Humanities › History & Culture The Patent Drawings of Garrett Augustus Morgan Share Flipboard Email Print History & Culture Inventions Patents & Trademarks Famous Inventions Famous Inventors Invention Timelines Computers & The Internet American History African American History African History Ancient History and Culture Asian History European History Genealogy Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More By Mary Bellis Mary Bellis Inventions Expert Mary Bellis covered inventions and inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years. She is known for her independent films and documentaries, including one about Alexander Graham Bell. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on March 06, 2017 01 of 06 Photo of Inventor Garrett Augustus Morgan Photo of Inventor Garrett Morgan. LOC Garrett Morgan was an inventor and businessman from Cleveland who invented a device called the Morgan safety hood and smoke protector in 1914. Garrett Morgan was also granted a U.S. patent for an inexpensive-to-produce traffic signal. 02 of 06 Earlier Version of Garrett Augustus Morgan Gas Mask Earlier Version of Gas Mask. USPTO In 1914, Garrett Morgan was awarded a patent for a Safety Hood and Smoke Protector - U.S. Patent Number 1,090,936 03 of 06 Garrett Augustus Morgan - Later Gas Mask Garrett Augustus Morgan - Gas Mask. USPTO Two years later, a refined model of his early gas mask won a gold medal at the International Exposition of Sanitation and Safety, and another gold medal from the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Patent #1,113,675, 10/13/1914, gas mask 04 of 06 Garrett Augustus Morgan - Later Gas Mask View Two Patent #1,113,675, 10/13/1914, gas mask. USPTO On July 25, 1916, Garrett Morgan made national news for using his gas mask to rescue 32 men trapped during an explosion in an underground tunnel 250 feet beneath Lake Erie. Morgan and a team of volunteers donned the new "gas masks" and went to the rescue. 05 of 06 The Garrett Augustus Morgan Traffic Light Signal The Garrett Augustus Morgan Traffic Light Signal. USPTO The Morgan traffic signal was a T-shaped pole unit that featured three positions: Stop, Go and an all-directional stop position. This "third position" halted traffic in all directions to allow pedestrians to cross streets more safely. 06 of 06 Garrett Augustus Morgan - Traffic Signal Patent #1,475,024 on 11/20/1923. The inventor sold the rights to his traffic signal to the General Electric Corporation for $40,000. Shortly before his death in 1963, Garrett Morgan was awarded a citation for his traffic signal by the United States Government. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Bellis, Mary. "The Patent Drawings of Garrett Augustus Morgan." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/patent-drawings-of-garrett-augustus-morgan-1992287. Bellis, Mary. (2020, August 26). The Patent Drawings of Garrett Augustus Morgan. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/patent-drawings-of-garrett-augustus-morgan-1992287 Bellis, Mary. "The Patent Drawings of Garrett Augustus Morgan." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/patent-drawings-of-garrett-augustus-morgan-1992287 (accessed March 24, 2023). copy citation Featured Video