Patent Pills

On November 23, 1911, Bianca Comparini Bertelli and Albina Rossi Capecchi of Fiesole, Italy, received a patent for new methods of making artificial flowers, leaves, fruits, feathers, and birds using ramie or similar plant fibres.

On April 6, 1901, Lady Blanche Cumming Shiells of Neenah, Wisconsin, patented a novel darning last. Egg-shaped and fitted with several shallow concavities to suit holes of different sizes, her design made it easier to stretch the fabric and guide the needle.

On August 18, 1900, Catherine Dorothea Bogle of London was granted a patent for an innovative golf ball retriever. Her device featured a spring clip that could be attached to a golf club, allowing players to retrieve balls from the hole without bending down.

On April 21, 1931, Celia and Isadore Broudy of Detroit, Michigan, patented a register filter designed to attach easily to a hot-air register and remove dust and other particles from the air passing through.

On January 31, 1894, Célia-Mattison Smith of Tompkins, New York, received a patent for a new toy. Her invention was a stuffed animal model made from three fabric pieces sewn together and filled with a suitable material to give the toy its shape (here illustrated by a cat).

On August 31, 1926, Champe Geraldine Fitzhugh of Washington DC patented a novel table and book rest designed especially for use on a bed. Her invention clamped securely to a bed rail and adjusted easily, allowing it to function either as a tilted reading stand with a page-holding spring or as a flat, stable table for meals or writing.

On December 18, 1928, Charity Smith of Ithaca, New York, patented an improved “rag doll” design. Her method used specially shaped, pre-printed fabric patterns with dart seams to create natural curves at the elbows, knees, and neck — producing lifelike, easily made stuffed figures without the bulky gathers of earlier dolls.

On July 19, 1913, Chiara Gentili, an Italian inventor, patented a mannequin based on anthropometric measurements. Her design used proportions derived from the middle finger to create realistic forms for educational and professional training.

On March 3, 1894, Clara Ann Vaughan Morgan of Kensington, London, patented a novel tooth-cleaning powder. Her formulation combined chalk, pumice stone, borax, sapo animalis (animal soap), oil of cloves, and carmine.

On March 3, 1894, Clara Christie, a London court dressmaker, patented a combined stand and holder for pins, needles, and other sewing aids. Her design incorporated a specially arranged base with an upright spindle to secure tape and reels of cotton during sewing.