Lowly Windscreen Wiper blades and how they Developed Over Time

Each day I jump into my car, turn on the engine, and drive off. If it is a hot day, I select to switch on the air conditioning or put down my convertible roof. On chilly days I fix the heat system, to ensure I am comfortable whilst driving. When it is raining, snowing or foggy I use my Wiper blades to clear the windshield.

I never generally think of how these things developed for my comfort, I just take it for granted that vehicles have these features to boost my driving experience. However, as winter nears, it caused me to reflect upon the Windscreen wipers and what a superb invention they are.

I have looked for information on this subject and established that in 1903, when the first windshields were added to automobiles, an inventor by the name of J H Apjohn came up with the notion of Windscreen wipers in the form of brushes which swept up and down the windscreen to clean it. I imagine that the brushes probably caused quite a few scratches to the windscreen, so in 1905, when the American inventor, Mary Anderson, patented the swinging arm style of windscreen wiper, with a rubber blade, this must have been eagerly accepted by the motor industry.

These early Windscreen wipers required the driver to move a lever in the vehicle to work the wipers, so the next major step was towards electric Windscreen wipers. A dentist from Hawaii, Dr Ormand Wall, invented the electric wipers in 1917, some 12 years after Mary Anderson’s first Wiper Blades were added to vehicles.

All Windscreen wipers had rubber blades until relatively recently. The troubles met with these were that owing to changes in temperature, summer heat, icy winters, the rubber perished and the Wiper blades needed replacing in a relatively short time period.

Silicone wiper blades are now also available and these are less vulnerable to temperature variations than their rubber predecessors. While the Silicone wiper blades are slightly more pricey than the rubber Windscreen wipers, they often come with a guarantee to not rot or crack, as occurs with the rubber wipers, and also allege to be able to follow the contours of the windscreen better, giving a cleaner sweep.

We request a lot from these superb little inventions. I expect to press or pull or turn a stick on my steering wheel and get an instant result from the Wiper blades. They are expected to clear dust and bugs from my windscreen in the summer. When the roads are muddy, I require the dirt to be removed from my windshield promptly, to give me good visibility. If it is icy first thing in the morning, I turn on the heater and eagerly switch the Windscreen wipers on to clean the windscreen quickly. In winter the heavy snow is shown no mercy.

Because of the above I give thanks to the ingenious Mary Anderson, the inventor of Windscreen wipers.I also marvel at the type of mind that could come up with such an invention out of just being faced with a problem. It’s a lesson to us all when we’re facing adversity.