Black History Month - African American Inventors

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Leonard Bailey - #285,545

Combined Truss and Bandage Patent Drawing #285,545.

Illustrations from the original patents

Included in this photo gallery are the drawings and text from original patents. These are copies of the originals submitted by the inventor to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Drawing for patent #285,545 invented on 9/25/1883.

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Leonard Bailey #629,286

Folding Bed Patent Drawing.

Drawing for patent #629,286 issued on 7/18/1899

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Charles Orren Bailiff - #612,008

Shampoo Headrest Patent Drawing.

Drawing for patent #612,008 issued on 10/11/1898,

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William Bailis #218,154

Ladder Scaffold Support Patent Drawing.

Drawing for patent #218,154 issued on 11/5/1879.

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Marcelleaus P Baines #7,034,654

Motor vehicle engine immobilizer security system and method. USPTO

Marcelleaus P Baines invented a motor vehicle engine immobilizer security system and patented it on 4/25/2006

Patent Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for insuring that a motor vehicle is being operated by an authorized operator. The apparatus includes an electronic control unit (ECU), an engine immobilizer unit, and a shared encryption key. The ECU generates a challenge by combining the output of a pseudo-random number generator and the output of a somewhat random number generator and cycling the combined number through a linear feedback shift register. The ECU sends the challenge to the immobilizer unit where it is encrypted with the shared key and sent back to the ECU as a response. The ECU uses the same key to encrypt the challenge and compares the encrypted challenge to the response. If the response matches the encrypted challenge, engine operation is enabled.

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Bertram Baker #1,582,659

Automatic Cashier Front Page.

Text for patent #1,582,659 issued on 4/27/1926.

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Bertram Baker #1,582,659

Automatic Cashier Patent Drawing - Figure 1.

Drawing for patent #1,582,659 issued on 4/27/1926.

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Bertram Baker #1,582,659

Automatic Cashier Patent Drawing - Figure 2.

Drawing for patent #1,582,659 issued on 4/27/1926.

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David Baker #1,154,162

Signal Apparatus High Water Indicator for Bridges Patent Drawing.

Drawing for patent #1,154,162 issued on 9/21/1915.

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William Ballow #601,422

Combined Hatrack and Table Patent Drawing.

Drawing for patent #601,422 issued on 3/29/1898.

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Charles Bankhead #3,097,594

Assembled Composition Printing Process Patent Drawing.

Drawing for patent #3,097,594 issued on 5/13/1930.

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George Barnes #D29,193

Design for Sign Patent Drawing.

Drawing for design patent #D29,193 issued 8/19/1898. This is a very unusual design for a sign, the sign is made up of actual tools.

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Ned Barnes #1,124,879

Automatic film mover - co-invented with Berger Edmond Patent Drawing.

Drawing for patent #1,124,879 issued on 1/12/1915.

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Sharon Barnes #4,988,211

Process and apparatus for contactless measurement of sample temperature Front Page.

Front page for patent #4,988,211 issued on 1/29/1991. Patent Abstract: The present invention includes a process and apparatus for determining the temperature of a sample such as urine without contacting the sample itself. A portable device is used to carry the temperature measuring apparatus. The sample of urine is placed in a plastic container on an adjustable support and the temperature is measured by an infrared pyrometer.

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William Barry - #585,074

Mail-canceling machine Patent Drawing.

drawing for patent #585,074 issued on 6/22/1897.

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Janet Emerson Bashen #6,985,922

In January 2006, Ms. Bashen became the first African American female to hold a patent for a software invention.

Janet Emerson Bashen was issued U.S. Patent #6,985,922 on January 10, 2006 for "Method, Apparatus and System for Processing Compliance Actions over a Wide Area Network. The patented software, LinkLine, is a web-based application for EEO claims intake and tracking, claims management, document management and numerous reports.

Continue > Biography Janet Emerson Bashen

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Patricia Bath #4,744,360

Apparatus for ablating and removing cataract lenses Patricia Bath - Patent for Cataract Laserphaco Probe. USPTO

Patricia Bath became the first African American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical invention. Patricia Bath's patent was for a method for removing cataract lenses that transformed eye surgery by using a laser device making the procedure more accurate.

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Patricia Bath #5,919,186

Laser apparatus for surgery of cataractous lenses Front Page.

See biography for Patricia Bath under image

Front page for patent #5,919,186 issued on 7/6/1999.

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Andrew Jackson Beard - #594,059

Car-coupler Drawing for Patent #594,059.

Drawing for patent #594,059 issued on 11/23/1897.

