It would be hard for men to believe that a woman invented the circular saw. It happened in 1810, when weaver Tabitha Babbitt, observing the sawing of logs with a hand saw, noticed that the log was only cut when the saw went forward, but the energy for the reverse movement was wasted. That's when Babbitt began to develop a prototype circular saw. Interestingly, she refused to file a patent because it was against the precepts of the Protestant community to which she belonged.
Cynthia Westover's secretary, on the other hand, was probably a big fan of cleanliness. Therefore, she decided that it was necessary to clean not only the house, but also the outdoors. Including in winter, when the roads are blocked with snow. In 1892, she began assembling a snow removal machine.
American Mary Anderson in 1903 on a winter day had the opportunity to drive through New York City on a trolleybus. Apparently, the woman was very cold, as the windshield was open: it was snowing heavily, so the driver had to take such a step to improve visibility. Mary Anderson wondered if she could invent a device that would allow her to clean the windshield without leaving the car. Soon she patented a device called a windshield wiper. At the time, they were mechanical - using a lever, the driver could "wiper" out of the cabin, sweeping away snow buildup from the glass.
A fiber called "Kevlar" has saved the lives of many military and law enforcement personnel. Kevlar is much stronger than steel, while having a relatively low weight. Therefore, it is used in the manufacture of helmets and bullet-proof vests. It was developed by American Stephanie Kwolek. Her inventions in the field of polymers were awarded with many prizes. Kevlar was first produced in 1964. Kwolek herself assumed that it would be used for the production of durable car tires, and she did not even want to hear about cooperation with the military. But, all secrets come out, Kevlar was widely used in the manufacture of protective equipment without her consent.
Firefighter is a harsh male profession. In most countries of the world, women are not allowed to be firefighters by law. But the fire escape, which is attached to the outside walls of the building, was invented by a woman. In 1887, Anna Connelly wrote to an American patent office and suggested that neighboring buildings be connected by iron bridges that would allow fire-fighters to quickly reach the fireplace and residents to move to safety. Bridges were later replaced by open stairs, which are still in use today.
It is said that the automobile muffler was also invented in 1917 by El Dolores Jones. Thanks to her, the world became a little quieter, because the first cars made a terrible roar. Probably, Mrs. Jones was very annoyed with it, so she decided to improve the vehicle, which was driven overwhelmingly by men. True, the self-esteem of the stronger sex was hurt. Many of them assert that the first mufflers appeared much earlier, at the end of the XIX century. And without any involvement of El Dolores Jones.
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