LOT OF SUPPLY OF SILK IN SOUTHEAST ASIA.

Narrator: DuPont SEIZES THE PRODUCTION OF NYLON STOCKINGS

IN ORDER TO MANUFACTURE ROPE, AIRPLANE CORDS, AND PARACHUTES.

THIS LEADS TO RIOTS BREAKING OUT ACROSS THE U.S.

FROM AUGUST 1945 TO MARCH 1946,

ALL FOR THE PRIZED POSSESSION OF A GOOD PAIR OF STOCKINGS.

WHEN DuPont RESUMES PRODUCTION OF THE NYLON GARMENT IN 1946,

30 MILLION PAIRS ARE SHIPPED EVERY MONTH.

A POPULAR ITEM WORTH FIGHTING FOR,

BORN IN A CHEMIST'S LAB

THAT REVOLUTIONIZED FASHION ALL OVER THE WORLD,

THE NYLON STOCKING IS, WITHOUT A DOUBT,

AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

THE ADRIAN TIGHTS FACTORY IN POLAND

HAS BEEN MAKING STOCKINGS AND TIGHTS SINCE 1984.

WE HAVE STOCKINGS, TIGHTS...

KNEE-HIGHS, AND SOCKS.

Narrator: THE FACTORY USES THE LATEST IN MODERN MACHINERY

TO DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE HIGH-FASHION HOSIERY

IN A WIDE RANGE OF PATTERNS AND COLORS

TO THE HIGHEST-QUALITY STANDARD.

IT IS THE SECOND-LARGEST HOSIERY FACTORY IN POLAND,

PRODUCING ALMOST 1 MILLION PAIRS OF TIGHTS AND SOCKS PER MONTH.

WE HAVE PROFESSIONAL COLLECTION, MATERNITY COLLECTION,

PLUS-SIZE COLLECTION,

WEDDING, AND EVEN COLLECTION FOR A MAN.

Narrator: THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING TIGHTS

STARTS BY PLACING YARN ON THE STANDS OF THE MACHINE.

THE THREADS ARE FED TO THE CENTER OF THE MACHINE

FROM FOUR DIFFERENT SITES.

THE LEG SECTION OF THE TIGHT IS MADE INSIDE THE CYLINDER.

UPON A SINGLE ROTATION OF THE CYLINDER,

FOUR ROWS ARE FORMED AT A TIME.

THE PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING KNITTED FABRIC

IS FULLY AUTOMATED.

Gladkowska: USUALLY THE KNITTING MACHINE

CONTAINS FROM 300 TO 420 NEEDLES.

Narrator: AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3 MINUTES,

THE FINISHED LEG SECTION IS TRANSFERRED

FROM PNEUMATIC FEEDER INTO THE BAG.

ONE KNITTING MACHINE CAN PRODUCE APPROXIMATELY

150 TO 400 PAIRS OF TIGHTS A DAY.

TIGHTS ARE CHECKED BY STRETCHING THEM

ON THE CONTROL MOLD.

THE OPERATOR INSPECTS THE ITEM

AND LOOKS FOR POTENTIAL FAULTS IN THE FABRIC.

IN EACH PRODUCTION BATCH, THE PRODUCT PARAMETERS

ARE CONTROLLED BY THE GAUGING DEVICE.

IT CHECKS LONGITUDINAL AND LATERAL STRETCHABILITY

OF THE PRODUCT,

AS WELL AS CHECKING THAT THE SIZE CAN FORM

TO THE COMPANY STANDARDS.

NEXT STEP, THE TOES OF THE TIGHTS

ARE SEWN TOGETHER.

THE OPERATOR PUTS THE PRODUCTS AGAINST A TUBE

AND SUCKS THE STOCKING INSIDE BY USING COMPRESSED AIR.

NEXT, THE MACHINE AUTOMATICALLY TURNS THE TIGHTS INSIDE OUT.

IT THEN SEWS THE TOES OF THE TIGHTS TOGETHER.

THEN, THE PRODUCT IS AUTOMATICALLY TURNED OUTSIDE IN

AND DISCHARGED BY THE AUTOMATIC FEEDER.

DURING AN 8-HOUR SHIFT,

A SINGLE MACHINE SEWS TOGETHER

APPROXIMATELY 4,000 PAIRS OF TIGHTS.

