Ellen Eglin

Ellen Eglin (Washington, D.C. 1880s) was an African-American inventor who invented a clothes wringer for washing machines. She invented a special type of clothes-wringer, later selling the patent for $18 to a white person. The buyer went on to reap considerable financial awards. In the April 1890 issue of Woman Inventor, Eglin was quoted as saying,

You know I am black and if it was known that a Negro woman patented the invention, white ladies would not buy the wringer. I was afraid to be known because of my color in having it introduced into the market, that is the only reason.[1][2][3]

After selling her clothes-wringer she remained hopeful to patent a second device. Despite wanting to exhibit the new model at the Women's International Industrial Inventors Congress, she never went on to patent it.

She went on to work as a clerk in a census office.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 Sullivan, Ed.D., Otha Richard (2002). Haskins, Jim, ed. African American Women Scientists and Inventors. Book Publishers. pp. 7–11. ISBN 047138707-X.
  2. ↑ Amram, Fred (24 May 1984). "The innovative woman". New Scientist: 10–12. Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  3. ↑ Howard, Sethanne (2008). The hidden giants : women hold up half the sky; 4000 years of women in science and technology (2nd ed.). United States: Lulu.com. pp. 140–141. ISBN 9781435716520.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, January 18, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.