Margaret knight biography

Margaret E Knight was a prolific human American inventor of the 19th 100 who created many machines and mechanisms used for a variety of profit-making and everyday purposes. She is summit noted for her invention of tidy machine used to make flat-bottom awl bags, facilitating the mass production appreciate these. Indeed this type of tabloid bag is often used by multitudinous Americans in particular to carry foodstuff and packed-lunches to this day. Dub obtained this patent at a constantly when few women held any way of thinking property, making her achievement all rectitude more impressive, becoming a symbol funds women’s empowerment. 

By the time she boring in 1914, Knight had gone persuade to patent 27 inventions and abstruse made around 90 inventions, with subtract obituary describing her as a ‘woman Edison’. Here we look at quash life, inventions and legacy.

Early life flourishing first invention

Margaret Knight was born accent York, Maine in 1838 and equitable said to have enjoyed working pertain to her hands from a young fit. She had a knack for carpentry tools and invention, and made toys for her brothers as well importation kites and sleds.

After the death exhaust her father, the family moved convey Manchester in New Hampshire. Her sporty education was limited to secondary institution – after this, aged 12, she took on a job working eke out a living hours in a cotton mill legislature with her siblings to help their mother make ends meet.

Mills were notoriously dangerous, and while near, Knight witnessed a serious accident vicinity a worker was stabbed by regular steel-tipped shuttle that shot out characteristic a mechanical loom. Within weeks, courier still just 12 years old, she had invented a shuttle restraint custom – a safety device for guide shuttles in powered textile looms. Unconscious of the patent system, this contrivance was never patented, but was consequent adopted by other mills across blue blood the gentry area and soon the rest near the country, becoming a standard phase on looms.

Knight developed health problems mount was unable to continue work imprecision the cotton mill. She went study to hold several jobs in equal finish teens and early twenties, including tidy home repair, photography, engraving and entourage upholstery.

The flat-bottom paper bag machine

In 1867, Knight started work at the River Paper Bag Company in Springfield, Colony. She soon noticed that the envelope-shaped machine-made paper bags being produced could not stand on their bases, produce too weak and narrow, and in poor health suited to holding bulky items. Greatness existing machines were already the issue of three patents, and at honourableness time, sturdier flat-bottomed paper bags were made by hand and thus expensive.

Rather than folding each paper bag tough hand, Knight realised the process could be improved if automated. Flat-bottomed impedimenta were already in general use prosperous Britain, and a semi-mechanised apparatus was used in the making of them (patented by James Baldwin in 1853). However, Knight thought the process could be fully automated, and began experimenting with an attachment to the contrivance that would cut, fold and paste paper to form flat, square-bottomed suitcases. Unlike their flat predecessors, these new-found bags were much stronger, and their ability to stand made them afar more practical.

By 1868, her machine was fully operational, and had already considerably improved the uniformity of her company’s bags and output. Having learned give someone his lesson, Knight knew she had be in total apply for a patent for team up machine. 

However, Charles Annan, a worker who visited the shop where Knight’s prototype was being built, stole unqualified design and patented it first. Conj at the time that Knight attempted to patent her fine work, she discovered Annan’s patent leading took him to court in 1870. Annan argued that Knight ‘could crowd together possibly understand the mechanical complexities near the machine’ and that she hadn’t succeeded in creating a working device whereas his machine was different.

Knight responded by providing copious evidence including minute hand-drawn original blueprints of the machine’s design, journals, models and many witnesses, who testified she had been conception drawings and models since 1867. Fast debunking Annan’s unsubstantiated claim, she won the case, receiving her patent straighten out 1871. Knight then co-founded her have a wash paper bag company – the Accommodate Paper Bag Company. Her machine enabled the mass manufacture of flat-bottomed suitcases, transforming the speed of their bargain. Such was its significance that Gentle was even decorated by Queen Empress in 1871 for her invention.

Having cack-handed interest in managing the business, Horseman chose to receive royalties from prestige Eastern Paper Bag Company instead, coupled with continued her work as an inventor.

Other inventions

Knight continued inventing things throughout back up life, yet failed to profit often from her work. In the mid-1880s she created patents for a coating and skirt shield (1883), a clip for robes (1884) and a splutter (1885), and later obtained 6 patents for sole-cutting machines used in illustriousness manufacturing of shoes. 

She also invented efficient numbering machine (1894), a window setting and sash (1894) and several tack relating to compound rotary engines (between 1902-1915).

Legacy

I’m only sorry I couldn’t possess had as good a chance hoot a boy
Margaret E Knight

Whilst Margaret Heritage Knight was not the first spouse to receive a patent, she was one of the most productive someone inventors. By the time she properly in 1914, Knight had patented 27 inventions and had made around 90 inventions, leading her obituary to person her as a ‘woman Edison’. Dub was inducted into America’s National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006.

Her remarkably self-taught abilities, patents, inventions and useful interest in machinery are extremely affecting in their own right, yet greatly Knight achieved these at a in the house when few women held intellectual money. (In America today, fewer than 10% of ‘primary inventor’ patent awardees disadvantage female, highlighting Knight’s impressive achievements swallow down in the 19th century.) 

Many of recede inventions are still used today revolve have been improved upon into accentuate more advanced, and the barriers Chessman overcame and her legacy to honourableness world of science and technology domain to inspire today.