Abstract: As a famous economic historian and the first American historian of technology， Abbott P. Usher raised some unique and profound thoughts about the problems of technological invention in the first half of the 20th century， which include criticisms on the invention transcendentalism and the mechanistic process theory. It is Usher who introduces the theory of Gestalt psychology to explain insight learning in the process of invention and argues that invention is a process of cumulative synthesis. Unfortunately， his thoughts have not been echoed and supported. It is of both theoretical and practical significance to reevaluate his thoughts of technological invention under the current situation.

Key words: Abbott P. Usher, technological invention, Gestalt theory, cumulative synthesis