Maria E. Beasley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria E. Beasley
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Maria E. Beasley (1897)
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Maria Hauser
c. 1836 North Carolina, United States
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| Died | 1913 (aged 76–77) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, inventor |
| Years active | c. 1878–1898 |
| Known for | Barrel-making machines and improvements to the life raft |
| Spouse(s) | John Q. Beasley |
| Children | 2 |
Maria E. Beasley (née Hauser; c. 1836–1913) was an American entrepreneur and inventor.
Contents
Early life
Maria Hauser was born in about 1836 in North Carolina to a wealthy family. Her parents were Anna Johanna Spach and Christian Hauser. Maria showed a keen interest in mechanics as a youth. She created several functioning watermills on her own without any assistance from anyone else.
One of her grandfathers, Jacob Hauser, was a distillery owner in Kentucky, and when Maria visited him and his business she learned about the work of barrel-making.
Career
Between 1878 and 1898, Beasley patented fifteen inventions in the United States: these included a footwarmer, an improved life raft, and an anti-derailment device for trains; however, her primary success as an inventor rose from a specialty in barrel-making machines and processes. Beasley licensed a patent to the Standard Oil Company, exhibited her work at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition and the World's Columbian Exposition, and founded two companies for the design and manufacture of barrels (one of which later sold for $1.4 million, the equivalent to $45,598,519 in 2022).
Inventions
Footwarmer
In 1878, Beasley patented her first innovation, a footwarmer. It uses a chamber of water that is heated by either the direct flame or heat from a lamp. Two pipes are used to clear the smoke generated by the lamp and the steam generated in the water heating chamber. The chamber of water lies directly underneath the upholstered surface upon which the user rests their feet. Due to the fire risk of the open flame of the lamp, Beasley mounts the lamps on small structural supports that can be moved in and out of the chamber through a door. The lamps also will right themselves if the footwarmer is overturned, further reducing the chance of a fire or explosion.
Barrel-hooping machine
Previously, all barrels were made by hand in a manual process. Beasley became determined to create a barrel-hooping machine capable of reliably and efficiently hooping wood together to create barrels.
In 1881, she won her first patent for a barrel-hooping machine, followed by a second version of the patent (including one filed in the United Kingdom) in 1882. Her machine is designed to fit hoops tightly onto both sides of the barrel simultaneously. Her updated patent aims to account for differences and imperfections in the shape of barrel staves and hoops; it uses radially-adjustable arms and jaws to hold materials more firmly in place. The final design was capable of hooping 1,600-1,700 barrels per day, far more than a barrel cooper could hoop on their own.
By 1912, Beasley's barrel-hooping patent had been generating $20,000 in annual royalties.
Aside from her two barrel-hooping machines, Beasley also patented at least five other barrel-related innovations: a process for making barrels (1886), two barrel-making machines (1884 and 1888), a machine for setting up barrels (1888), and a process for notching and cutting hoops (1891).
Life raft design
Beasley was awarded two patents for an improved life raft, one in 1880 and the other in 1882. Beasley’s raft uses a base of collapsible metal floats that is more flexible and makes storage on board a ship easier, also including airtight containers to protect perishable provisions. In her updated design, she makes it so that the raft can be used reversibly with greater ease (in case of accidental overturning) by adjusting the surface of the metal floats and including an adjustable guardrail.
Anti-derailment device for trains
In 1898, Beasley was awarded a patent for a "Means for preventing derailment of railroad-cars". Her anti-derailment device is a combination of a guardrail and locking device. The guardrail uses a strong top flange (a protruding edge or rim), located at the inner side of the track rail, which engages with a detent (a mechanical catch) connected to the train. In the event of a train car about to derail, the detent and flange prevent the car from leaving the track and restore regular motion. The detent must be rigidly framed in position to avoid the risk of straining and being wrenched from its fastenings.
Personal life
Maria married a North Carolina doctor named John Q. Beasley, taking his name. They had two sons: C. Oscar and Walter.
Death
Beasley died in 1913.
Interesting facts about Maria E. Beasley
- At the age of thirteen, Maria built a small sailboat that was capable of safely transporting her and her dog.
- Beasley patented a total of fifteen inventions in the United States, and obtained additional British patents for two of those works.
- Her other non-barrel related inventions included two patents for an improved life raft (1880 and 1882), a machine for pasting the upper parts of shoes (1882), a steam generator (1886), and a bread-making machine.
See also
In Spanish: Maria Beasley para niños