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James Bauer #3,490,571

Coin Changer Mechanism Drawing for Patent #3,490,571.

Drawing for patent #3,490,571 issued on 1/20/1970,

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George E Becket #483,525

The next two gallery pages contain the text that accompanies the drawing below.

Drawing for patent #483,525 issued on 10/4/1892.

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George E Becket #483,525 - Text Page 1

The previous gallery page has the drawings that accompany the text below. The next gallery page contains page two of text.

Text for patent #483,525 issued on 10/4/1892.

Patent Abstract:
1. The house-door letter-box hereinbefore described, consisting of the frame portion adapted to be permanently secured to the door, having an opening or mouth formed therein increasing in width in a vertical direction from the front, and the box or receptacle b, pivoted to the frame and arranged to be titled back and forth in said opening and having the front b2 of the box arranged to practically conceal the frame-opening.

2. The house-door letter-box substantially as hereinbefore described, the same consisting of the frame portion f, adapted to be permanently secured to the door, having its inner opening wider vertically than the front or outer opening, and the self-closing door box b, pivoted to and arranged to be vibrated or tilted back and forth in the frame, said box being provided with stops for limiting its movement and having a movable bottom c hinged thereto, and means for securing the bottom in a closed position.

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George E Becket #483,525 - Text Page 2

The previous gallery pages have the drawings that accompany the text below and page one of text.

Text for patent #483,525 issued on 10/4/1892.

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Alfred Benjamin #3,039,125

Stainless Steel Scouring Pads Drawing for Patent #3,039,125.

Drawing for patent #3,039,125 issued on 6/19/1962.

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Alfred Benjamin #3,039,125 - Text

Stainless Steel Scouring Pads Text for Patent #3,039,125.

Text for patent #3,039,125 issued on 6/19/1962.

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Henry Blair - #X8447

Corn-planting machine Drawing for Patent #X8447.

See Henry Blair biography below drawing. Henry Blair was the only inventor to be identified in the Patent Office records as "a colored man."

Drawing for patent #X8447 issued in 1834.

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Henry Blair - #X8447 - Text Page 1

Corn-planting machine Text for Patent #X8447.

See Henry Blair biography below text. Henry Blair was the only inventor to be identified in the Patent Office records as "a colored man."

Text for patent #X8447 issued in 1834.

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Henry Blair - #X8447 - Text Page 2

See Henry Blair biography below text. Henry Blair was the only inventor to be identified in the Patent Office records as "a colored man."

Text for patent #X8447 issued in 1834.

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Henry Blair - #X8447 - Text Page 3

See Henry Blair biography below text. Henry Blair was the only inventor to be identified in the Patent Office records as "a colored man."

Text for patent #X8447 issued in 1834.

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Sarah Boone #473,653

Ironing Board Drawing for Patent #473,653.

See Saran Boone biography below drawing.

Drawing for patent #473,653 issued on 4/26/1892.

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Sarah Boone #473,653 - Text Page 1

Ironing Board Text for Patent #473,653.

See Saran Boone biography below text.

Text for patent #473,653 issued on 4/26/1892.

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Sarah Boone #473,653 - Text Page 2

Ironing Board Text for Patent #473,653.

See Saran Boone biography below text.

Text for patent #473,653 issued on 4/26/1892.

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Otis Boykin

Otis Boykin invented an improved electrical resistor.

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Gaetano Brooks

Railway vehicle safety shunt system. Copyright © 2008. Brooks Enterprises, LLC.

Gaetano Brooks invented an improved railroad vehicle safety shunt system and was granted USPTO patent #6,533,222 on March 18 2003.

Born in 1963, inventor Gaetano Brooks hails from Waldorf, Maryland. Brooks has a background in engineering and is currently a railroad professional in the DC area.

Brooks invented a railroad vehicle safety shunt system that allows central train controllers to monitor and locate trains on railroads, thereby reducing the possibility of train collisions.

His is the first US patent issued with second and third pending.

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Norman K Bucknor #7,150,696

Planetary transmissions having a stationary gear member and clutched input members. USPTO

GM engineer, Norman K Bucknor invented a family of transmissions for General Motors.

Patent Abstract

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Bellis, Mary. "Black History Month - African American Patent Holders - B." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/african-american-patent-holders-b-4122701. Bellis, Mary. (2020, August 26). Black History Month - African American Patent Holders - B. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/african-american-patent-holders-b-4122701 Bellis, Mary. "Black History Month - African American Patent Holders - B." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/african-american-patent-holders-b-4122701 (accessed June 2, 2023).