Science In Addition To Technology: African Inventors Inward The Americas

We acquire rattling piddling well-nigh inventors of African descent. The inventors highlighted here do non stand upward for an exhaustive list. It includes roughly of the early on inventors inwards the Americas, whether  independent, corporate or authorities inventors. Notably, the displace to brand the nutrient production procedure  more efficient after the abolition of slavery inwards the Americas was non lost on many of these innovators.  




Photo: Thomas L. Jennings
(1791–1856)

Thomas L. Jennings was the showtime African to have a patent inwards the United States of America of America of America. On March 3, 1821 he secured US Patent 3306x for discovering a procedure called dry-scouring. Jennings lived inwards New York equally a costless man. He owned as well as operated tailoring as well as wearable cleaners business. Dry-scouring is a procedure he developed for cleaning wearable through a dry out procedure instead of a moisture process. Yes,  the successful dry-cleaners tin give notice give cheers Mr. Jennings for his early on innovation published to the the world inwards 1821. Jennings used the profits secured from his patent to costless members of his theatre unit of measurement who were all the same nether slavery systems in roughly of the U.S. Jennings also used his wealth equally a line of piece of job concern human and inventor to financially back upward the abolition displace that was growing inwards many areas throughout the U.S. during his time. 




Photo of inventor January Ernst Matzeliger
(b. 9/15/1852 – d. 8/24/1889)

Jan Ernst Matzeliger was born inwards Paramaribo, Suriname (then Dutch Guyana). Matzeliger's woman nurture was an Afrian born woman  into the Dutch slave society of Dutch Guyana. His manly somebody nurture was a wealthy Dutch engineer.  Matzeliger came to the United States of America of America as well as settled into the New England part where he developed the shoe-lasting machine innovation that assembled the upper shoe to the sole, receiving U.S. Patent No. 459,899 on September 22, 1891 -- an innovation that greatly increased efficiency inwards the shoe production process. Additional U.S. patents received past times Matzeliger include the following: 274,207, 3/20/1883, Automatic method for lasting shoe; 421,954, 2/25/1890, Nailing machine; 423,937, 3/25/1890, Tack separating as well as distributing mechanism; 415,726, 11/26/1899, Mechanism for distributing tacks, nails, etc.




Photo: Norbert Rillieux
(b. 3/17/1806 - d. 10/8/1894)

Norbert Rillieux was born into privilege inwards New Orleans, Louisiana, the boy of a wealthy Creole woman nurture as well as a white manly somebody nurture who was an engineer. Rillieux as well as his blood brother were educated inwards France. By 1830, Rillieux was instruction applied mechanics at the École Centrale inwards Paris. When Rillieux returned to Louisiana, in that location was a growing demand to supersede the unsafe "Jamaica Train" saccharide manufacturing process. Rillieux developed a steam-driven procedure for making the sugariness grainy substance. His U.S. patents include the following:

* 3,237, 8/26/1843, Improvement inwards saccharide works

* 4,879, 12/10/1846, Sugar processing evaporator



Shelby J. Davidson was born inwards Lexington, Kentucky inwards 1868 as well as graduated from Howard University as well as would read constabulary as well as croak admitted into the DC bar as well as Kentucky bar. Davidson became a authorities inventor as well as worked amongst the United States of America of America Treasury Department where he invented adding machine automations that increased the postal division's efficiency. Davidson received U.S. Patent No. 884,721 on Apr 14, 1908 for what is described equally a paper-rewind machinery for adding machines. In 1912, Davidson resigned amongst the authorities amidst disputes arising from Davidson's rights to the adding machine. He adept constabulary as well as entered into the existent estate market.

Alexander P. Ashbourne received patent no. 170,460 for designing a unique biscuit cutter on Nov 30, 1875. Ashbourne's cookie cutter innovated on the diversity of shapes available for biscuits, cakes or cookies. The innovation involved a plate, roller as well as springs organisation whereby the cutters presses downwards on the dough or batter into optional shapes. Ashbourne also obtained U.S. patents for diverse agricultural related patents described below:

* 163,962 (1875), Process for preparing kokosnoot for domestic use; 194,287 (1877), Process of treating coconut; 230,518 (1880), Refining kokosnoot oil

Drawing of Inventor Granville T. Woods
(b. 4/23/1856 - d. 1/30/1910)

Granville T. Woods focused his innovation inwards the surface area of railway electronic communication systems. On June 3, 1884, Woods received his showtime patent. This was for an improved steam-boiler furnace, U.S. Patent No. 299,894. Subsequently, Alexander Graham Bell's companionship would buy the rights to his telegraphony patent, a device that allowed a telegraph station to shipping vox as well as telegraph messages over a unmarried wire. The human relationship amongst the Bell companionship enabled Woods to croak a full-time inventor. Woods would croak along to have a patent for an automatic air brake, which is used to irksome as well as halt trains. 

