Long Beach Inventive Residents

While the first patent issued by the US Patent Office on July 31, 1790 was given to Samuel Hopkins for the process of making potash into fertilizer, a check of national newspaper archives reveals that Long Beach residents from its earliest days were also most inventive. Newspapers often published lists of patents granted to “Southern Californians” and on each list were usually one or more residents of Long Beach.

In 1898, a patent was granted to G. Shoenberger of Long Beach for a “Harness Buckle” for the many horses and buggies in the area. By 1905, trolleys were the newest form of transportation so it makes sense that Alfred W. Morgan would invent the “Automatic Trolley Pole.” It was the same year that Nick W. Kline invented a “Butter Cutting Machine “ and “Ice Cream Dipper.”

But one Long Beach resident knew that the automobile would flourish if only something could be done about tires going flat, so in 1907, J. Knowlton Parker claimed a patent to a “Spring Tire Claimed to Be Puncture Proof.” The tire was described as “ a tubular spring arrangement, not pneumatic, and is composed of large numbers of tubular springs enclosed in one case and held in place by a system of connecting and sustaining chains or bar.”

Jumping on the automobile craze, T.P. and W.W. Wilson filed a patent in 1908 on a “Steering Device for Autos. “ J.R. Ricketts filed a patent in 1917 for his “Priming Means for Internal Combustion Machines.” In 1948, Dr. Earl Gates, a local OB/GYN invented a “Windshield for Convertibles.”

In 1909, a patent was granted to E.S. Bruce and J.R. Pollack for a “street sweeping device with direct suction sweeper.” Apparently the device was a hit and first used in Santa Ana to clean up the streets.

1914 saw a number of Long Beach residents granted patents. Take for instance, James M. Leaver, who invented a “Dry Kiln for Lumber,” or William H. Lebcher, who invented a “Clothes Wringer,” and William Glass who got a patent on a “Mop.” Or how about that William Q. Glass, who invented a “Lawn Edging Tool.” Yes, 1914 was a big year, Bessie M. Chester invented the “Woven Palm Leaf Basket.” But let’s not forget that in 1910, Nathan P. Shankwller invented the “Clothes Horse.”

While not initially from Long Beach, mausoleum builder C.E. Bryan, won a patent in 1918 for the “Coffin Elevator for Mausoleums,” which he installed in Sunnyside Mausoleum, which is now Forest Lawn Long Beach. The popular feature of his patent is that the elevator is silent.

Why, our own Mayor and City Councilmember (and grocer) Fillmore Condit was given a patent in 1920 for “The Condit Refrigerator Door Faster.” And in 1948 C.J. Benner invented the “Bobbie Pin Feeder.”

​Move forward to the late 1940s and 1950s, and we have Marie Fisher designing a “Baby Bottle Holder” which she described as “ a novel nursing bottle holder, which is soft and has no metallic parts which might injure the child.” And if it weren’t for Frank Zamboni who invented the “Zamboni Ice- Resurfacer” we would not have year-round ice skating or hockey. The list of Long Beach “geniuses” is extensive.

gerrie@beachcomber.news