The History of Windshield Wipers

A reminder to Aguila, Ajo, Arlington, and Rocksprings Residents: Change your windshield wiper blades every 6 months.  Maintaining your windshield wiper blades is as important as windshield maintenance.

In 1903, Mary Anderson invented the first windshield wiper. This innovative idea came to her on a trip to New York when she noticed that the trolley car driver had repeatedly wiped the windshield in order to see through rain or snow. As a solution, she invented a swinging arm device that cleared rain or snow from the windshield by using a simple hand-operated crank that inconveniently required help from the driver or passenger to make it work. Unfortunately as innovative as the swinging arm device was, Mary Anderson would never greatly profit from her evolutionary invention.

In 1916, all vehicles manufactured or sold in the United States were mandated to be equipped with windshield wipers, but they still required manual help. Then in 1921, with the invention of the automatic windshield wiper called the Folberth, named after its inventor William Folberth, the hand-operated swinging arm device was replaced with a single blade wiper run by suction from the engine's intake manifold. This device connected to the inlet pipe of the engine and used pressurized air to operate. The Folberth automatic wipers came with a problem in that the wiper speed either increased or decreased with the speed of the vehicle.

By 1926, Bosch developed the electric version of the windshield wiper, which was installed mainly in the most expensive cars as a luxury item. Even then the first electric power wiper blades did not work very well since they would malfunction more often than function properly.

"Advisory" Aguila, Ajo, Arlington, Rocksprings Residents: It is very important to either replace or properly maintain your windshield wiper blades, to keep your windshield optically clear.

In 1953, on his wedding night, Mr. Robert Kearns caught a champagne bottle cork in his eye, losing his eyesight in that eye. Driving home one evening ten years later, the remaining eye became strained due to the rapid back and forth motion of his wipers. As an engineering professor, he had the background and mechanically creative mind to come up with a solution to the problem. In 1963, he invented the intermittent windshield wiper, which uses the concept of intervals and speed settings that adjust to the amount of rainfall, plus the adjustment in color of the wipers, were so successful they are relatively the same ones in use today.

Concurrently changes were occurring to the type of blades used in the windshield wiper. In 1968, the speed wiper blade was introduced, which reduced blade wind resistance and kept the blade from rising off the windshield at high speeds. Then in 1976, an innovation called the slim wiper blade performed even better with wind resistance at even higher speeds. At about the same time, West Germany developed a Spoiler type wiper blade that actually utilized wind resistance to improve wiper performance. It was this period of time that saw the greatest change in the windshield wiper.

While these changes were happening to the blades, a major innovation occurred to the windshield wiper and wiper arms. Formerly wipers were universally silver in color, but eventually were updated to reflect the black with anti glare and corrosion resistant paint that is currently in use.

 Schedule an Appointment Now

SunTec Auto Glass is a family-owned business located in Arizona, serving most of Maricopa and Pinal counties. We are auto glass repair professionals and specialize in windshield replacement, auto glass repair, window tinting and glass etching. The expert installers at SunTec Auto Glass are perfect for the job. SunTec Auto Glass understands the importance of using only the best quality auto glass available for your vehicle and for the safety of you and your family. Anywhere in Aguila, Ajo, Arlington and Rock Springs look no further for professional help and premium quality automotive glass, parts, and moldings. Contact SunTec Auto Glass today to handle all of your auto glass repair and windshield replacement needs.

Call SunTec Auto Glass Today

(480) 782-5489