John Standard obtained U.S. Patent No. 455,891. Born July 1891, John Standard was born inwards New Jersey. He improved on the master icebox past times putting mutual depression temperature air-ducts or holds inwards special areas to assist the air circulate within the icebox inwards monastic tell to maintain foods fresher. His innovation also provided a special house to maintain the drinking H2O as well as other drinks split from the food. This avoided liquids picking upward the flavors as well as smells of other foods. 



Photo of inventor Lewis H. Latimer
(b. 9/4/1848 - d. 12/11/1928)

As a teenager, Lewis H. Latimer received an chance to operate for the Boston patent line of piece of job solid Crosby, Halstead & Gould. He worked his agency upward to principal patent drawing draftsman where he began drafting for Alexander Graham Bell's patent application for the telephone. In 1874, Latimer secured his showtime patent for an "improvement inwards water-closet for railroad-cars". He moved from Boston surface area to Connecticut where he joined the United States of America of America Electric Lighting Company, working on electrical lighting innovations spell he worked on his owned light designs. He would afterward bring together Thomas Edison's company, which would croak General Electric, as well as croak a fellow member of the legal department.

On Feb 17, 1891, Albert C. Richardson received Patent 446,470 for his  innovations inwards the nutrient production, peculiarly improved churning processes. The American churn was traditionally a wooden appliance for making butter from cream skimmed from constabulary milk. It was shaped similar a barrel amongst a long wooden stick coming through a hole inwards the oculus top. Richardson's improvements included installing drinking glass panels on both sides of the churn to come across the butter. This helped preps hit upward one's hear whether it was ready. He also included a plate within the churn for the butter to live placed for easier removal. Richardson's U.S. patents include the following:

• 255,022, 3/14/1882, Hame fastener
• 446,470, 2/17/1891, Churn
• 529,311, 11/13/1894, Casket-lowering device
• 620,362, 2/28/1899, Insect destroyer
• 638,811, 12/12/1899, Bottle

Judy W. Reed 1884 patent for dough kneading 

Judy W. Reed received U.S. Patent No. 305,474, received September 23, 1884, for a hand-operated dough kneader as well as roller that allowed for improved mixing that was to a greater extent than evenly distributed when processed through the rollers amongst corrugated slates. Little is written well-nigh Reed's life, but she has garnered the championship of existence the showtime African-American adult woman to have a U.S. patent.

Joseph Lee received U.S. Patent No. 524,042 for a kneading machine innovation on August 7, 1894. Lee's fourth dimension saving innovation mixed as well as kneaded the dough as well as also replaced the demand to manus curlicue dough.

Robert P. Scott invented the corn silker as well as obtained U.S. Patent No. 524,223 on August 7, 1894. Corn silk is the silk-like thread fibers on the within of the light-green husks removed from corn-on-the-cob. Removing corn silk proved both fourth dimension consuming as well as difficult. The R.P. Scott Corn Silker helped to brand this procedure faster as well as to a greater extent than efficient. 

Inventor Garrett A. Morgan, Sr.

Garrett A. Morgan, Sr. filed his patent application inwards 1922 and obtained U.S. Patent No. 1,475,024 on Nov. xx 1923 for an electrical traffic dot to live used at street intersections equally a tool to control for the menstruum of safe traffic from automobiles, bicycles as well as pedestrians. In 1912, Morgan also obtained U.S. Patent No. 109,936 for a breathing device to live used to halt the menstruum of injurious gases to persons, afterward called the gas mask.

John T. White obtained U.S. Patent No. 572,849 on Dec 8, 1896 for the showtime commercial lemon squeezer.White's innovation made it easier to mash all of the juice out of a lemon. It also separated the seeds as well as pulp from the juice, as well as prevented squirting. 



African-American inventor: Lloyd Ray dustpan 

Lloyd P. Ray received U.S. Patent No. 587,607 on August 3, 1897 for a novel as well as useful improvement inwards dust pans. Ray's device included a metallic collection plate that trash could live swept into, attached to a curt wooden handle. 

Alfred L. Cralle received U.S. Patent No. 576,395 on Feb 2, 1897 for an H2O ice cream mold as well as H2O ice cream scooper (disher). This made serving H2O ice cream inwards perfect circular portions to agree on cones. 

 

Elbert R. Robinson received U.S. Patent Nos. 505,370, September 19, 1893, electrical railway trolley as well as 594,286, Nov 23, 1897, casting composite or other machine wheels.

FURTHER RESOURCES: Ohio State University's Knowledge Bank: African American Patent Holders Database