INVENTOR: John E. Turnbull
Saint John, New Brunswick
(Patent No. NB Archives, RS 549, Book H, page 329, July 10, 1843)
This inventor was the first to mount a set of wringer rolls on a washing machine. The rolls were activated by a crank and gearing system. The top roll was spring loaded to rise and fall with continuous pressure according to the thickness of the laundry passing between the rolls. The handle above the tub is part of a dashboard inside the tub. The handle was worked manually for ten minutes or so to wash each load of laundry.
INVENTOR: John Forbes
Halifax, Nova Scotia
(Patent Nos. US 66,316, July 2, 1867; US 69,649, October 8, 1867;
CA 1,344, February 17, 1872; CA 1,348, February 22, 1872;
CA 1,423, April 23, 1872; CA 14,013, January 16, 1882;
CA 30,595, January 10, 1889; CA 30,706, January 19, 1889;
CA 46,523, June 13, 1894)
This invention is known as the world’s first steel ice skate. It was manufactured by the Starr Manufacturing Company in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where John Forbes was foreman. The invention consisted of an all-steel skate blade which was clamped to the sole and heel of a boot by a single spring lever. This skate revolutionized skating and was instrumental in the development of hockey. It was promoted as the Acme Skate and was sold around the world. The Starr Manufacturing Company continued manufacturing this model of skate and various improved versions of it, some of which are described in the above patents, until 1938.
In fact, the steel skate is probably the one invention which has the most Maritime content — over 30 different kinds between 1867 and 1933.
INVENTOR: Andrew James Stewart
Saint John, New Brunswick
(Patent No. CA 1,175, October 4, 1871)
Andrew James Stewart saw a need for a soap which was more effective when used with cold, hard, or salt water than was ordinary soap, which was meant to be effective in warm soft water. So he invented a soap made with the ordinary fatty and alkaline ingredients of regular soap, but with the addition of a liquid concoction of borax dissolved in water, spirits of ammonia, naphtha, and spirits of turpentine. This soap would not likely be considered acceptable for sale or use under modern health and safety standards. However, it is believed that this invention was a valuable inspiration in the development of modern cold water soaps and detergents.
INVENTOR: John B. Porter
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
(Patent No. CA 4,653 April 6, 1875)
This patent describes two inventions. The first one consisted of an ironing board mounted on crossed legs which were hinged to one end of the board, so as to allow the legs to be folded underneath and the board to be stored out of the way when not in use. The second invention was a narrow press board for ironing sleeves and other small parts of clothing, fixed on the top of the ironing table at one end and secured in a clutch, the top of which was used as an iron stand. The press board was so arranged as to be removed when not needed. This second invention has since fallen out of use, but the first is still a standard design used in the manufacture of ironing boards.
INVENTOR: Alexander Graham Bell
Boston, Massachusetts; Baddeck, Nova Scotia, from 1885
(Patent Nos. CA 7,789, August 24, 1877; CA 10,705, November 27, 1879;
US 174,465, March 7, 1876; US 186,787, January 30, 1877;
US 201,488, March 19, 1878; US 213,090, March 11, 1879;
US 250,704, December 13, 1881)
The invention of the telephone was first described in the 1876 US patent and can be summarized as follows: the first armature is fastened loosely by one extremity to the leg of the first electromagnet, and its other extremity is attached to the centre of a stretched membrane. The first cone is used to converge sound vibrations upon the membrane. When a sound is uttered into this first cone, the membrane is set in vibration, the first armature is forced to take up the motion of the membrane, and thus electrical undulations are created upon the circuit. The undulatory current passing through the second electromagnet influences its armature to copy the motion of the first armature. A sound similar to that uttered in the first cone is then heard to proceed from the second cone. Although this circuit is admirable for its simplicity, the evolution of society that can be attributed to this invention is still progressing, with no limit in sight.
INVENTOR: Thomas Campbell
Saint John, New Brunswick
(Patent No. CA 10,811, January 16, 1880)
It is difficult to imagine what our lives would be like without warm water at our shower heads, bathroom fixtures, kitchen sinks, and clothes washers. This invention made it possible and soon became an essential plumbing accessory worldwide. Although the invention seems simple in light of today’s knowledge, the inventor was concerned that the faucet might not work because of back pressure. He solved this problem by making it clear in the patent disclosure that the discharge spout had to have a larger capacity than the combined discharges of both valves.
INVENTOR: Thomas McAvity Stewart
Saint John, New Brunswick
(Patent No. CA 108,017, October 15, 1907)
The patent for this invention describes a series of oblique openings in the rim of a toilet bowl to form a vortex during flushing, thus providing a self-cleansing effect. Today, most makes of toilet bowls have this feature or otherwise generate this same vortex effect.
