Salute to Women Inventors

Historically, women inventors encountered numerous obstacles when it came to obtaining patents and recognition for their work due to both systemic legal limitations and social barriers.

Women historically faced significant barriers to obtaining patents and recognition for their inventions

Women were often marginalized and discouraged from pursuing innovative endeavors and securing patents for their inventions, which had a chilling effect on their creativity and participation in these fields.

Women were often required to file patents under their husband's or male family's name due to lack of property rights

Coverture, a legal doctrine in which a woman's legal rights were subsumed by her husband upon marriage, meant women were essentially viewed as an extension of their father or husband. This policy excluded women from holding patents in their own names. Consequently, many inventive women filed patents under the names of male relatives such as husbands, brothers, or fathers—any man willing to claim the idea.

For instance, Margaret Wilcox, who patented several ideas, was required to file these patents not under her own name but likely through male relatives, illustrating the systemic challenges women faced. This lack of recognition not only affected their motivation due to the loss of potential financial gain but also resulted in the absence of public acknowledgement for their contributions.

Lack of access to technical education and training hindered women's ability to develop and patent inventions

The general treatment of women extended to a poor access to education, particularly in technical fields that would have supported naturally inventive women to further develop their ideas and innovations. Without the educational tools and training, women's potential to contribute to the fields of invention was significantly hampered.

The women's rights movement and economic feminists pushed for increased emphasis on women's intellectual property rights

Within the broader movement for women’s rights, there was a push for a more robust emphasis on the intellectual property rights of women, with some activists specifically advocating for the recognition of women's contributions to the world of inventions.

Activists like Charlotte Smith worked to highlight women inventors and to get the patent office to recognize their contributions

Economic feminists, who viewed economic independence as critical to women's rights, sought to enhance women's goods and intellectual property rights. Pioneers like Charlotte Smith played an instrumental role in this cause. After moving to Washington D.C. in 1879, Smith relentlessly pressured the patent office to release a list of women inventors. After nine years, ...

In this look at trailblazing women inventors, we explore the lives and inventions of Marie Van Britton Brown, Josephine Cochrane, and Marian Donovan, who made significant contributions to home security, kitchen appliances, and household products.

Marie Van Britton Brown's invention of the first home security system with closed-circuit television

Born in 1922 in Jamaica, Queens, New York City, Marie Van Britton Brown was an African-American nurse who co-invented with her husband Albert Brown, the first closed-circuit television and home security system in response to her concern for safety due to her irregular work hours and rough neighborhood.

Her system included four peepholes at varying heights, a camera that could view through these peepholes, a television monitor for showing the camera's view, a two-way microphone for communication, a remote control to unlock the door, and an alert button to contact the authorities. Notably, Marie Van Britton Brown’s invention has inspired over 30 subsequent patents, cementing her impact on the innovation in home security.

Josephine Cochrane's creation of the first practical, motorized dishwasher

Josephine Cochrane, innovator of the first practical dishwasher, designed the device to protect her family's fine china from being chipped by her servants. Cochrane's invention won a prize at the 1893 World's Fair for its design, durability, and adaptability to its task. Initially utilized in hotels and restaurants due to the hot water requirements, her creation became household-friendly by the 1950s with the advent of improved hot water heaters.

Compelled by her entrepreneurial spirit, Cochrane established a company that evolved into the now well-known appliance brand, KitchenAid.

Marian Donovan's inventions in the field of disposable diapers and other household products

Marian Donovan, a homemaker with a previous stint at Vogue magazine—and an inventor since her childhood, having created a tooth powder—focused her innovative talents on im ...

Women inventors have significantly shaped the landscape of everyday technology, creating innovations that became staples in households and industries. Three critical inventions by women—Margaret Knight's square-bottom paper bag and manufacturing machine, Mary Anderson's windshield wiper system, and Margaret Wilcox's car heating systems—have left indelible marks on modern society.

Margaret Knight's invention of the square-bottom paper bag and manufacturing machine

During her time at the Columbia Paper Bag Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, Margaret Knight developed the square-bottom paper bag, revolutionizing the concept of grocery sacks which, until then, were impractical envelope-like designs. Knight recognized that a square-bottom sack could stand on its own and better distribute the weight of items like canned goods.

In 1870, she built a wooden prototype of a machine that could cut, fold, and glue paper to create these innovative bags. While constructing an iron prototype, Charles Annan stole her idea and filed a patent. Knight contested his claim with detailed blueprints and her invention process explanations. The court acknowledged her as the true inventor, leading to the widespread adoption of her efficient design in the industry.

Mary Anderson's creation of the first functional windshield wiper system

Mary Anderson developed the first functioning windshield wiper system, which was especially useful as automobiles became increasingly popular. It enabled drivers to clear their windshields from the inside using a handle-operated mechanism that was connected to a spindle, arm, and cord. While she didn’t immediately profit from her invention since automobiles were not yet common household items, her system was eventually adopted by automobile manufacturers and became an industry standard.

Margaret Wilcox's pioneering work on car heating ...