Wiping History
Mary Anderson patented the windshield wiper in 1903, long before most Americans owned a car: she noticed the need for her device while riding a streetcar. Anderson found very little interest in her invention: automobiles were still a novelty and windshields themselves were optional. By the time her patent expired in 1920, cars had gone from rare to commonplace. Both windshield and wiper were standard equipment by 1913. Anderson never pursued her claim, perhaps because she was already wealthy. While her patent was in effect, other inventors were trying to replace her hand-cranked device with one that would wipe automatically.
Wipers went intermittent in the 1970s, but the inventor, Robert Kearns, spent more than 15 years in court enforcing his patent.
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