Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-14
Patents Granted the Fair Sex in the
Past Century.
FROM CURLING Iron fOCOOKNG STOVE
Ideas Just as Practicable as Those
Evolved by Men.
D E LVING IN nee


to women inventors Of the United States
compiled from 1870 to January 1, IS.l5. Up
to that period there had been issued 53l ,6lS
patents to all persons, the number of wo-
men included being surprisingly large
The articles on which the patents have
been granted comprise everything I'm the
patentable line, from a curling iron to a
cooking stove and from a war vessel TO a
handsaw. While many of the patents are
on objects of peculiar interest to women,
many OF them are on scientific machines.
objects of warfare, miners utensils and
things which would be only useful to the
male portion of humanity. OF course, the
baby has not been forgotten. and the ar
ticles patented to make the mothers joy
more comfortable and contented form
department all to themselves. Collar but
tons have been invented by wives mothers
and swcethearts. Evidently this was done
to ease the masculine mind or prevent the
accustomed, or, at least, accredited, pro-
family which is supposed to flow when one
OF the buttons becomes detached from
garment and rolls somewhere out of reach
or cannot possibly be found"
Complimentary Comment.
I'VE have found" said Mr.. Scott to The
Star reporter, that the objects patented
by women are of just as practicable a ma
ture as those gotten out by the men. Very
often it happens that men invent an OBJ
iect which is of interest exclusively to wo-
mankind, as a new style of hair fiXer, but
the reverse is often the case 1t frequently
happens that woman will suggest some
thing to her husband or some male men,
Der of the family, who acts upon it. taking
cut the patent and getting credit for it, of
course. fully with the consent of the one
suggesting the idea. Any one who thinks
that woman is incapable of inventing
anything really useful is making a great
mistake as a look over the list of the
thousands of objects will testify. Some of
the most important things in use nowadays
have been invented by women and brought
into general Use by them
The first patent issued to a woman. ac-
cording to the list, was given to Mary
kies, whose address has been lost, owing
to the fire which occurred in the patent
office in 1886. 1t was granted May 5. 1902
and was for straw weaving with silk or
thread. The next was to Mary Brush and
was granted July p, 1915. This vas es-
Sentially for woman's article-a cors It.
of which there are more patents issued
to women inventors than for any other
article. The next was to Sophia Usher,
September II. 1919. and was for cream of
tartar, carbonated liquid, so it can be seen
that baking powders were discovered at
an early date comparatively in the ma
tion's history.
Scientific Invention.
July 10. 1910. Marie F. c. d. Corbaux.
Francis G. Salisbury and A. S. Byrne took
out the patent for Improvement in the
mode of applying distemper colors, having
albumen or geiatine for their vehicle so as
to render the same more durable and pre-
serving the same when not wanted for i'm
mediate use" As can be seen, this inyen-
ton was OF purely scientific nature
The corset invented by Mary Brush in
1915 must have pretty well filled the bill,
for a number of years at least. as there is
no other invented. at any rate by a woman,
until January u. 1871. when a patent was
taken out by Elizabeth Adams
Nancy NJ. johnson in 1913 invented an
ice cream freezer, and Sarah p. Mather
in April. 1S45, submarine telescope and
lamp. Madeline Tassie took out a patent
on a shirt in 1877. Mary Ann woodward
had a notion OF combining ease with dig
nifty. for April "a. 1910. she took out a pat
ent for rocking chair with fan attach
ment. Susan Z. Taylor, East Cambridge
Mass, June 20. 1858, received a patent for
a fountain pen. 1t is not only the people
of the present day, it may be well to OBJ
serve at this point, who have their trou-
bles.
Practical Turn of Mind.
Elizabeth NJ. Smith Of Burlington, N. J.,
was evidently of a practical turn Of mind,
for August Z, 1860 she took out a patent
for improvement in reaping and moving
machines. Sarah Jane Wheeler. New
Britain. Conn.,, January %. 1861, received
patent for a currycomb. The spirit of APP
preaching war time is shown in only two
cases. These are those of a patent for a
bandage, taken out by Martha Willis.
Rochester, N. Y, March %, 1861, and May
23. 1865. Sarah ]. A Hussey. Corn wall.
N. Y, received a patent for a hospital
table. During the war a number of patents
were granted women for corsets and do
nestle articles.
Mary Jane Montgomery. New York city,
was granted a patent May 81. 1864. for i'm
provement in locomotive wheels. Elizabeth
A. Burns. Meadow Lake, Cal, March =,
1870. took out patent for an improve
ment in desulphurizing ores. Carrie K.
Lamar. Painted Post, N. Y, April -, 1871,
received a patent for improvement in lubri-
eating railway journals. and Augusta NJ.
Rodgers, Brooklyn. N. Y, Nav 8. 1871, one
for improvement in conyeyers of smoke and
cinders for locomotives. Martha J. Coston
of Washington, June Ii, 1871, received
patent for an improvement in pyrotechnic
night signals.
Harriet T. Gill and A. v. Coale of Pitts
burg. February q. 1917, were granted
patent for improvement in cosmetic COM
pounds. and Sally NJ. McNett. Topeka,
Kan, March g. 1872, made an improve
ment in hair restoratives. for which she
Council Bluffs. Iowa. June IL. 1872. was
granted an improvement for cigars, and
Harriet H. May. Birmingham Conn.,. June
p. 1872, was granted a patent on an i'm
New York city, February s. 1881, was
granted q patent for an elevated railway
Harriet w. Strong. Los Angeles. Cal. De-
cember 6. 1887, was granted a patent for
dam and reservoir construction.
Confined to Culinary Department.
The majority Of the patents issued to wo-
men OF late years has been for articles in
the culinary utensil line or that OF furni-
ture and furnishings. while in regard to
wearing apparel there have been many
patents. 1t rested with Henrietta J. Lyon,
Newark, N. J., to invent a waistband for
trousers, for which q patent was issued
January 2, 1884. and for Leah ID. JONES'
Newburn. N. c., to take oLt patent for
pantaloons protector, May 6. 1894.
There have been a number Of typewriter
patents issued tc women inventors, sewing
and spinning machines, stationery articles,
toys and games, toilet articles, musical ap-
paratus. theatrical appliances medical APP
planes and agricultural Implements.
Probably one Of the most amusing paten-s
for an invention Is that Of an improvement
on a hammock for two.
II the new woman wishes some object
lesson to prove that the mind feminine is
not a whit behind that OF the male, she
can point proudly to the list OF women in
ventors In the patent Office. But II the
argument needs to be refuted I. can be
done SO SucceSSfully IL Ia claimed nv MINT