ONCE THE TOES OF THE TIGHTS ARE SEWN,

THE SINGLE LEG IS SLICED APART AT THE TOP...

...AND THEN MADE INTO PAIRS BY SEWING TWO UPPERS TOGETHER

WHILE, AT THE SAME TIME, SEWING AN ADDITIONAL PIECE

OF COTTON-KNITTED FABRIC CALLED A GUSSET,

WHICH IMPROVES THE COMFORT OF THE TIGHTS

ALONG THE MIDSECTION.

HERE, THE ELASTIC CROCHET TAPE IS ALSO SEWN ON.

FINISHED TIGHTS ARE PACKED INTO BAGS

AND PLACED IN THE DYER,

A MACHINE THAT DYES THE TIGHTS THE SELECTED COLOR.

DEPENDING ON THE COLOR INTENSITY,

THE DYING PROCESS TAKES BETWEEN 4 AND 8 HOURS.

SEVERAL RANDOMLY-SELECTED SAMPLES

FROM EACH BATCH ARE TAKEN TO THE LAB,

WHERE THEY ARE TESTED FOR CONFORMITY

TO THE COLOR STANDARD IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIGHTING.

AFTER THE RESIDUAL MOISTURE HAS BEEN REMOVED,

THE PROCESS OF STABILIZATION, OR IRONING, STARTS.

THE OPERATOR PLACES THE TIGHTS ON METAL MOLDS,

WHICH IS THEN TRANSFERRED INTO A HIGH-PRESSURE CHAMBER.

WHEN THE PRODUCT LEAVES THE HIGH-PRESSURE CHAMBER,

IT PASSES TO THE DRYING CHAMBER

WITH A SYSTEM OF INFRARED RADIATORS.

THE DRYING TEMPERATURE

IS APPROXIMATELY 200 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

AFTER THE STABILIZATION PROCESS,

TIGHTS ARE CHECKED AND FINISHED MANUALLY,

FOR EXAMPLE BY THREADING ON ALL THE METAL STRINGS.

NEXT, THE PRODUCT IS FOLDED AND PACKED IN THE FILM POUCH

THAT PROVIDES ADDITIONAL PROTECTION FROM DAMAGE.

THE POUCHES ARE THEN PLACED IN DECORATED CARDBOARD ENVELOPES,

WHICH ARE LABELED WITH BAR CODES

AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE MODEL, COLOR, AND SIZE.

FINISHED AND TESTED TIGHTS ARE PACKED IN BULK CARTONS

AND SHIPPED TO CUSTOMERS.

NYLON STOCKINGS CERTAINLY HAD A GREAT IMPACT ON FASHION

AND WORLD WAR II,

JUST AS L.E.D. LIGHTS PLAY A ROLE IN SPACE EXPLORATION,

BUT EXACTLY HOW MAY SURPRISE YOU.

Narrator: A LIGHT BEHIND THE LATEST FLAT-SCREEN TV

REMINDS YOU THAT YOU'VE LEFT A DEVICE ON.

L.E.D.s, OR LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES,

ARE THE TINY LITTLE LAMPS THAT ARE LIGHTING UP OUR WORLD.

THESE TINY BRIGHT DOTS HAVE BECOME

A FAMILIAR PART OF OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

BUT THEIR CONNECTION TO PIONEERING SPACE TRAVEL

IS NOT WIDELY KNOWN.

L.E.D.s ARE DEVELOPED IN DALLAS, TEXAS,

IN THE EARLY 1960s

AND EMIT LIGHT THROUGH A PHENOMENON

CALLED ELECTROLUMINESCENCE,

WHICH DESCRIBES LIGHT BEING PRODUCED BY A MATERIAL

AS AN ELECTRIC CURRENT OR FIELD PASSES THROUGH IT.

THIS SCIENTIFIC BEHAVIOR IS FIRST DISCOVERED IN ENGLAND

OVER 100 YEARS AGO BY HENRY JOSEPH ROUND.

BUT IT'S NOT UNTIL THE INTRODUCTION OF THE L.E.D.

IN 1962

THAT ELECTROLUMINESCENCE FINDS ITS COMMERCIAL USE.

THE FIRST L.E.D.s ONLY EMIT INFRARED LIGHT

THAT'S NOT VISIBLE TO THE HUMAN EYE.

THINK OF THE LITTLE L.E.D.

