MARY ANDERSON
WINDSCREEN WIPERS
Until 1903, driving in inclement weather involved an element of guesswork.
Mary would never be rich, but she could see out her days knowing she created one of the car industry's greatest safety inventions.
One snowy day in New York
On a winter visit to New York City, Mary Anderson noticed a trolley car driving with the front windows open, as the freezing driver was struggling to keep the windscreen clear of falling snow. There had to be a better way to see? She began sketching there and then.
The final piece of the puzzle
When she returned home to Alabama, she finessed her idea for a hand-operated lever that would keep the windscreen clear. The resulting design was produced by a local company, and consisted a swinging arm device with rubber blades that the driver could operate with a lever. Others had created similar solutions previously, but Mary's had one key innovation: counterweights on the arm, which ensured the blade stayed in contact with the glass.
Ahead of its time
Awarded a patent in 1903, Mary wrote to a large Canadian company, offering to sell her rights. But they weren't interested, saying it had little commercial value. The market for cars boomed, and Mary's patent expired in 1920 – when someone else revived her idea, patented it, and sold it for a significant sum.