Joshua C. Stoddard

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Joshua C Stoddard (August 26, 1814 in Pawlet, Vermont – April 4, 1902) was an American inventor. He was educated at the public schools, and became noted as an apiarist. He also turned his attention to inventing, and on October 9, 1855 patented (#13668) the steam-calliope", which is used on Mississippi steamers. It was originally known as a "steam piano", but Stoddard, finding this too leaden a title for his entirely new musical instrument, christened it after the chief of the nine muses, Calliope, "the beautiful voiced". His first instrument, consisting of a steam boiler, a set of valves, and fifteen graded steam whistles played from a pinned cylinder, reportedly could be heard for a range of five miles. The Worcester City Council banned him from playing it within the city limits because it was so loud.

He also invented the Stoddard horse-rake, patented in 1879. More than 100,000 of his rakes were produced. Other inventions included a fruit-paring machine and a fire escape system, patented 1884.