Austria

On November 25, 1915, Ilaria Lewicki patented a novel trunk ring designed to prevent pigs from digging up crops or disturbing their beds. With its angular outer shape, the ring caused slight discomfort when pressed against the animal’s body, effectively discouraging both digging and pushing behaviour.

On July 10, 1916, Ilaria Lewicki patented a novel extinguisher for cigarettes and cigars. Her invention featured two levers connected by a swivel joint, designed so that pressing the handles together caused one blade to pass sharply over the other.

On January 10, 1907, Jára Václav of Nepomuk, Czech Republic, patented an improved drive belt chain. Her design linked chain eyes to flexible belts with riveted tabs, providing smoother and more reliable power transmission in engines and machinery.

On August 25, 1921, Linda Karpellus of Vienna, Austria, patented a simple assembly game in which children could create different faces by attaching interchangeable sheet-metal or cardboard features to a head-shaped base.

On August 15, 1911, Ludmilla Kubelka of Vienna patented a new method to secure natural or artificial hair directly into hardening pulp. Using a small hooked tool, tufts of hair were pulled through the material and fixed on the inside, creating realistic, pore-like roots with a much stronger grip than glued-on wigs.

On October 10, 1934, Ludmilla Puettner of Vienna, Austria, patented a novel fastener made from two edging strips with matching loops. By laying one set of loops over the other and threading a ribbon through them in a braided path, the two strips are joined securely without the need for buttons or snaps, making garments easier to wash and iron.

On June 15, 1950, Ludmilla Staudinger of Vienna, Austria, patented a novel hand-knitting method for making double-face fabric with two threads. By pairing each loop into a knit and a purl stitch and crossing the threads in a set order, her technique produced smooth, fully reversible patterns.

On December 27, 1927, Melitta Klein, a Slovakian-born physician residing in Austria, invented a novel method to improve the filature of cellulose fibers. Her process aimed to reduce the number of processing stages required, enhancing the fibers’ resistance and their physical properties.

On July 21, 1930, Melitta Klein, a Slovakian-born physician residing in Austria, devised and patented a novel method for esterifying organic compounds to enhance the flavor and shelf life of commercial soup.

On February 10, 1932, Melitta Korn, wife of Friedrich Korn and later a Holocaust survivor, patented a novel sock holder. Her design utilized specially arranged brackets to keep socks securely in place while walking.