Anna Baldwin facts for kids
Anna Baldwin was a clever inventor who ran a dairy farm in Newark, New Jersey. She became famous for her amazing invention called the Hygienic Glove Milker, which she received a patent for on February 18, 1879.
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About Anna Baldwin
Anna Elizabeth Corey Baldwin was born on September 7, 1832. Her parents were Ashbel W. Corey and Anna Elizabeth Corey.
Anna married George Thompson Baldwin. They had one child together, named Anna Elizabeth Baldwin. This daughter later married Alexander Muir Linnett. Anna and her husband also ran a dairy stand in Newark, New Jersey.
Anna Baldwin passed away on October 6, 1888, when she was 56 years old. She is buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey, USA.
Anna Baldwin's Smart Inventions
From the 1860s to the late 1870s, Anna Baldwin applied for five patents. One of these was an updated version of an earlier patent. Her inventions had a big impact on dairy farming.
Making Butter and Pomade Faster
In 1868, Anna received her first patent. It was for a special device that helped treat milk to make pomade and butter. This invention allowed farmers to make these products much faster. This meant farmers could earn more money.
Better Milk Separators and Coolers
Just one year later, in 1869, Anna designed two more new inventions. One was an improved way to separate milk. The other was a better milk cooler. She later updated her patent for the milk cooler in 1871. The main goal of these inventions was to help farmers produce more milk products to sell.
The Hygienic Glove Milker
Anna Baldwin's most important invention was the Hygienic Glove Milker. She received the patent for it on February 18, 1879. This machine was designed to milk cows using suction. It could milk all four teats at once, which made the process much faster. It also made it easier for farmers.
The device was like a soft, stretchy rubber bag or case that fit over the cow's udder. The top of the cup had a tight band to keep air from getting in. Tubes connected this part to a pump, similar to a water pump. When a farmer used the pump, the air pressure would gently pull on the cow's udder. This would cause the milk to come out and flow into a bucket.
Anna designed her machine to get the same amount of milk as older machines, but without the problems. For example, an older machine from 1819 used tubes inserted into the cow's teats. This could cause problems like spreading diseases or hurting the cow. Anna's Hygienic Glove Milker was much safer and less harmful to the cows. It helped farmers get more milk without hurting their animals. This was a great benefit for dairy farms.
How Anna's Work Changed Dairy Farming
Even with Anna's clever design, continuous suction on a cow's udder could sometimes irritate the cow. This might cause the cow to kick. Better milking machines started to appear around 1883 from other inventors.
However, it was a Swedish engineer named Carl Gustav de Laval who designed the first truly successful milking machine that was sold widely. The inventions of both Carl Gustav de Laval and Anna Baldwin helped lead to the modern dairy farming methods we see today.
See Also
- Dairy farming
- Milking machine
