# How Mary Anderson Invented the Windshield Wiper

> A 1903 invention by Mary Anderson that allowed drivers to manually clear rain and snow from their windshields using a lever inside the vehicle.

- **Patent:** US 743801
- **Original title:** Window-cleaning device.
- **Owner:** Individual
- **Granted:** 1903
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 5
- **Field:** automotive, mechanical

## What it does

The device consists of a swinging arm with a rubber blade attached to a lever inside the car. When the driver moves the lever, the arm pivots across the glass to clear away moisture or debris. It was designed to improve visibility during bad weather without requiring the driver to stop the car and exit to clean the windshield manually.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover automatic or motorized wiper systems.
- Does not cover sensors that detect rain to trigger wiping.
- Does not cover intermittent or variable speed control mechanisms.

## The clever bit

The innovation was moving the control mechanism inside the cabin, separating the human operator from the external environment while maintaining direct mechanical control of the cleaning arm.

## Real-world examples

1. Early 20th-century manual windshield wipers
2. Vintage automobile restoration parts

## Why it matters

Before this invention, drivers had to stop their vehicles and step out into the elements to wipe their windshields by hand. Anderson's patent provided a safer, more practical way to maintain visibility, which was essential as automobiles became more common and travel speeds increased.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Mary Anderson Invented the Windshield Wiper cover?

A 1903 invention by Mary Anderson that allowed drivers to manually clear rain and snow from their windshields using a lever inside the vehicle.

### Who owns patent US 743801?

Individual owns this patent, granted in 1903.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 743801 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 5 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

Before this invention, drivers had to stop their vehicles and step out into the elements to wipe their windshields by hand. Anderson's patent provided a safer, more practical way to maintain visibility, which was essential as automobiles became more common and travel speeds increased.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover automatic or motorized wiper systems.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/743801/windshield-wiper-anderson

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US743801

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How Intermittent Windshield Wipers Work](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3351836/intermittent-windshield-wiper-kearns) — Robert Kearns' 1967 patent for the first electronic intermittent windshield wiper system that mimics the human eye's blinking motion.
- [Early Car Wheel Traction Device](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1141798/zipper-slide-fastener) — A 1915 patent for a metal device clamped to a car wheel to improve traction on slippery surfaces.
- [How James Spangler Invented the First Portable Electric Vacuum Cleaner](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/889823/vacuum-cleaner-spangler) — A 1908 patent for a portable suction-based cleaning device that combined a rotating brush with a fan to lift dust into a bag.
- [Josephine Cochrane's Mechanical Dishwashing Machine](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/355139/dishwasher-cochrane) — A late 19th-century invention that used a pressurized water pump and a rotating rack to clean dishes mechanically, moving away from manual scrubbing.
- [How the Revolving Door Was Invented](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/387571/revolving-door-van-kannel) — The 1888 patent for the revolving door, designed to keep buildings warm while allowing people to enter and exit easily.