You may have heard of famous inventors
of all time such as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Nikola Tesla among
several others. However, there are some great inventors who were not as
popular, yet they were instrumental for the creation of impressive and
essential tools, equipment and services that people have been using for
years. Find out more about these not-so-famous inventors who hardly made
headlines, yet they were known for their astounding creations.
1. Becky Schroeder
When Becky was only ten years of age,
she was busy doing her homework while in the car as she waited for her
mom. When it grew darker, she thought how great it would be if her paper
could light up, so she could see clearly what was written there. It was
this innocent thought that inspired her to create her infamous
“Glo-Sheet” and started experimenting with phosphorescent paint and
paper until she succeeded in inventing a type of glow-in-the-dark paper.
She received her patent in 1974 when she was only 12 years old, thus
making her the youngest of all women inventors in history.
2. Otis Boykin
Although the name Otis Boykin may not
ring a bell to some people, he is the man behind key components that
make up some of common household and commercial devices such as the TV
set, radio, and computer. His inventions were quite impressive
considering the fact that he created these during the time when
electronics was not yet as well-established as it is as present.
Moreover, Boykin earned 11 U.S patents and succeeded in inventing 28
amazing electronic devices such as the chemical air filter and
burglar-proof cash register, although these two were never produced
commercially.
3. Dr. Charles Richard Drew
It may be difficult to count the number
of lives that were saved because of the contributions of Dr. Charles
Drew, an African-American researcher, physician, surgeon and inventor.
He revolutionalized people’s understanding of the blood plasma, which
has led to his invention of blood banks. During World War II, he was
able to put his medical techniques into practice and became known for
his mass transfusion and blood processing strategies. Drew also
initiated the blood bank in the American Red Cross during the time of
war.
4. Frederick McKInley Jones
Each time you notice a truck
transporting frozen or refrigerated food, you are witnessing the
brilliant invention of Frederick McKinley Jones. He patented over 60
inventions, and 40 of those were relevant to the field of refrigeration.
In fact, Jones was most renowned for his invention of the automatic
refrigeration system for railroad cars and long haul trucks. Prior to
his invention, it was only possible to keep food fresh and cool by
loading them in a container filled with ice and transporting them in
trucks. What inspired Jones to create his extraordinary system was when
he learned about a delivery truck driver who ended up losing an entire
cargo of chicken because the ice melted even before he reached his
destination. Thus, he designed a roof-mounted type of cooling system
that helped retain the freshness of food.
5. James E. West
It was James E. West who was responsible
for the improvements made on about 90 percent of microphones that
people use at present. Throughout his career, he became involved in
programs that aimed to encourage minorities to engage in the sciences.
West was a member of various organizations that promote this goal such
as the Association of Black Laboratories Employees, which helped over
500 students to graduate with math, engineering and science degrees.
6. Valerie Thomas
Decades back, a television that is
capable of projecting an on-screen picture as a 3-dimensional image was
never possible. However, it was Valerie Thomas who made this happen when
she designed and developed this astounding invention. She learned how
to set up concave mirrors to form an illusion of a 3D object, and she
believed how impressive it would be if technology was capable of
transmitting this remarkable illusion. So, she experimented on the
illusion transmitter and patented it in 1980. The talented Thomas also
designed real-time data systems in the computer and conducted
large-scale projects, experiments and operations. In addition, her team
has led the development of the “LandSat”, which was the very first
satellite that was able to send images from outer space.
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