John Stanard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Stanard
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Sarah Elisabeth Jacobs
June 15, 1868 Toledo, Ohio, US
|
| Died | 1900 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Inventor |
| Known for | designing a new configuration for the refrigerator and oil stove |
John Stanard (June 15, 1868 - 1900) was an African-American inventor. He is known for designing a new configuration for the refrigerator and oil stove.
John Stanard is sometimes referred to as John Standard. But, according to his patent files, his last name is spelled without a 'd'.
Contents
Early life
Little is known about his early years. John Stanard was born on June 15, 1868, in Newark, New Jersey, to Mary and Joseph Stanard. At that time, there was a large Black comminity in New Jersey. Most Black people in Newark and the state of New Jersey, faced economic and racial repression, and he probably grew up in the atmosphere of prejudice and discrimination. Nevertheless, he ventured into the field of engineering and design, which was largely dominated by whites.
Inventions
Despite the common misconception, Stanard did not invent the refrigirator. However, he designed a new configuration for the refrigerator and oil stove that would be the standard for the millions of units of the appliances to be sold in coming decades.
On June 14, 1891, Stanard was granted a patent for a manually-filled ice chamber that was separate from the main refrigerator unit. He proposed to locate the chamber in the left bottom corner area of the unit, leaving the main refrigerator section to the right. He introduced holes so that cold air could circulate from the ice chamber to the main refrigerator and chill the products. As Stanard wrote in his patent application, "cold-air ducts and perforations...(ensuring that) a constant circulation of air is maintained through the several chambers, and the water for drinking purposes in the receptacle d is always kept cool."
His design was non-electrical and unpowered.
Two years earlier, on October 29, 1889, Stanard received U.S. Patent No. 413,689 for his improvement of the stovetop. He design was space-saving and could be used for buffet-style meals on trains. Stanard described his improvement:
"The hereindescribed invention consists in certain improvements in that class of oilstoves. Used more particularly in places where space is limited-as, for instance, in buffet cars, &c. the object being to furnish attachments for such stoves which will enable the cooking of a great variety of meats, vegetables, &c., at one time."
Death
John Stanard died in 1900, being 31 or 32 years old.
Patent gallery
-
Refrigerator, patent sheet #1
-
Refrigerator, patent sheet #2
-
Oil stove, patent sheet #1
-
Oil stove, patent sheet #2
