Kearns's design was intended to mimic the function of the human eye, which blinks only once every few seconds. In 1963, another form of intermittent wiper was invented by Robert Kearns, an engineering professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Then, in 1961, John Amos, an engineer for the UK automotive engineering company Lucas Industries, filed the first patent application in the UK for a solid-state electronic design. filed a patent application describing not only electro-mechanical, but also thermal and hydraulic designs. The inventor of intermittent wipers (non-continuous, now including variable-rate wipers) might have been Raymond Anderson, who, in 1923, proposed an electro-mechanical design. Today, an electronic timer is used, but originally a small vacuum cylinder mechanically linked to a switch provided the delay as the vacuum leaked off. In the late 1950s, a feature common on modern vehicles first appeared, operating the wipers automatically for two or three passes when the windscreen washer button was pressed, making it unnecessary to manually turn the wipers on as well.

The new vacuum-powered system quickly became standard equipment on automobiles, and the vacuum principle was in use until about 1960. Trico later settled a patent dispute with Folberth and purchased Folberth's Cleveland company, the Folberth Auto Specialty Co. It was the first automatic mechanism to be developed by an American, but the original invention is attributed by others to Hawaiian, Ormand Wall. Folberth and his brother, Fred, applied for a patent for an automatic windscreen wiper apparatus in 1919, which was granted in 1921. The first automatic electric wiper arms were patented in 1917 by Charlotte Bridgwood. Bosch has the world's biggest windscreen wiper factory in Tienen, Belgium, which produces 350,000 wiper blades every day. Today Trico Products is one of the world's largest manufacturers of windscreen wipers. This company introduced the first windscreen wiper, Rain Rubber, for the slotted, two-piece windscreens found on many of the automobiles of the time.

Oishei (1886-1968) formed the Tri-Continental Corporation in 1917.

Apjohn's invention had a priority date in the UK of 9 October 1903. The brushes or wipers were intended to clean either both up and down or in just one direction on a vertical window. Irish born inventor James Henry Apjohn (1845–1914) patented an 'Apparatus for Cleaning Carriage, Motor Car and other Windows' which was stated to use either brushes or wipers and could be either motor driven or hand driven. Less frequently, miniature wipers are installed on headlights to ensure that they function optimally.Īpjohn's 1903 window cleaning apparatus design For these types of winter conditions, some vehicles have additional heaters aimed at the windows, embedded heating wire(s) in the glass, or embedded heating wire(s) in the wiper blade these defroster systems can melt ice or help to keep snow and ice from building up on the windscreen. When antifreeze washer fluid is used, it can help the wipers remove snow or ice. This system helps remove dirt or dust from the windscreen when it is used in concert with the wiper blades. This system sprays water, or an antifreeze window washer fluid, at the windscreen using several well-positioned nozzles. On some vehicles, a windscreen washer system is also used to improve and expand the function of the wiper(s) to dry or icy conditions. Most personal automobiles use two synchronized radial-type arms, while many commercial vehicles use one or more pantograph arms. On vehicles made after 1969, the speed is normally adjustable, with several continuous speeds, and often one or more intermittent settings. The blade is swung back and forth over the glass, pushing water, other precipitation, or any other impediments to visibility, from its surface. The arm is powered by a motor, often an electric motor, although pneumatic power is also used for some vehicles. Almost all motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, buses, train locomotives, and watercraft with a cabin-and some aircraft-are equipped with one or more such wipers, which are usually a legal requirement.Ī wiper generally consists of a metal arm one end pivots, the other end has a long rubber blade attached to it. A train windscreen wiper in operation (MRT Jakarta)Ī windscreen wiper, windshield wiper or wiper blade ( American English) is a device used to remove rain, snow, ice, washer fluid, water, or debris from a vehicle's front window.

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