Jerome H. Lemelson facts for kids

Jerome "Jerry" Hal Lemelson (July 18, 1923 – October 1, 1997) was an American engineer, inventor, and patent holder. He created many inventions, especially for warehouses, industrial robots, cordless telephones, and fax machines. He also worked on videocassette recorders and camcorders.

Jerry Lemelson held 605 patents, making him one of the most active inventors in American history. He strongly supported the rights of independent inventors, who work on their own. He was part of a special government committee on patent issues from 1976 to 1979.

Some people saw him as a hero for independent inventors. Others, especially lawyers from big companies, criticized him because of his many lawsuits about patents. In 1993, Lemelson and his family started the Lemelson Foundation. This group helps new inventions and ideas that can make life better in the United States and other countries.

Jerry's Early Life and Education

Jerry Lemelson was born on Staten Island, New York, on July 18, 1923. He was the oldest of three brothers. His father was a doctor.

As a child, Jerry's first invention was a lighted tongue depressor for his dad. When he was a teenager, he ran a small business from his basement. He made and sold gas-powered model airplanes.

After serving in the World War II United States Army Air Corps, he went to New York University. He taught African American engineers in the Army. This experience made him care deeply about civil rights. He wanted to help minority students get an education in engineering.

After the war, he earned two master's degrees. One was in aeronautical engineering (about airplanes) and the other in industrial engineering (about making things efficiently). He worked for the Navy on a project to develop jet engines. He also designed guided missiles for Republic Aviation.

Later, he worked as a safety engineer at a factory. He quit because the company would not make safety changes he thought were important. This was his last job before he became a full-time independent inventor.

Amazing Inventions and Ideas

Jerry Lemelson's first big invention was a special robot for factories. This robot could do many different jobs, like welding or moving products. It could also use cameras to check for problems on the production line. He called this "machine vision" and filed for a patent in 1954. Parts of these robot systems were later used by the Triax Corporation.

In the 1950s, he also worked on ways to store information using magnetic tape or videotape. This allowed documents to be recorded and viewed on a screen. Sony later used his ideas in their audio and video cassette players.

He also developed patents for word processing and data handling. He licensed twenty of these patents to IBM in 1981. IBM even offered him a job, but he wanted to stay an independent inventor. He also created patents for making integrated circuits, which he licensed to Texas Instruments.

Jerry was very creative and often used ideas from one area to help another. For example, he used concepts from high-tech fields like robotics and lasers to invent new toys. He got patents for velcro target games, wheeled toys, and even improved the classic propeller beanie hat! His toy inventions were even shown at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

He also had an idea for making semiconductors more efficient. He noticed how heat shields on rockets would oxidize (rust) when re-entering Earth's atmosphere. He realized a similar process could happen at a tiny level in silicon wafers. This could help electricity flow better.

A Dedicated Independent Inventor

From 1957 onward, Jerry Lemelson worked only as an independent inventor. For more than 40 years, he received about one patent every month. His inventions covered many areas, including automated warehouses, industrial robots, cordless telephones, fax machines, and camcorders. He even invented illuminated highway markers.

Jerry wrote and drew almost all of his patent applications himself. He rarely needed help from lawyers. People described him as a "workaholic" because he spent 12 to 14 hours a day working on his ideas. Sometimes he would work up to 18 hours a day!

His younger brother said that Jerry would often wake up in the middle of the night to write down new inventions. This happened almost every night.

Jerry Lemelson passed away in 1997 after battling liver cancer. Even in his last year, he applied for over 40 patents. Many of these were for finding and treating cancer. Some of his patents were even issued after he died, like a "Facial-recognition vehicle security system" in 2009.

Jerry was a strong supporter of independent inventors. He believed that the patent system should protect their ideas. He argued that high legal costs and problems in the courts made it hard for American inventors. He felt this was hurting new ideas and technology in the U.S.

Protecting His Inventions

Jerry Lemelson was granted more than 600 patents. This made him one of the most active patent holders of his time. He spent much of his later career in legal battles to protect his inventions.

He was seen as a champion for independent inventors. However, some big companies and their lawyers criticized him. For example, he claimed he invented the "flexible track" used in Hot Wheels toys. He sued Mattel and initially won a large amount of money, but this decision was later changed.

He also won a $17 million case against Illinois Tool Works for a robot tool that sprayed paint. This victory was upheld by the courts.

Lemelson often sued companies for using his "machine vision" patents. These patents described how cameras could scan visual information and store it in a computer. This technology, combined with robots, could check products on an assembly line. He settled with many Japanese and European car and electronics companies in the early 1990s.

He also used this approach with American companies. He would sue them and then negotiate for them to pay him to use his inventions. Some people found this controversial.

Jerry always said he followed all the rules of the United States Patent Office. He believed that the long delays in getting his patents were the fault of the patent office's slow process. He also said that for many years, companies were not interested in his ideas.

Because of cases like Lemelson's, new laws were made in the U.S. to prevent patents from being kept secret for too long. Now, most patent applications are made public after 18 months. This helps companies know about new inventions sooner.

Honors and Legacy

In 1995, Jerry Lemelson was named Engineer of the Year by Design News magazine. He earned millions of dollars from companies like IBM and Sony who licensed his inventions without a fight.

He received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1995. In 1998, on Thomas Edison's birthday, the John Templeton Foundation gave him a special award after he passed away.

The Lemelson Foundation

The Lemelson Foundation is a charitable organization started by Jerry Lemelson and his wife Dorothy in 1993. Its goal is to support invention and innovation. They want to help create new ideas and technologies that can improve people's lives in the United States and in developing countries around the world.

See also

In Spanish: Jerome Hal Lemelson para niños

• Independent inventor
• Patent troll