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This is the third in a multi-part series about women inventors. Each week, a group of women will be featured along with their inventions. If you'd like to know more about a specific inventor, please post a comment and let us know. We'll try to write follow-up feature articles for those women inventors who generate the most interest. You can read part one here and part two here.
Brassiere – Mary Phelps Jacob was the first inventor to receive a patent on the modern brassiere.
Food Preservation Methods – Amanda Jones received two patents for methods of preserving foods. One was for a vacuum method of canning called the Jones Process. She later received a patent for an oil burner.
Permanent Wave Machine – Marjorie Joyner, an employee of Madame Walker, who was famous for her cosmetics empire, invented a permanent wave machine for the hair of African American women.
Improved Sink and Washtub Design – Anna Keichline, the first woman to become a registered architect in Pennsylvania, patented an improved sink and washtub design, and many other house-hold improvements.
Straw and Silk Weaving Process – Mary Kies, the first woman to receive a U.S. patent, invented a process for weaving straw with silk or thread, benefiting the nation's hat industry.
Clothing Design Patent – Gabriele Knecht, a fashion designer, patented the Forward Sleeve design of attaching the arms of clothing, allowing garments to drape more gracefully on the body.
Folding and Gluing Machine – Margaret Knight worked in a paper bag factory and invented a machine that created square bottoms for paper bags.
Kevlar – Stephanie Kwolek's research at DuPont Company led her to develop and patent Kevlar, a synthetic material five times stronger than the same weight of steel.
Corn Cleaning and Curing Method – Sybilla Masters, an American colonist, developed a process that allowed the corn crops that early settlers received as a gift from Native Americans to be turned into many different cloth and food products.
Snugli – As a Peace Corps worker, Anne Moore observed the way African women carried their children. She developed a product that would become one of the most popular baby carriers in the world.
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