Richard Spikes facts for kids

Richard Bowie Spikes (born October 2, 1878 – died January 22, 1963) was an amazing African-American inventor. He held many patents in the United States. He made important improvements to things we still use today. These include a beer tap, turn signals for cars, and a way to make cars shift gears automatically. He also created a safety braking system for big trucks and buses.

About Richard Spikes

Richard Bowie Spikes was born in Dallas, Texas in 1878. He was one of nine children. His father, Monroe Spikes, was a barber. Richard's two younger brothers, John Curry Spikes and Reb Spikes, became famous musicians. They wrote a popular jazz song called "Someday Sweetheart."

Richard learned to cut hair in his father's barber shop. He was also a talented musician, playing the piano and violin. Later, he became a public school teacher in Beaumont, Texas.

Family Life

On October 8, 1900, Richard married Lula Belle Charlton. Her father helped start the first public schools for African Americans in Beaumont. Richard and Lula had one son, Richard Don Quixote Spikes.

After getting married, Richard Spikes moved west. He lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico and later Bisbee, Arizona. In these places, he ran a barber shop and a saloon.

Richard Spikes' Inventions

Richard Spikes was always thinking of ways to make things better. He developed many useful inventions throughout his life.

Beer Tapper

While running his saloon, Richard noticed how hard it was to get beer out of a keg. He came up with new ways to use pressure to dispense draft beer. He received a patent for his improved beer tap in 1908. A brewing company bought his patent, and similar versions of his invention are still used today.

Car Turn Signals

Richard moved to San Francisco, California. In 1913, he received a patent for his design of directional signals for cars. He even put his invention on a Pierce-Arrow car. It's important to know that he wasn't the first to invent turn signals. Another inventor, Percy Douglas-Hamilton, had a patent for them earlier. But Richard's improvements were still very important.

Automatic Gear Shift

Richard continued to invent even as his eyesight began to get worse. In 1932, he received a patent for an automatic gear shift device. This invention helped cars and other vehicles change gears by themselves. This was a big step towards the automatic transmissions we have today.

Safety Brake System

One of his later inventions was a safety braking system. He patented this in 1962. This system was designed to make large trucks and buses safer. It helped them stop more reliably.

Other Inventions

Richard Spikes also invented many other things. These include:

• A rack for billiard cues (1910)
• A machine to test car brakes (1923)
• A special opener and cover for milk bottles (1926)
• A barber's chair that could swing horizontally (1950)

Richard Spikes was a truly creative person. He kept inventing throughout his life, making many things better for everyone.