The History of Windshield Wipers
Windshield wipers are used to keep windows clear of rain, snow and dirt. They are used in a variety of vehicles, most commonly in automobiles and airplanes. Windshield wipers are usually made from a long rubber blade that pivots on one end and slides against the glass. These are usually considered a legal requirement to operate vehicles, as there is considerable danger when a driver can no longer see out the windshield.
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Origins
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Manual windshield wipers were implemented on cars in 1916. These were operated with a hand crank that would clear the window. Before this, the most common way of keeping the windshield clean was simply to use a squeegee.
The Folberth
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In 1921, Fred and William Folberth invented the automatic windshield wiper. The device was connected to the inlet pipe of the engine and used the pressurized air sent through a tube to move the blades.
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Electric
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Bosch developed the electric version in 1926. These were notoriously unreliable for the first few years, so they were installed mostly on luxury vehicles that obtained regular service.
Intermittent Wipers
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The technology stayed relatively consistent for the next few decades, until 1967, when Robert Kearns developed the intermittent windshield wiper that was then used on Ford vehicles.
Lawsuit
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Kearns's design was used without his permission by Ford. He spent the next few years in litigation against both Ford and Chrysler. Kearns was eventually awarded a multimillion-dollar settlement, and the story was dramatized in the 2008 movie "Flash of Genius."
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Wikimedia Commons