ON THE FRONT OF A REMOTE CONTROL.

BUT RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT USING DIFFERENT MATERIALS

AND COMPOUNDS CHANGES THE LIGHT FREQUENCY,

WHICH IN TURN TRANSLATES TO DIFFERENT COLORS

EMITTING FROM THE L.E.D.

SOON, THE RACE IS ON TO DEVELOP SEMICONDUCTORS

MADE FROM A VARIETY OF EXOTIC-SOUNDING COMBINATIONS.

PRETTY COLORS IS WHERE THE CONNECTION WITH SPACE TRAVEL

COMES IN.

SPACE IS VAST AND SPACE TRAVEL LENGTHY.

FOR INSTANCE, IT TOOK NEARLY 3 DAYS FOR THE APOLLO MISSIONS

TO REACH OUR NEAREST COSMIC NEIGHBOR, THE MOON.

MARS, OUR NEXT NEAREST WORLD,

HAS AN ESTIMATED TRAVEL TIME OF NEARLY 2 YEARS.

SO HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR CREW FIT AND HEALTHY

FOR THIS LENGTH OF TIME?

FRESH FOOD

AND A DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE LITTLE L.E.D.s

THAT YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH EVERY DAY

ARE BEING USED BY NASA TO ENABLE FUTURE MARS EXPLORERS

TO GROW FOOD IN THE UNFORGIVING VACUUM OF SPACE.

Gazard: THE BEST POSSIBLE USE FOR L.E.D.s IN SPACE

IS TO ACTUALLY GROW FOOD.

YOU CAN PROVIDE A CONTINUAL SOURCE OF LIGHT.

YOU CAN PROVIDE IT CHEAPLY.

THE COMPONENTS ARE ACTUALLY VERY EFFICIENT

AND VERY RELIABLE.

AND YOU CAN TUNE THEM TO PRODUCE EXACTLY THE COLORS YOU WANT.

Narrator: BUT WHY IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF LIGHT

SO IMPORTANT FOR HEALTHY PLANT GROWTH?

AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, A PLANT GROWS

BY A PROCESS CALLED PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

PLANTS CONTAIN A PIGMENT CALLED CHLOROPHYLL

THAT USUALLY GIVES A PLANT ITS CHARACTERISTIC GREEN COLOR.

CHLOROPHYLL CAPTURES THE SUN'S ENERGY

AND USES IT TO MAKE SUGARS OUT OF CARBON DIOXIDE

FROM THE AIR AND WATER.

THE SUGARS FUEL THE PLANT'S ROOTS, STEMS, AND LEAVES

SO THE PLANT CAN GROW.

AND LIGHT IS A KEY INGREDIENT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

IN 2014, THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

BEGINS EXPERIMENTING WITH GROWING PLANTS

USING NASA'S VEGGIE GROW SYSTEM.

THE VEGGIE GROW IS COMPRISED OF AN ARRAY OF L.E.D. LIGHTS

WITH PILLOWS THAT CONTAIN THE SEEDS, FERTILIZERS,

CLAY, AND WATER THAT LEAD TO HEALTHY LETTUCE

BEING GROWN HIGH ABOVE THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

BUT NASA'S EXPERTISE WITH TUNINGS AND L.E.D. COLOR

DOESN'T STOP AT GROWING PLANTS.

NASA HAS FOUND A USE FOR THAT NASTY RED LIGHT, TOO.

IT'S CALLED RED-LIGHT THERAPY

AND IS BEING USED TO AID THE RECOVERY

OF A WIDE VARIETY OF CONDITIONS

BY AIDING THE BODY'S ABILITY TO REPAIR ITSELF.

RED-LIGHT THERAPY CAN HELP REPAIR TISSUES

IN A MUCH QUICKER LEVEL BY STIMULATING THE CIRCULATION

AND, IN TURN, WILL INCREASE

THE CHEMICAL MESSENGERS CALLED CYTOKINES

TO STIMULATE THE FIBROBLASTS,

WHICH ARE CELLS THAT CAN HELP PRODUCE COLLAGEN

AND HENCE REPAIR TISSUE QUICKER.

Narrator: THE APPLICATION OF THIS RED-LIGHT TECHNOLOGY

IS USED IN AREAS AS DIVERSE AS PAIN RELIEF IN CANCER PATIENTS

TO THE TREATMENT OF SPORTS INJURIES,

ANTI-AGING REGIMES.

