Posts Tagged: "Charlotte Bridgewood"

The Evolution of Wind Shield Wipers – A Patent History

Almost immediately, Anderson began to conceive a design for a windshield wiper which could be operated by a driver from within a vehicle, which improved visibility while eliminating uncomfortable interactions with the wintry environment. Over the course of many months, Anderson settled on a working prototype: a set of wiper arms constructed from wood and rubber which could be operated through the use of a lever installed close to the steering wheel. Pulling on the lever would initiate a spring mechanism that dragged the wiper arm across the windshield, clearing away snow, rain and debris. On November 10, 1903, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 743,801, entitled WIndow-Cleaning Device, to Anderson. The windshield wiper protected by this patent was removable so that it wouldn’t obstruct a driver’s vision during fair weather.