This is the first in a regular series of LinkedIn articles featuring women (past and present) who made significant contributions to science and technology. The name of this series is “Lady Edisons” in honor of Beulah Louise Henry, who is featured in this article.
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Beulah Louise Henry, later known as Lady Edison, was a self-educated inventor and entrepreneur born in the 1800’s. Her first invention was a vacuum sealed ice cream freezer (US Patent no. 1,037,762) which was patented in 1912. A year later in 1913 she received her second and third patents for a handbag (US Patent no. 1,063,031) and an umbrella (US Patent no. 1,079,240), both with interchangeable covers. She then moved to New York, were she started “Henry Umbrella & Parasol Company” and by 1929 she opened a second company – B. L. Henry Company of New York.
In 1932 she received US Patent no.1,874,749 for the protograph, a device attached to a typewriter that produces four additional typewritten copies without carbon paper. She went on to receive 12 additional patents for improvements to the typewriter. Later, she turned her attention toward improving machines. She wanted a sewing machine that produced a strong stitch without the threads unraveling or tangling on the machine or the fabric. In 1940 she successfully patented the first bobbinless sewing machine (US Patent no. 2,037,901). These improvements revolutionized the crafting industry.
She also has patents for The Kiddie Clock (used to help children learn to tell time), Miss Illusion doll, Continuously attached envelopes (US Patent no. 2,610,784), a hair curler (US Patent no. 1,538,809), and a can opener (US Patent no. 2,744,653). She was granted a total of 49 US patents and is credited with over 100 inventions. Beulah Henry is one of the few women in the early 1900s who was able to make a living as an inventor. In 2006, Beulah Louise Henry was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Check out these websites to learn more about the original “Lady Edison” Beulah Louise Henry.
National Inventors Hall of Fame
Google Patents - Beulah Louise Henry
“Lady Edisons” is a series prepared by Ann McCrackin featuring women (past and present) whose contributions to science and technology may not be well known. Previous articles in this series are available at LadyEdisons.com or on Twitter @LadyEdisons.
Ann is a patent attorney and an Adjunct Law Professor at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law. Ann is passionate about both innovation and education in the legal profession. Ann is a frequent speaker on legal operations and automation. Follow her on LinkedIn or @LegalOpsAI on Twitter for regular posts on legal technology, automation and artificial intelligence.