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The Economic Times
The Economic Times
National
Piyush Shukla

In 1889, one invention solved the biggest problem every snow sled had; a flexible piece of steel

In Philadelphia, Quaker inventor Samuel Leeds Allen patented the Flexible Flyer in 1889, using hinged steel runners to solve a zero-steering sledding crisis. The breakthrough stabilized year-round factory labor, spawned millions in sales, and remains active today under Maine-based Paricon LLC.

In 1880s New Jersey, Seasonal Factory Shutdowns Forced a Quaker Toolmaker to Confront a Zero-Steering Downhill Hazard

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