The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-07-24
Women Inventors.

woman is rapidly coming to the front us
an inventor. Women arc not only filling
thousands of applications for patents on
improvements in articles especially adapted
and INTENDED for their sex, but they arc ex-
ercising their ingenuity in the direction OF
improving many of the implements with
which men only as a rule are supposed to
deal.
The model room of the patent office in
Washington bears witness to the fact that
the inventive genius of the fair SEX while
perhaps not so prolific Us mans, has Ger
tainly accomplis shed remarkable results,
The first invention in this country by
woman was in 1909 and perfected on May
5 of that year. 1t was Il device for straw
weaving with silk or thread. The name of
the inventor was Mary Kics. The next in
vention by Il woman vas in July, 1915.
This was n corset perfected by Mary Brush.
Then came n number of years with only an
occasional invention.
Lavinia H. Foy of Worcester, Mass, was
one of the early woman ratcntecs, and she
has applied for patents on a great many
improvements Her first patent was issued
on July %, 1852, for an improvement in
corset skirt supporters, and nearly all the
patents granted her have been for articles
connected with the wearing apparel of
women. In fact, nearly all of the early
patents by woman were for improvements
on articles connected with her surround
ings or apparel, such as cooking utensils
picture frames articles of dress and things
useful and ornamental about the house.
A Philadelphia woman, however, started
the ball rolling in the other direction by
patenting an improvement in bcehives
and about the same time another woman
from the Same city invented mode of pre-
venting the heating of journals or axles on
cars Still another from the Quaker City
patented a railroad car heater
A woman in England made application
for patent in this country for an inn
proved method of constructing screw pro
pellers. A Chicago woman patented proc
ess of concentrating ores, and another from
the same city invented a tug for harness.
while a damsel of Buffalo patented an
ozone machine A New York woman in
vented a diccbox and a Washington WON
an a pyrotechnic night signal.
Some years ago the wife of western
man who was general in the Union army
during the civil war dreamed of a lock
somewhat different from any in use at that
time. She awokc in the night, got up, and
taking a cake of toilet soap and paper
cutter fashioned the lock as she had dream
ed it was constructed. The next day she
took it to machnist who formed model
from the one she had made of the cake of
soap, and it was such an improvement on
the locks of that time that large firm of
fcred good royalty, from which she de
rivcs n fair income to this day.
An application was once made by wo
man for patent on "artiflcial dimples
1t was rejected however, by the commits
sioncr of the patent Office so that any Of
the fair sex who now desire to experiment
can do so without fear of infringement
Her claims We're as follows
"Smcar a small spot on the cheek Oh
chin with colorlcss shcllac varnish mixed
with glue. With a pencil or penholdci
press the flesh with the point, holding il
there until the substance on the face be-
comes dry and had. Tho stiffcncd linden
tation thus retains the exact shape of q
dimplc, and little face powder carefully
busted over the artificial dimple' will
completely conceal the varnish and glue
compound
"Somc care must be observed in smiling
too suddenly, or the dimple may be bro
ken. But with ordinary, gentle usage it
will retain its pretty shape whole even
ing, if not longer While the dimplc proc
ess is applicable to those whose faces com
prise a soft, velvety or pulp surface, as
| then d very deceptive dimple can be pro
| 1uccd, it is not so available for thin or
bony faces nor where the skin is very
thick and UNFOLDING"
Another interesting and amusing inven
| ton by a woman was Il crimping pin
! which could be used as paper cutter, skirt
supporter paper file, child's pin, bouquet
holder, shawl fastener and book mark.
In 1881 patent was issued to a Boston
woman on two somewhat novel devices
| One Of them was for restoring facial sym
metry and consisted of a spring plato with
a head and two prongs or forks. The head
was to be attached to the teeth, and
placing the prongs inside of the mouth SO
that they would press outward against
each check caused the checks in time to
look plump and full The other was n fin
ger compressor made ON two longitudinal
concavc plates hinged together at one end
by spring hinges, and thus adapted to fit
the tips of the fingers, while the constant
pressure reduced the size
One of the inventions by the fair sex
that is supposed to be conducive of beauty
Is nose improvcr 1t consists of a metal
shell of the exact size of the nose desired
The nose is well bathcd and then CREASED
with olive oil or glyccrin until perfectly
soft. The im:provcr is then II, lched and
well fastened The wcarcr then goes to
bed In the morning the improyer is to be
taken off and the nose bathed in warm
water. 1t will probably cause some sore
ness but few applications are said to re-
lievo the pain In this way, it is claimed
by the inventor, any nose may be changed
to suit the theory bpinp that the nose is