I&E 8/28/15 Informational text Windshield Wipers

Windshield Wipers Mary Anderson by atherine Thimmesh 1 It was a dreadful day, weatherwise. Snow and sleet pelted the pavement, and people burrowed deep within their coats. Hoping to catch the sights and escape the blustery cold, Mary Anderson of irmingham, Alabama, climbed aboard a New York ity streetcar. The year was 1902. It turned out to be a ride she would never forget, but not because of the scenery. Instead, the ride would inspire her to invent the very first windshield wiper simply because she felt sorry for the streetcar driver who struggled to see through the glass. The invention would not only improve conditions for all drivers, but would save countless lives as well. 2 Earlier, top-notch engineers had tackled the problem of poor visibility in bad weather and had come up with a solution. They split the windshield. Once the glass became covered with rain or snow, the streetcar driver could fling open the middle for a clear view. Trouble was, it didn t work. At least not very well. Mary watched helplessly as the driver desperately tried to see. When he opened the split glass, he was greeted with a burst of icy cold air and a blast of heavy, wet snow. 3 Why doesn t someone create a device to remove the snow? Mary reportedly asked the people around her. 4 It s been tried many times, they told her. an t be done. 5 Nonsense, thought Mary, as she scribbled in her notebook. Why can t there be a lever on the inside that would move an arm on the outside to swipe off the snow? To her, it seemed perfectly simple. 6 Later, when she returned to her home in irmingham, she studied her sketches. She spent some time refining her drawings making them more elaborate, adding more details. Satisfied at last, she brought her design to a small manufacturing company in irmingham and hired the company to make a model. Then, she filed a patent application. 7 My invention relates to an improvement in window-cleaning devices in which a radially-swinging arm is actuated by a handle from inside of a car-vestibule, Mary stated in her patent specification. 8 In other words, a lever on the inside that would move an arm on the outside. Mary s wiper was made of wooden strips and pieces of rubber. She designed it to be removed in good weather so that it would not interfere with the appearance of the streetcar. One of her most important elements was the addition of a counterweight. Page 3

9 This was used, she writes, to provide means for maintaining a uniform pressure upon the glass throughout the entire area swept by my improved window-cleaning device. 10 In other words, it would swipe off the snow. Mary was awarded a patent in 1903 for a windowcleaning device a windshield wiper. Once the invention was protected by a patent, she wrote a large anadian company offering to sell her rights. They weren t interested. After reviewing her proposal, they decided that her invention had little, if any, commercial* value. They simply didn t think it would sell. They encouraged her, however, to submit any other useful patents she might have for their consideration. 11 Mary put the patent in a drawer and eventually it expired. Several years later, someone else revived her idea, patented it, sold it, and made a very large sum of money. Every day, lives are saved due to increased visibility during bad weather. Even in our high-tech society, the windshield wiper remains one of the greatest safety inventions of the modern-day automobile, and tourists can now see the sights despite the snow, sleet, or rain. *commercial: relating to buying and selling goods on a large scale Windshield Wipers Mary Anderson from Girls Think of Everything by atherine Thimmesh, text copyright 2000 by atherine Thimmesh. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing ompany. All rights reserved. Page 4

1 What is the purpose of this passage? A to show how to fill out a patent application to explain what it is like to be a streetcar driver to persuade readers to create their own inventions to tell how windshield wipers were first invented 3 Read these sentences. Mary Anderson got the idea for making a windshield wiper while riding a streetcar in the winter of 1902 in New York ity. She then designed, built, and patented the first windshield wiper. Which statement belongs in the summary? A She was told that people had tried and failed to make a device that could remove snow. 2 The purpose of Paragraph 1 is to She felt that there could be a lever inside the vehicle that could move an arm outside it. F introduce Mary Anderson, the She was unable to sell her idea, but inventor of the windshield wiper. someone else later revived her idea G describe the setting that lead to the invention of the windshield wiper. and made a lot of money selling windshield wipers. H J explain the reason Mary Anderson traveled to New York. share the importance of the She felt sorry for the bus driver because he could not see through the snow. invention of the windshield wiper. Page 5

4 The anadian company rejected Mary s windshield wipers because F they were too expensive to manufacture. G they were unattractive and heavy. H they would not be safe. J they would not sell. 6 With which statement would the author of Windshield Wipers Mary Anderson most likely agree? F Ideas can often be inspired through other people. G Useful advances are often the result of much research. 5 What detail best supports the idea that windshield wipers are an important invention? H J The success of a new idea is best predicted by the public s first response. Sometimes people benefit from the work of those that came before them. A The company in anada asked Mary to submit any other useful patents she might have. Mary boarded a streetcar in New York ity. Even in our high-tech society, windshield wipers are still used. Mary added a counterweight to her invention. 7 Why does the author of Windshield Wipers Mary Anderson include the opening story about Mary Anderson s trip to New York ity? A to explain where Anderson got her idea to illustrate how inventors practice what they do to describe the problems the engineers faced in their designs to predict the success Anderson would have with her invention Page 6

8 Why was Mary s wiper designed to be removed in good weather? F because it was in the way of clear sight G because the wiper would destroy a dry windshield H because it was not needed J because the streetcars would have an attractive appearance 10 What was the effect of people telling Mary Anderson, an t be done? F Mary let someone else patent her idea for a window-cleaning device. G Mary s idea for a windshield wiper was forgotten until many years later. H Mary did not listen to them, and she designed the first windshield wiper. J Mary received patents for several different inventions. 9 Why did Anderson add a counterweight to her invention? A to keep the wipers on the car when it was moving quickly to maintain a uniform wiper speed for the blades to make it easier to change the wiper blades to help the wipers wipe the entire window 11 How were Mary Anderson and the streetcar driver similar? A They both wanted to invent a device to help clear the ice. They were both dissatisfied with the current solution to a problem. They both felt helpless in finding a way to make driving safer. They were both turned away by companies for their inventions. Page 7

12 Which of these sources would most likely help a reader learn who revived Mary Anderson s idea after her patent expired? 14 Use two details from the passage to explain how Mary Anderson lost her patent for the windshield wiper. F G H J an encyclopedia article about Mary Anderson an online search of history of windshield wipers a magazine article about streetcar development a textbook entitled America in the Twentieth entury 13 Why did the author describe Mary Anderson s 1902 streetcar ride in New York ity? A to show that Anderson was qualified to be an engineer to explain why Anderson had traveled to New York ity to show the circumstances that inspired Anderson s invention to prove that Anderson s patent was awarded for an original idea Page 8 E SURE YOU HAVE REORE ALL OF YOUR ANSWERS ON YOUR ANSWER OUMENT STOP