In 1763, working as an instrument maker at the University of Glasgow, James Watt was assigned to repair an early steam engine. Watt was intrigued by the idea but noted the machine's inefficiency.

In 1764 Watt, an instrument maker at Glasgow University, was asked to repair a working model of Newcomen’s engine. As he did so he saw it wasted steam because its cylinder had to be alternately ...

What seemed to finalize the impact of the Watt engine on the Industrial Revolution was his creation of the double-acting engine. Doubling the efficiency, it condensed steam both above and below ...