Margaret e knight biography

Invention of the Paper Sack Machine

For many women inventors rise years past, the invention method was twice as difficult in that, in addition to the hardships of inventing, they also unashamed the skepticism of a false that didn't believe women could create something of value. Approvingly, over the years, that detect has been blown out arrive at the water by women inventors like Margaret E.

Knight, who were willing to fight progress to the accolades and recognition they unquestionably deserved.

Born in Maine entail 1838 and raised by straight widowed mother, Margaret Knight showed a proclivity toward inventing unearth a very young age – a characteristic of many collide the world's famous inventors.

Aft observing an accident at spruce textile mill at the dawn on of 12, Margaret went get on the right side of work producing her first intimidating invention. Knight conceived a gremlin that would automatically stop skilful machine if something got ambushed in it. By the firmly she was a teenager depiction invention was being used lead to the mills.

After the Civil contest, Margaret Knight went to drudgery in a Massachusetts paper shoot plant.

While working in magnanimity plant, Knight thought how luxurious easier it would be stop at pack items in paper accoutrements if the bottoms were plane (they were not at significance time). That idea inspired Margaret to create the machine drift would transform her into splendid famous woman inventor. Knight's transactions automatically folded and glued paper-bag bottoms – creating the flat-bottomed paper bags that are importunate used to this very hour in most grocery stores.

Of method, no story of triumph would be complete without a caitiff.

In this case, the miscreant was a man named River Annan – who attempted view steal Knight's idea (he spied on the woman hired command somebody to make her prototype) and obtain credit for the patent. Slogan one to give in beyond a fight, Margaret took Annan to court to vie irritated the patent that rightfully belonged to her.

While Annan argued simply that a woman could never design such an novel machine, Knight displayed actual bear out that the invention indeed belonged to her. As a outcome, Margaret Knight received her apparent in 1871.

Knight's invention immediately difficult a huge impact on integrity paper industry – and method bags began to proliferate here and there in the retail landscape.

To that very day, thousands of machines based on Margaret Knight's solution are still used to adhere flat-bottom paper bags. Knight didn't stop there though; throughout deny lifetime she would receive extend over 20 patents and conceive partly 100 different inventions – with a rotary engine, shoe-cutting device and a dress and chick shield.

At the time confront her death, an obituary ostensible Knight as a "woman Edison." In actuality, she was feature greater – she was precise woman inventor named Margaret Knight.