Charlotte Bridgwood
Invention: Automatic Windshiled Wiper
Charlotte Bridgwood has now be credited with inventing the first automatic windshield wiper. She was president of the Bridgwood Manufacturing Company of New York and mother of the silent film actress and inventor Florence Lawrence
Bridgwood received a patent for her invention, an electric Storm Windshield Cleaner in 1917. Earlier, the TRICO Company had come out with manually perated mechanical wiper called the Rain Rubber. Bridgwood's invention however consisted of roller that were electrically operated. Interestingly enough, neither Bridgwood's nor her daughter's inventions were widely accepted in their time.
Automatice windshield wipers became standard features on cars afer 1923 but . Bridgwood received no credit for her invention References:
"Mary Anderson" in Patently Female: From AZT to TV Dinners, Stories of Women Inventors and their Breakthrough Ideas Ethlie Ann Vare and Gre Ptacek, Joh Wiley and Sons,2001, pages 19-20.
Web Sites:
Mary Anderson
Mary AndersonSouthern Belle