In August 1888, Ellen Elgin, a black woman housekeeper, invented a clothes wringer which allowed clothing to be washed and dried faster by feeding clothes through two rollers to wring out the clothing, thereby making them easier to hang and dry. Elgin sold her patent to a white person because she felt it would have a better chance at success than if people knew the inventor was a woman of color. Thus, U.S. Patent No. 459,343 lists Cyrenus Wheeler, Jr. as the inventor.
Recent Posts
- Understanding IP Matters: Piracy or Policy? Maintaining U.S. Technology Leadership in the Digital Age
- AI and Trade Secrets: A Winning Combination
- A New Era of Copyright Litigation in Hollywood: Revisiting Pirates of the Caribbean One Year Later
- Federal Circuit Vacates TTAB Decision as Arbitrary and Capricious
- ‘I Want to Thank You’: Who and What IP Stakeholders are Giving Thanks for This Year