SO, THE NEXT TIME YOU USE YOUR REMOTE,

TURN YOUR CAR HEADLIGHTS ON, OR WATCH YOUR FLAT-SCREEN TV,

THE SAME TECHNOLOGY ILLUMINATING YOUR WORLD

MAY ONE DAY BE HEALING A WOUND

OR GROWING FOOD ON A SPACE SHIP AS IT HURDLES TOWARD MARS.

THE L.E.D. -- TRULY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

COMING UP, A SPECIAL EXPERIMENT

THAT PUTS THE L.E.D. LIGHT TO THE TEST.

Narrator: SO, HOW EFFICIENT IS AN L.E.D. LIGHT?

WELL, WE ARE GOING TO PUT IT TO THE TEST.

THE EXPERIMENT -- WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A GLORIOUS, ZESTY LEMON

AND TURN IT INTO A NATURAL BATTERY

WITH ENOUGH ELECTRIC JUICE TO LIGHT UP OUR LOW-VOLTAGE L.E.D.

TO BEGIN, WE WILL NEED A LEMON --

ACTUALLY, MAYBE A FEW --

ELECTRIC WIRES WITH CROCODILE CLIPS,

COPPER PIECES, ZINC-COATED NAILS,

AND FINALLY OUR LITTLE L.E.D.

NEXT, WE GENTLY CRUSH AND ROLL THE LEMONS

TO RELEASE THE JUICE INSIDE.

THEN, A WIRE IS CONNECTED TO A PIECE OF COPPER

AND ANOTHER TO A ZINC-COATED NAIL.

THE COPPER AND NAIL

ARE THEN PUSHED INTO EACH END OF THE LEMON.

THIS PROCESS IS REPEATED

UNTIL WE HAVE THREE FRUITY LEMON BATTERY CELLS.

NOW THE TECHNICAL BIT.

WE CONNECT THE WIRES ATTACHED TO THE COPPER

TO THE WIRES LINKED TO THE ZINC NAILS

TO FORM A CHAIN.

WE THEN CONNECT A CROCODILE-CLIP WIRE

FROM THE LAST REMAINING COPPER HEAD

AND ANOTHER CROCODILE-CLIP WIRE ON THE ZINC-COATED NAIL

AT THE OTHER END OF THE CHAIN.

CONNECT THE ZINC NAIL TO THE NEGATIVE TERMINAL

ON THE L.E.D.

AND THE COPPER NAIL TO THE POSITIVE TERMINAL,

AND LET THERE BE LIGHT.

AND THE SCIENCE?

THE ENERGY TO POWER THE LIGHT DOES NOT COME FROM THE LEMON

BUT RATHER A CHEMICAL CHANGE IN THE ZINC

AS THE SURFACE OF THE GALVANIZED NAIL

STARTS TO DISSOLVE FROM THE JUICE INSIDE THE LEMON.

THIS IS CALLED OXIDATION.

AND THE ENERGY RELEASED PRODUCES ELECTRICITY.

THE METAL PROVIDES THE POWER,

AND THE LEMON MERELY PROVIDES AN ENVIRONMENT

WHERE THIS CAN HAPPEN.

DOES A FRUITY FUTURE AWAIT US?

PROBABLY NOT, AS IT WOULD TAKE OVER 6 MILLION LEMON CELLS

TO CREATE THE SAME POWER AS AN AVERAGE CAR BATTERY,

WHICH DEMONSTRATES HOW ENERGY-EFFICIENT

THIS LITTLE LIGHT IS.

THE ROWLETT RUTLAND TOASTER --

IT'S A HUMBLE KITCHEN APPLIANCE WITH A MILITARY CONNECTION.

BUT BEFORE WE EXPLAIN HOW,

LET'S UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY BEHIND MAKING TOAST.

IT'S THOUGHT THE EGYPTIANS DEVELOPED THE BASIC FORMULA

FOR THE TYPE OF BREAD WE KNOW AND LOVE

ABOUT 3,000 YEARS AGO.

BUT THEY ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROBLEM

THAT WE STILL HAVE --

HOW TO STOP BREAD FROM QUICKLY GOING STALE.

