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Kentucky Innovation and Invention: Impact in the Commonwealth
- Kentucky Intellectual Property Alliance
- Feb 11, 2024
- 1 min read
As stated in the Proclamation of National Inventors' Day in 1983, "Inventors are the keystone of the technological progress that is so vital to the economic, environmental, and social well-being of this country." Since soon after the enactment of a patent statute, Kentuckians, through birth or residency, have been contributing to the patent system. Learn more about several of them below.
Charlotte W. Allen
Charlotte W. Allen was an early Kentucky inventor from Newport, KY. Allen sought to provide greater safety and convenience for others. That is what her invention provided. A problem faced using cast iron tools is the weight of such tools; their nature leads to potential property harm or bodily harm.
In the 1800s, terminology referred to the weight of cast iron as ‘sad;’ however, in the written description, the invention is called a “smoothing iron-stand.” U.S. Patent No. 62,800. Allen is accredited as the first female inventor in Kentucky. She was a trailblazer for all women in the United States since “only 72 U.S. patents were credited to women inventors between 1790 and 1859.”
Her invention predates the USPTO publishing patents, though it is now published. While it may seem obvious by 2024 standards, the invention was patented in 1867. Allen secured the 62,800th patent to issue in the United States in the current patent system; as of February 1, 2024, over 20,200,000 patents have been issued in the United States, and that number is only growing larger.
The timeline for applying for a patent and receiving an issued patent can take 1-3 years. The 11 millionth patent did not issue until after 2021; at the rate at which technology advances, it is pertinent for all to be aware of potential hindsight bias and overcome this difficult hurdle. It also offers innovators many challenges in securing inventive works and proper intellectual property protection. When Allen secured her patent, the U.S. followed the first to invent method, which led to many disputes over inventorship called interference proceedings. However, the U.S. currently follows a first-to-file system. Due to the change, filing with the USPTO as soon as possible is generally recommended to prevent losing property rights to another.
Nathan B. Stubblefield
Nathan B. Stubblefield lived in Murray, KY, and despite his education ending in 1874 at the age of 14, he proceeded to invent various useful inventions and experimented with wireless communication. Stubblefield was a farmer, and though he attempted to commercialize his inventions, he did not achieve widespread success. As the saying goes, “You cannot choose your family,” being the son of a Confederate army veteran, it is presumed he lacked nationwide appeal. Furthermore, Stubblefield was also competing with Alexander Graham Bell in his experiments and had to avoid infringing patents owned by what would become AT&T. It is impressive that Stubblefield, despite his lack of formal education, was at the forefront of the technology we rely on in our daily lives.
While Stubblefield’s most interesting work was around wireless communication, his first patent (U.S. Patent No. 329,864) was for a lighter for oil lamps with glass chimneys in which the glass did not need to be removed to light the lamp, perhaps a predecessor to the candle lighters we know today. Stubblefield was also an inventor of a useful improvement to acoustic telephones (U.S. Patent No. 378,183). Another patent issued to Stubblefield was for a battery (U.S. Patent No. 600,457); he claimed that the battery could be placed in “moist earth,” which seems indefinite by today’s definitions because the term could refer to grounding the electrical power, a solidified battery fluid, or perhaps something else entirely. Still, in 1902, an Atlanta publication’s headline claimed that the “Kentucky Inventor Solves Problem of Wireless Telephony,” referring to Stubblefield and his experimentation. While he did not patent anything for radios or wireless communication, he is still a folk legend around Murray for being the farmer who invented the radio.
Garrett A. Morgan
Garrett A. Morgan was born on March 4, 1877, in Paris, KY, and was the son of a formerly enslaved person. Morgan had Native American and Black heritage. His formal education stopped at 14 when he moved to Cincinnati, OH, for work. Despite the lack of formal education, Morgan learned through his work experience. He is quoted as saying, “I have a Ph.D. from the school of hard knocks and cruel treatment.” If he saw a problem, he used his world experience to try to solve it, and he invented lifesaving technologies we still rely on over a century ago.
His first patent (U.S. Patent No. 1,113,675) was issued in 1914 and was a device that allowed firefighters, chemists, and engineers to safely breath. “The smoke hood was a commercial success.” However, that was not his only commercial success, initially in the sewing and tailoring industries. Morgan discovered that one of the chemicals he used could also be used to straighten hair, leading him to found the G.A. Morgan Hair Refining Company to sell hair cream.
Mr. Morgan became a successful businessman in Cleveland, OH. He did not stop solving problems and was respected in his community for his willingness to help. After witnessing a horrific crash between a horse-drawn buggy and an automobile, he saw a major problem and acted to solve it.
His patent for the innovative traffic signal was granted in 1922. While the traffic signal did not officially have a caution signal, the mechanical nature of the device requiring an operator was visible to traffic as the arms moved from the stop-and-go positions, enabling motorists to approach cautiously (U.S. Patent No. 1,475,024). The number of lives Morgan saved with his innovation is an inspiring story of innovation’s unbridled spirit.
Margaret Ingels
Margaret Ingels, born October 25, 1892, in Paris, KY, graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1916 with her Bachelor of Science in engineering. She was the first woman to do so within Kentucky and the second in the United States. Afterward, Ingels became the first woman in the nation to receive a graduate degree in engineering, known as a professional degree equivalent to a master’s, in 1920. Ingels’s focus was on mechanical engineering and her professional career was focused on ventilation technology. She took an interest in air conditioning and developed a temperature scale, which helped to develop air conditioning as we know it. Ingles is credited for receiving patents on her innovations. Ingles’s work was publicized 45 times by various technical magazines, and she authored a book on air conditioning. Ingels was an unbridled trailblazer for the engineering profession, and her work was undeniably cool.
George Samuel Hurst
George Samuel Hurst, born in Ponza, KY, spent his childhood on a farm and was likely inspired by reading about Edison. He enrolled at Berea College at age 15. Hurst then went on to get his M.S. in physics from the University of Kentucky and a Ph. D from the University of Tennessee. Much of his professional career was spent researching at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, though he was also a professor at the University of Kentucky. He also started his own business and secured patents for touchscreen technology. The company he helped found still exists today.
In 1970, he was the inventor of an application for touchscreen technology filed by the University of Kentucky Research Foundation (U.S. Patent No. 3,662,105). In 1974, an application listing Hurst as an inventor was filed by Elographics Inc. for a discriminating contact sensor (U.S. Patent No. 3,911,215). This fundamental technology is now incorporated in most folks’ daily lives, regardless of whether you are team Android or team Apple.
Unbridled Spirit of Innovation
The global momentum for innovation is at an all-time high; Kentucky is on track to produce more innovation than we have seen. While patents are not the only sign of successful innovation, the data suggests a positive trend of innovation and investment in Kentucky, implied from 259 granted patents originating in Kentucky in 1992 to 776 in 2020. The Commonwealth is invested in the innovative ecosystem that has bloomed in the Bluegrass. Kentucky is positioned ideally for entrepreneurs wishing to profit off interstate commerce, bordering seven other states and “Kentucky is within one day’s drive of two-thirds of the U.S. population.” The outlook for inventions originating in Kentucky is only expected to rise. If you are not already a member of the Kentucky Intellectual Property Alliance (KYIPA), membership is free, and you will be knowledgeable on upcoming networking and educational events throughout the Bluegrass to bring innovators, entrepreneurs, and other professionals together.
