United States

On March 20, 1928, Francesca Van der Kley of New York patented a compact beauty case designed to fit neatly inside a desk or counter drawer. With removable bottoms, perforated walls, and multiple compartments, it allowed businesswomen to organize their toiletries and easily clean out spilled powder without disturbing the contents.

On August 12, 1924, Gette Wright Holmes of Hosston, Louisiana, patented an innovative device designed to collect and destroy boll weevils from cotton fields. Her machine featured a pan containing a mixture of oil and water that instantly killed the pests as it removed them from the tops of the cotton plants.

On October 27, 1908, Gina C. Crompton of Park City, Utah, patented a novel presser foot for sewing machines. Her invention featured a simple, low-cost design that made it easier to sew lace, piping, and braid without taking the machine apart, and let users work on the table instead of under the machine arm.

On April 17, 1923, English inventor Gwendolen Beatrice Nora Egerton Hubbard, then residing in Hollywood, California, obtained a patent for an educational toy made from just three simple shapes that could be combined to form any letter or numeral.

On March 15, 1927, Hana F. Ayoub of El Paso, Texas, patented a novel steering-wheel lock for automobiles and other vehicles. Her design used a clamp and spring-biased bolt mechanism that securely immobilized the steering gear, preventing unauthorized operation while remaining simple, durable, and tamper-resistant.

On November 21, 1882, Hanneh Branch, a U.S. inventor based in North San Juan, California, was awarded a patent for creating a novel cough remedy. The compound was prepared by combining common tar, honey, egg yolks, licorice, and port wine.

On August 10, 1901, Helen A. Blanchard of Portland, Maine, patented an improved machine specifically designed for sewing sweatbands to the reed holders of hats. Her invention operated without the use of a needle, which would have been detrimental to the sewing process.

On April 16, 1912, Helen F. Trowbridge of Port Washington, New York, was granted a patent for innovations in soft toy design. Her invention introduced a novel method of stuffing toys to help maintain their shape while also addressing sanitary concerns.

On November 30, 1905, Helena Ana Schwarz of Waterbury, Connecticut, patented an improved clamping device for curtain stretchers. Her design used a cam-operated lever and adjustable metal plate to securely adjust wooden stretcher bars without damaging them.

On December 24, 1946, Ilona Taussky of New York was awarded a patent for a novel process to purify and hydrogenate fats, fatty acids, and waxes. Her method used small amounts of spent metal catalysts, bleaching agents, and hydrogen to remove impurities and produce higher quality oils and waxes.