Hurd: HISTORICALLY, WHEN PEOPLE MADE BREAD AT HOME,

WHEN YOU MAKE BREAD AT HOME TODAY,

YOU'LL NOTICE YOUR BREAD WILL GO STALER A LOT QUICKER

THAN THE STUFF YOU'LL BUY IN A SUPERMARKET

PURELY BECAUSE THE STUFF IN THE SUPERMARKET

IS PUMPED FULL OF SUGARS BUT ALSO PRESERVATIVES.

THE ONLY WAY THAT BREAD TASTES GOOD

WHEN IT'S STALE IS IF YOU WHACK IT IN THE TOASTER.

AND, REALLY, THERE IS NOTHING BETTER

THAN STALE BREAD FOR THE TOASTER

BECAUSE IT'S LOST ALL THAT MOISTURE ANYWAY.

IT BECOMES EVEN CRISPIER

AND EVEN TOASTIER AND EVEN TASTIER.

Narrator: BEFORE TOASTERS, TOASTING ISN'T AN EXACT SCIENCE.

BUT NOW, THERE IS REAL SCIENC

BEHIND WHAT MAKES A PERFECT PLATFORM

FOR YOUR HOT, BUTTERY TREAT.

Hurd: SCIENTIFICALLY, WHEN WE TOAST BREAD,

WE HAVE WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE MAILLARD REACTION.

THAT'S WHEN AMINO ACIDS INTERACT WITH REDUCING SUGARS,

AND THEY KIND OF HAVE A BIT OF A PARTY.

AND YOU GET ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL, LIKE,

TASTES AND FLAVORS COMING OUT.

YOU'RE GETTING THE SWEETNESS FROM THAT CHEMICAL REACTION.

Narrator: IT'S AN ITEM FOUND IN KITCHENS ALL ACROSS THE U.S.

BUT HOW IS IT MADE?

FIND OUT WHEN WE RETURN.

Narrator: SO, WHAT IS THE MILITARY LINK WITH THE TOASTER?

ROWLETT RUTLAND'S FOUNDER, TED RUTLAND,

STARTED MAKING TOASTERS USING THE SAME TOOLS

THAT HAD BEEN MAKING COMPONENTS FOR TANKS DURING WORLD WAR II.

AS AN ADDED BONUS, THERE WAS A SURPLUS

OF A PARTICULAR MATERIAL AFTER THE WAR.

Bob: THE FIRST TOASTERS HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT

OF ALUMINIUM IN THEM BECAUSE, AFTER THE WAR,

THERE WAS A SURPLUS OF HIGH-QUALITY ALUMINIUM,

WHICH WAS TO MAKE AIRPLANES.

AND SO, EVERYTHING THAT WAS MADE OF ALUMINIUM BECAME QUITE CHEAP.

Narrator: RUTLAND TOASTERS HAVE BEEN THE POWER BEHIND THE PERFECT TOAST

SINCE 1947.

AND THEY ARE STILL GOING STRONG TODAY.

THEY ARE ALSO THE PROUD MAKERS OF THE KING OF ALL TOASTERS,

A 6-FOOT LONG, 34-SLOT MONSTER

WHICH HOLDS THE CURRENT RECORD

FOR THE LONGEST TOASTER IN THE WORLD.

SO, HOW ARE THESE SHINY MARVELS MADE?

THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TOASTER'S CASE

IS THE FIRST STAGE IN THE PROCESS.

A SHEET OF STAINLESS STEAL IS PLACED IN THE CNC MACHINE.

THE TOASTER'S SIDES AND AIR VENTS ARE PUNCHED OUT

TO LEAVE ALL FOUR SIDES AS ONE CONTINUOUS STEEL STRIP.

NEXT, THE TOASTER

HAS ITS CORNERS FORMED BY THE STEEL STRIP

IN A MACHINE CALLED A PRESS BREAK.

IN PRESS BREAK FORMING,

THE SHEET IS POSITIONED OVER THE DYE BLOCK.

AND THE DYE BLOCK PRESSES THE SHEET

TO FORM THE CORNER SHAPE.

THE STEEL SHEET IS NOW STARTING TO RESEMBLE THE ACTUAL TOASTER.

BUT THE SIDES STILL NEED TO BE CONNECTED.

AND THIS WORKER USES AN AIR GUN

TO RIVET THE SIDES TOGETHER.

