Mondo Knows Facts
Mary Anderson patented the mechanical car windscreen wiper in 1903
A lever-operated rubber blade cleared sleet from trolley and car windscreens
American inventor Mary Anderson observed streetcar drivers struggling to clear freezing sleet from vehicle windows during a blizzard in 1902. She designed a spring-loaded wooden blade with a rubber strip operated by a lever inside the cabin, receiving a patent in 1903 before car production soared.
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Tags: automotive, inventions, weather
Mary Anderson patented the mechanical car windscreen wiper in 1903: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- A lever-operated rubber blade cleared sleet from trolley and car windscreens. The figure is taken from Library of Congress, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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