List Verse: 10 Overlooked Inventors of the Gilded Age: Ellen Eglin - The Clothes Wringer

 

Ellen Eglin – The Clothes-Wringer



Like many housekeepers at the time, Ellen Eglin grew to despise the laborious process of washing and drying clothes by hand. So she invented an early version of a device you’re almost certainly familiar with: the clothes-wringer. This crank-operated rolling machine made it significantly easier to dry wet clothes faster than ever. It improved the daily lives of countless people, and it should have made Eglin a legend.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen during Eglin’s lifetime. She actually sold her patent to the clothes-wringer for a mere $18. Why? Well, Eglin worried that it would be difficult for a black woman to secure a patent at that time. She also feared that white households would not want to purchase the device if they knew a black woman had invented it.

Note:  The above comes directly from their website.  Click here to read more.

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