High-quality black-and-white photographs of large old machines and tools

[Toolmaker51]

They had those operating in 1910 and it never occurred to them that, if the cargo was in similar sized boxes they could unload them to trucks/trains much more quickly. It took 46 years and a world war before that simplicity was "discovered".

Edit...

Not to mention the fact that the Greeks and Romans were doing containerized (amphora-ized) shipping two millenia before that.

Amphora; Extended height 'vases' with truncate tapered bases. WTH? They'd fall over!
Nope, their ships cargo hols had a bed of sand, the pointed ends penetrated into it, for near perfect load stability.

Another immensely used product emanating from WWII, you can't swing a dead cat without being near some. As the Navy established beachheads in the Pacific, an efficient method was needed getting various liquids, especially fuel & oil, ashore, and continuous resupply. Army mess had liked white gravy for SOS in that volume, no comment
Instead of welding pipelines, the piping clamp, rolled groove and seal were developed; it lives on today virtually unchanged as the Victaulic product line.
Works in carbon, stainless or copper pipe. I'm sure the heavy underground plastic also, but those grooved might have to be machined, metallic pipe is done with a 'groover', essentially opposite of knurling. Clearly visible to left in this terrific (sprained my arm patting myself on the back) photo, also visible are lips of the rubber seal. The 'carriage bolts' aren't square lugged, they are obround; more contact, less chance stripping the recess.

Seal? Sure does, main method of assembling fire sprinkler systems, high pressure, resistant to vibration, to stringent codes of life and safety.
Here's one performing as a union; a close copper NPT nipple cut in half, grooved and joined by a Victaulic.

Both these are headers for transfer pump skids, built where I'm visiting in Los Angeles. Proud having mentored this young man, figuratively before his Dad even graduated High School. No wisecracks, he was born 8 years later.