Folding cabinet bed
In 1885, Sarah Goode became the first Black woman to receive a US patent. She moved to Chicago and opened a furniture store. It was there she came up with an industry changing idea that brought more urban residents with limited space into her store.Potato Chips
George Crum was working as a chef at a resort in New York. A customer sent his dish of french fries back to the kitchen, claiming that they weren’t good. In an irritated fit, Crum cut the potatoes as thinly as possible, fried them until they were burnt crisps, and threw a generous handful of salt on top. Thus, the chip was born.Gas Mask
Garrett Morgan developed what he called the safety hood after noticing how many firefighters were killed by smoke on the job. The hood, which went over the head, featured tubes connected to wet sponges that filtered out smoke and provided fresh oxygen.Protective Mailbox
Philip B. Downing created a mailbox design that featured an outer door and an inner safety door to avoid parcels being stolen. This safety device allowed mailboxes to be set up everywhere.Blood Bank
Charles Richard Drew became interested in researching the preservation of blood when he was studying at Columbia University. Drew discovered a method of separating red blood cells from plasma and then storing the two components separately. This new process allowed blood to be stored for more than a week, which was the maximum at that time. Drew documented these findings in a paper that led to the first blood bank.Improved Ironing Board
In the late 19th century, the ironing board was improved by Sarah Boone. One of the first Black women in U.S. history to receive a patent, she created a narrower and curved design, making it easier to iron garments. Boone’s design morphed into the modern board that we use today.Home Security System
African American nurse Mary Van Brittan Brown, devised an early security unit for her own home. She and her husband took out a patent for the system in the same year, and they were awarded the patent three years later, in 1969. Home security systems commonly used today took various elements from her design.Three-Light Traffic Light
Garrett Morgan was the first Black person in Cleveland, Ohio, to own a car. After he witnessed a severe car accident at an intersection in the city, he expanded on the current traffic light by adding a “yield” component, warning oncoming drivers of an impending stop.Refrigerated Trucks
Frederick McKinley Jones created a roof-mounted cooling system that was used to refrigerate goods on trucks during extended transportation in the mid-1930s. He received a patent for his invention in 1940 and co-founded the US Thermo Control Company, later known as Thermo King.Automatic Elevator Doors
Alexander Miles took out a patent in 1887 for a mechanism that automatically opens and closes elevator shaft doors. His designs are largely reflected in elevators used today.Electret Microphone
Dr. James E. West co-invented a foil electret microphone, which was less expensive to produce than the typically used condenser microphones.Color IBM PC Monitor and Gigahertz Chip
You can thank Mark Dean for co-inventing the color monitor. Without his invention, we’d still be typing in a colorless interweb.Super Soaker
Summer just wouldn’t be the same without Lonnie Johnson’s invention. Johnson was an Aerospace Engineer for NASA who’ happened to invent the popular children’s toy.Tissue Holder
Mary Davidson invented both the tissue holder while disabled from multiple sclerosis.Peanut Butter
Everyone and their dog can thank George Washington Carver for the invention of peanut butter.Laserphaco
Patricia Bath, an ophthalmologist and laser scientist, invented a device and technique used to remove cataracts and revive patients’ eyesight.Automatic Gear Shift
Richard Spikes created the automatic gear shift, helping people drive up hills everywhere.Clothes dryer
George T. Sampson created the clothes dryer in 1892.Dust pan
Thanks to Lloyd P. Ray, we can sweep things out from under the rug.More to come......
