Robert Kearns - the creator of car windshield wipers (wipers): a life story

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:54

Robert Kearns is an American engineer who first invented and patented the first windshield wiper mechanism for cars in 1964. The smart American's design innovation first gained popularity in 1969.

Robert is also world-famous for winning several controversial patent lawsuits from major car companies. The thing is that when Robert Williams Kearns (not to be confused with the Swedish folklorist poet Robert Burns, photos below) came up with the mechanism of car windshield wipers (1964), he began to offer his development to several powerful corporations, such as Ford and Chrysler.

An American inventor patented his product and wanted to produce them for major car companies, which, in turn, were developing a similar product. Robert did not receive a positive response, but a few years later he learned that his invention was appropriated by the aboveautomotive companies. And then Robert thought…

American inventor Robert Kearns: biography

Born March 10, 1927 in Gary, Indiana, United States of America. As a child, Robert adored all sorts of mechanisms and structures. He could spend the whole day in his father's garage, taking apart an old engine or cleaning the evaporator in a car. Robert was extremely interested in cars, and he also lived near the Ford plant (the Michigan working area of Detroit). His father worked for the Great Lakes Steel Corporation, which got him involved in engineering even more.

Education and family

During his school years, Robert excelled in applied sciences. He also attended an orienteering club and went to a music school, where he played the violin. It should be noted that the guy was a very talented violinist.

During World War II, Robert Kearns was a member of the Bureau of Strategic Services (now renamed the CIA - Central Intelligence Agency, an agency of the Federal Government of the United States of America). After the war, Robert received an engineering degree from the University of Detroit, and a few years later received a PhD in "technological development" from Case Western Reserve Research University (Cleveland, Ohio).

In the 60s, Robert Kearns married Phyllis (Lauren Graham). The couple had six children.

American inventor RobertKearns: where did the idea come from?

In 1953, Robert went blind in one eye when he unsuccessfully opened a bottle of champagne and the cork flew into his eye. As the years went by, his eyesight deteriorated, and even the slightest rain made it difficult for Kearns to see the road when he was driving.

One day Robert was driving home and it started to rain heavily. At this point, the engineer comes up with the idea of how to create a useful mechanical device that will clean the water from the windshield. Keeping the idea in mind, the next day, Robert began to develop such a mechanism.

After a few weeks of experimental research, he created moving "wipers" in the likeness of repeating the movements of the eyelids of the human eye. The only thing left to do was to develop the necessary documentation and test this design on your own car.

After successful exploitation, Robert patents his product and visits the engineering office of the Ford Automobile Company, which has been working on the same problem to no avail.

Bad News: Fraud

Surprised by such a useful invention, manager McLean Tyler suggested that Kearns compile a business plan and calculate the cost of running car wipers for fabrication. But Robert said that he would like to manufacture windshield wipers himself, after which a consensus could not be reached.

However, Kearns has already demonstrated the operation of the mechanism in practice, and even provided all the necessary documentation, which was subsequently preserved by McLean Tyler. In the endafter a visit to the Ford plant, Robert stopped calling and notifying him with news. A few years later, Kearns accidentally got to the presentation of a new Ford sports car, where he saw his "wipers". At this moment, a depressed Robert realizes that he was simply deceived and appropriated his invention.

35 years of litigation

Robert was shocked that he was deceived like a stupid boy. Without thinking twice, he decides to go to court in Washington. But when it became known that a simple American engineer of advanced age was going to challenge Ford, he was sent to a psychiatric ward for treatment, where he was diagnosed with a nervous breakdown.

After some time, Robert manages to leave the hospital. His condition was again on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but he gathered his courage and will and continued to fight. Relatives and friends tried in every possible way to dissuade Kearns from this crazy idea. But all attempts to convince the true creator of car windshield wipers were in vain. As a result, Robert lost his family: his wife left him and took the children with her.

All legal efforts were paid out of Robert's pocket, it was hard, but he did not give up. Kearns sued two major auto companies at once - Ford (from 1978 to 1990) and Chrysler (from 1982 to 1992). In the end, Robert Kearns won his lawsuits and received a cash settlement of $10 million from Ford and, five years later, $19 million from Chrysler.

February 9, 2005Robert passed away from a brain tumor.