Today in Wheeling History: November 23 - Wheeling resident Louis P. Keyser receives U.S. Patent #1161480A for innovative washing machine mechanics (1915).
Louis P. Keyser (1884-1920) was a pioneering inventor and automobile mechanic who lived and worked in Wheeling, West Virginia. He resided at 72 Indiana Street on Wheeling Island and made significant contributions to early washing machine technology. In 1915, at age 31, he patented an innovative gearing system for motor-driven washing machines (U.S. Patent #1161480A) that efficiently converted rotary motion into the oscillating movement needed for clothes washing. This invention demonstrated his mechanical expertise during the early days of domestic appliance automation.
Keyser was married to Grace E. Hitch Keyser (1890-1969), and they had a son, Louis Perry Keyser Jr. (1915-1984). Despite his relatively short life, Keyser's work bridged the transition between manual and automated home appliances in the early 20th century. His career as an automobile mechanic also placed him at the forefront of transportation technology during the automotive industry's early growth. He died on February 21, 1920, at just 36 years old at Ohio Valley General Hospital. His funeral was held at his residence on Indiana Street, and he was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling. His legacy lives on through his contributions to mechanical engineering and early domestic technology innovation.
To learn more: Google Patents (https://shorturl.at/EyEF1), Find a Grave (https://shorturl.at/7WoaG), Wheeling Sunday Register (https://shorturl.at/RrNnI)
Photo credits: U.S. Patent Office, Find a Grave, Wheeling Sunday Register, Google Maps
Louis P. Keyser (1884-1920) was a pioneering inventor and automobile mechanic who lived and worked in Wheeling, West Virginia. He resided at 72 Indiana Street on Wheeling Island and made significant contributions to early washing machine technology. In 1915, at age 31, he patented an innovative gearing system for motor-driven washing machines (U.S. Patent #1161480A) that efficiently converted rotary motion into the oscillating movement needed for clothes washing. This invention demonstrated his mechanical expertise during the early days of domestic appliance automation.
Keyser was married to Grace E. Hitch Keyser (1890-1969), and they had a son, Louis Perry Keyser Jr. (1915-1984). Despite his relatively short life, Keyser's work bridged the transition between manual and automated home appliances in the early 20th century. His career as an automobile mechanic also placed him at the forefront of transportation technology during the automotive industry's early growth. He died on February 21, 1920, at just 36 years old at Ohio Valley General Hospital. His funeral was held at his residence on Indiana Street, and he was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling. His legacy lives on through his contributions to mechanical engineering and early domestic technology innovation.
To learn more: Google Patents (https://shorturl.at/EyEF1), Find a Grave (https://shorturl.at/7WoaG), Wheeling Sunday Register (https://shorturl.at/RrNnI)
Photo credits: U.S. Patent Office, Find a Grave, Wheeling Sunday Register, Google Maps
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