History of Windscreen / Windshield Wipers

10.9 Windscreen Wipers

• The first basic windscreen wipers were two brushes that were mechanically moved up and down the plate glass windshield. They were invented in 1903 by James Henry Apjohn who was born in Dublin, Ireland.
  
  
• He was granted British patent GB190321790.  “For motor cars, the wheels may be driven by another chain actuated from the motor shaft by friction gear and a sprocket wheel. When motive power is not available, any of the sprockets may be turned by a handle”.
  
  
• In the same year, Mary Anderson (American) devised a spring loaded “swinging arm” windscreen wiper (which was replaced by a mechanical arm in 1913). She patented her invention in 1905.
  
  
• These early mechanical devices had a major drawback. The driver had to use one hand to move a lever that operated the windscreen wipers, leaving the other hand to steer the car, operate the gearshift and also the brakes.
  
  
• In 1917 Dr. Ormand (Hawaiian) invented the automatic, electrically operated, windscreen wiper.