INVENTOR: Frank Stanfield
Truro, Nova Scotia
(Patent No. CA 166,517, December 7, 1915)
The garment that many of us call “long johns” was originally known as “Underwear Combination” or “Combination Garment.” The objectives of this invention were to provide long underwear in two separate pieces that could be readily adjusted to fit various trunk lengths and that could be worn separately or in combination as required. Further, the two pieces eliminated the need to wash one heavy single garment when, as Stanfield wrote in his patent disclosure, “often a part only requires cleansing.” Prior to this invention, in 1898, Frank Stanfield and his brother John developed the famous Stanfield’s Unshrinkable Underwear. Stanfield’s Limited was incorporated in 1906 and remains a leader in quality undergarments.
INVENTOR: James C. Coulson
Truro, Nova Scotia
(Patent No. CA 175,717, March 13, 1917)
This fashionable men’s cap had an inside banded flap adapted to be turned down to protect the ears and back of the head. The flap was made of woven cloth and was lined, and it had a knitted band on the outer edge. The fabric of the flap and the lining resisted the wind and kept the head effectively protected against the cold, and the elasticity of the knitted band kept the flap snug against the head. This type of cap has been in style ever since.
INVENTOR: Alfred C. Fuller
Hartford, Connecticut
(Patent No. CA 189,626, April 15, 1919)
Consideration for hygiene, efficiency, and economy can be seen in this novel toothbrush. The bristle assembly was cylindrical in shape to allow a rotary movement while brushing the teeth and therefore a more efficient cleaning. The bristle assembly was removable from the handle of the toothbrush, making it easy to clean the toothbrush after each use. As well, the bristle assembly could be replaced when worn. The bristle assembly was attached to the toothbrush head by a pivoting tab mounted at the base of the toothbrush head. This design illustrates well the concerns of this great entrepreneur for customer satisfaction.
Alfred C. Fuller was born in 1885 and raised in Welsford, King’s County, Nova Scotia. He moved to Somerville, Massachusetts, in 1903, where he started the Fuller Brush Company in 1906. Fuller obtained at least two other patents for improvements to his toothbrush: patent nos. US 1,296,067, issued in 1919, and CA 222,949, issued in 1922.
The Fuller Brush Company grew quickly from a single man operation in 1906 to an enterprise having annual sales of $109 million in 1960. Today, the Fuller Brush Company has a twelve-acre manufacturing plant in Great Bend, Kansas, and produces more than 2,000 different products. During the period of strong growth, at least 125 US patents were granted to the Fuller Brush Company. This number of patents illustrates well that the company had a very prolific research and development department and that it believed in and encouraged innovation.
INVENTOR: Charles L. Grant
Grand Pré, Nova Scotia
(Patent No. CA 199,520, April 27, 1920)
The patent for this invention describes a rubber shoe with the tongue as an integral part, making the shoe waterproof. The shoe was constructed with a rubber-coated tongue of a suitable shape. The tongue was vulcanized to the shoe during the operation of vulcanizing the shoe as a whole, making it impossible for the shoe to leak. This invention continues to be a standard practice in shoe-making.
INVENTOR: George W. Leadbetter
Springhill, Nova Scotia
(Patent No. CA 198,960, April 6, 1920)
This invention consisted in mounting a metal sleeve at the point of a billiard cue and threading a cue tip into the sleeve. The tip is thus easily replaced when necessary. In modern pool cues, the metal sleeve has been replaced by a plastic sleeve, and the tip is glued on. However, it is believed that this invention has influenced to a substantial extent the construction of modern pool cues.
INVENTOR: Edward R. McDonald
Shediac, New Brunswick
(Patent No. CA 266,459, December 7, 1926)
This invention consisted of a game played on a checkerboard with square game pieces that were individually lettered to represent the alphabet. Each letter-carrying game piece, with the exception of the vowels, a, e, i, o, and u, also had a number indicating the value of the letter on the piece. The game was played by two players who each had a complete set of lettered game pieces, each set of a different colour. Play began with the players arranging their letters in two rows on each side of the checkerboard in the squares provided. The object of the game was for each player to form a word using as many as possible of the letters in his set or “stealing” from his opponent’s set as required. The players took turns, moving one letter out from its original position to any unoccupied square on the board. It is believed that this crossword game was the precursor of the well-known Scrabble game. Scrabble is a registered trademark of Hasbro Inc. Research by the National Scrabble Association of USA indicates that Scrabble was invented between 1930 and 1933. The finding of this Canadian patent pushes back the invention to September 28, 1925, the application date of this patent.
