In 1902, the first patent for a mechanism that would automatically cycle wipers between a parked position and an operating position was granted to james r. robinson of detroit. this mechanical device gave the driver more control over the wiping speed and pattern by using a metal pedal which controls an oiled chain driving a cog-like wiper arm assembly with paired cam lobes on its circumference. robinson's design had been copied from the manually operated sponge-and-paintbrush squeegee patented two years earlier in 1900 by french coachbuilder georges audemars as part of his work as head engineer for charles terres weyman automobile company outside paris
tone: informative
who was the person who came up with the idea of windshield wipers?
gale haloun, a russian engineer and inventor immigrated to the united states in 1904.
gale haloun solved this problem in 1914 by inventing an oscillating glass that used oil. other inventions include a cookie cutter with metal designs, knife spreadser for sandwiches at lunch counters, button hooks for clothes manufacturers.
when was the windshield wiper first used?
the windshield wiper was first used in 1922 by an american man named mary anderson.
public domain image courtesy of wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/file:1920s-windshield_wipers-calaveras_ca_-_latimesarchive_-_kapplin4.jpg
what did people do before windshield wipers were invented?
there were a number of ingenious contraptions to maintain visibility for the windshield while it was raining, but they became obsolete when we realized we could apply that ingenuity and design some automatic wiper arms and blades.
the most common form of rain defense equipment on cars in the united states is a windshield wiper system. in the late 19th century, drivers would have at their disposal multiple tools or systems to protect their vision from weather-related events such as snow, sleet, drizzle, foggy mist, condensation from cold cars with hot engines,[1] dust storms[2] and rains. but these came with drawbacks:
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- they only worked if parked
when did windshield wipers become standard on cars?
a patent for the windshield wiper was registered in 1903. rachel crowley's patent application stated that, “the object of the invention is to provide a device for keeping rain and snow from accumulating on car windows.” she went on to say that it should be composed of two arms with blades mounted at their ends; one arm pivoted at its middle point while the other moved in an arc about its end point. the long arm should be made flexible like a musician bow, while the short arm is mounted near-vertically and provided with well-oiled joints. these two arms would then be able to swing through any angle between horizontal and vertical against both sides of your auto's windowpane without interfering with each other. a