THE TOASTER CASE IS NOW POWDER COATED

TO GIVE IT A TOUGH AND SMOOTH FINISH.

WHILE THE TOASTER CASE IS BEING FINISHED,

THE ASSEMBLY OF THE INTERNAL WORKINGS,

CALLED THE INNER SCREEN, BEGINS.

TO START, A METAL SCREEN WITH A HEAT SHIELD

AND BOTH END PANELS ARE RIVETED TOGETHER.

THE TOASTER'S GUARD WIRES

ARE THEN SLID INTO POSITION

AND THE REMAINING SCREEN LINED UP OVER THE WIRES

WITH ANOTHER HEAT SHIELD RIVETED TOGETHER

TO FORM A METAL BOX.

THE FINGER BAR, WHICH THE TOAST RESTS ON,

AND A RETAINING STRIP ARE THEN FIXED ON

TO THE BOTTOM OF THE INNER ASSEMBLY.

THEN, THE HEATING ELEMENTS ARE INSERTED INTO THE TOASTER.

THE ELEMENT IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE TOASTER.

THE TOASTER MUST PROVIDE HEAT BUT NOT MELT WHILE IN USE.

SO MICRO-WIRES WRAPPED AROUND MICA SHEETS

ARE THE FOUNDATION OF THE HEAT SOURCE.

MICA IS A NATURAL SILICON MINERAL

AND HAS FANTASTIC HEAT-RESISTANT PROPERTIES.

THE ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS

USED IN THE TOASTER DEPEND ON WHERE THEY ARE POSITIONED.

400-WATT ELEMENTS AT THE END OF THE TOASTER.

THAT'S ONLY GOING TO TOAST ONE SIDE OF THE BREAD.

SO IT'S SLIGHTLY LOWER IN VALUE

THAN THE MIDDLE ELEMENTS, WHICH ARE 500-WATT.

FINISHING WITH A 400 AT THIS END, AS WELL.

THEY'RE ALL IN.

THEN WE'RE GOING TO LINK THEM TOGETHER

WITH THESE COPPER LINKS.

Narrator: THE INNER SCREEN IS NOW FINISHED

AND CAN BE FIXED INTO THE TOASTER CASE,

WHICH HAS NOW HAD A TIMER AND ELECTRIC WIRES FITTED.

A POLISHED METAL COVER IS CAREFULLY PLACED

ON TOP OF THE TOASTER

AND THEN SCREWED INTO PLACE.

THE TOASTER IS THEN FLIPPED OVER

AND A HANDLE CONNECTED TO THE FINGER BAR

TO ALLOW THE USER TO MANUALLY POP THE TOAST UP.

THE TOASTER WIRES ARE THEN CONNECTED

TO THE HEATING ELEMENTS.

THE NEXT STAGE IS FOR THE TOASTER TO BE INSPECTED.

TO BEGIN, IT IS CAREFULLY CHECKED FOR SCRATCHES,

DENTS, AND TO MAKE SURE ALL NOBS AND RIVETS ARE IN PLACE

AND THE TIMER AND FINGER BAR OPERATE SUCCESSFULLY.

THE TOASTER IS THEN GIVEN AN ELECTRICAL CHECK

TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE WIRES AND ELEMENTS

ARE FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY.

THE TOASTER IS NEARLY READY.

IN THE PACKAGING AREA,

A BOTTOM PLATE CRUMB DRAWER AND FEET

ARE SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TOASTER.

THE TOASTER IS THEN WRAPPED AND BOXED,

READY TO BE SENT OUT TO TOAST LOVERS

ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IT'S JUST A DESIGN WHICH YOU CAN'T REALLY IMPROVE ON.

YOU KNOW, IT WORKS, IT MAKES PERFECT TOAST.

YOU CAN'T MAKE IT ANY DIFFERENTLY.

IT'S JUST, IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT, YOU KNOW.

Narrator: SO THERE YOU HAVE IT,

A GLANCE THROUGH THE HIDDEN HISTORY

AND SUPER SCIENCE

OF SOME AMAZING PRODUCTS WE USE EVERY DAY...

...THE NYLON STOCKING, THE L.E.D.,

AND THE ROWLETT RUTLAND TOASTER.

THEY MAY SEEM COMMON AND ORDINARY,

HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCTS HELPED CHANGE THE WORLD

ONE INCREDIBLE INVENTION AT A TIME.