Winston L. Shelton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Winston L. Shelton
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Winston Laverne Shelton
May 3, 1922 Lockwood, West Virginia, U.S.
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| Died | April 15, 2019 (aged 96) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
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Winston Laverne Shelton (born May 3, 1922 – died April 15, 2019) was an amazing American inventor, engineer, and business owner. He earned 76 US patents, either by himself or with a team. His inventions changed how we wash clothes and how food is cooked in both fast-food places and fancy restaurants.
Some of the technologies Shelton created while working at General Electric are still used today, even after more than 50 years! For example, his patent for the modern "Washing Machine" (US 3257830 A) was given to General Electric in 1965. This invention has been mentioned in over 40 other patents since then.
Shelton also came up with new ways to cook and keep food fresh. One of his inventions was the Collectramatic, which was the first pressure fryer that could cook food without needing to stop and clean the oil often. He also invented Controlled Vapor Technology. This special cooking method uses water vapor to prepare and safely store food.
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Early Life and Learning
Winston Shelton was born in Lockwood, West Virginia, in 1922. He was the youngest of five children. His mother ran a diner called "Cross Roads Restaurant" next to their family's Standard Oil gas station. This is where young Winston first learned about making food, helping his mom in the kitchen.
In 1943, Shelton joined the US Army. He was part of a special program at Princeton University where he studied engineering. He left the army in 1945. Winston also went to Greenbrier Military School and West Virginia University. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1948.
Inventions at General Electric
Shelton started working at General Electric in 1948 as an engineer. He worked in the home laundry division in Trenton, New Jersey. In 1952, he moved to the new General Electric Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky. There, he became a Research and Development Engineer.
He worked at GE for 20 years. During this time, he earned 35 patents, mostly for the drum washing machine. All these inventions were given to GE. His ideas helped create and improve the modern, top-loading washing machine with a spinning agitator.
Shelton invented a system that automatically added the right amount of water at the correct temperature during a wash cycle. He also created an easy-to-remove "Filter-Flo Basket" that caught dirt as water filtered through it. This made washing machines much better!
He also invented a system to prevent dirty water from flowing back into the clean water supply (US 2638112). He even designed a special drain for built-in washing machines to handle extra water safely.
In 1955, Shelton developed a better way to control automatic washing machines. He used a clock motor to build a timing control mechanism. This invention (US 2870278 A) is still used in many appliances today.
Starting Winston Industries
In 1965, Shelton started his own company called Engineering Prototype Services (EPS) in Louisville, Kentucky. He did this with his brother, Naaman Shelton, Jr. This allowed him to work on projects outside of GE. Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC, was one of the first people to invest in his new company. Shelton left GE in 1968. Later, in 1984, the company's name was changed to Winston Industries.
After starting his own company, most of Shelton's inventions focused on solving problems in the food industry. He created an automatic oven that cooks food and then drops it onto a platform for sale (US 5990452 A). He also invented a food storage device that controls humidity (US 5595109 A). Another invention was a special cooking machine that uses both wet and dry temperature sensors to cook food very precisely (US 6521871 B1).
The Collectramatic and KFC's Success
One of Shelton's early customers, Carl Mies, asked him to design a pressure fryer for cooking chicken. At the time, Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants used dangerous stove-top pressure cookers with very hot oil. This led to burns and even exploding cookers. Shelton saw this problem and thought, "That's an engineer's dream!"
After working with Mies, Shelton invented the Collectramatic in 1969. This was a special fryer that could clean its own oil while cooking. It also had very precise time and temperature controls. This helped meet the high standards of Colonel Sanders, KFC's founder. Shelton's self-filtering fryer allowed KFC restaurants to cook many batches of chicken without stopping. Colonel Sanders loved the Collectramatic!
The Collectramatic helped KFC grow very quickly. Sales at KFC stores went up by almost 400% in a short time. Fred Jeffries, a KFC vice president, said that stores were making about $200,000 a year with the old fryers. But with Win's fryer, they could make $900,000 a year! Shelton's invention truly helped KFC become a huge success.
Collectramatic® is a registered trademark.
Controlled Vapor Technology
Colonel Sanders also asked Shelton to invent a better way to keep freshly fried KFC chicken warm without it getting soggy. Shelton came up with a process where cooked food was kept in a special atmosphere of controlled water vapor. This vapor was heated to the food's perfect temperature. Shelton called his invention "Controlled Vapor Technology."
His food-holding device using this technology was named the "Controlled Vapor Oven" or "CVap Oven." This oven could keep food safely at the right temperature and texture for a long time. Shelton received a US Patent in 1996 for his Controlled Vapor Technology and the CVap Oven. "CVap®" is also a registered trademark.
Shelton explained that his technology uses water vapor, not air, to heat food. Air tends to dry out food. Later research showed that chefs could cook food with amazing precision using CVap. This gave them much more control over how moist, hot, and long food was cooked.
From 2008, the CVap oven was tested by the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. They confirmed that it could safely cook proteins over a five-year testing program. Nathan Myhrvold, a famous chef, said that "the CVap provides better temperature stability than any ordinary oven or holding cabinet does."
Another great thing about CVap is that less food is wasted during cooking. This means restaurants save money. Chef Kevin Willmann explained that cooking pork in a regular oven could lose 25% to 40% of its weight. But with a CVap oven, he lost less than 10% because the humid environment kept the moisture in.
Today, CVap ovens are used by top chefs, hotels, school cafeterias, and fast-food restaurants all over the world.
Colonel Sanders' Portrait by Norman Rockwell
In 1973, Winston Shelton wanted to have Norman Rockwell, a famous American painter, create a portrait of Colonel Sanders. This was a way to honor the Colonel. Shelton's advertising manager, George Bemis, started sending letters to Rockwell.
At first, Rockwell said no. He explained that his schedule was full for a year and a half. But Shelton kept trying. When Rockwell mentioned he was 79 years old, Bemis joked that Colonel Sanders was 83 and still going strong, so Rockwell was "a mere child."
Rockwell still said no, but he did mention his fee: "$8,000 for a head and shoulders portrait, in oil." Finally, Rockwell agreed to meet Sanders in August 1973. He took photos and made color notes. In November, Rockwell wanted Sanders to see the painting. He finished the portrait and showed it to Sanders on March 16, 1974.
Today, Winston Industries' Norman Rockwell portrait of Colonel Sanders is on display at the KFC corporate headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. Anyone can see the painting for free during business hours.
A Book About His Life
A book about Winston Shelton, called "Winston L. Shelton: a life of Invention," was published on February 4, 2018. It was written by Steve Coomes. The book shares Shelton's life story in his own words, along with stories from his family and co-workers.
The book describes how Winston Shelton loved to tinker even before high school. He built an underwater helmet, a gas-powered wagon, and a small sawmill from old parts. With help from his dad and brother, he learned how things worked by taking them apart and putting them back together. This made him a great problem-solver. The book tells how he worked on the Manhattan Project, became a top GE engineer, and changed how KFC cooked its famous chicken.
Later Years and Legacy
Teaching and Research
Even after stepping down as CEO of Winston Industries, Shelton continued to teach chefs and dietitians around the world. He taught them the science behind controlling food temperatures and textures using his Controlled Vapor Technology. William H. Bender, a food service consultant, said that Shelton "translated complex food and science issues into equipment solutions."
Shelton continued to lead the Advanced Engineering department at his company until he passed away. His daughter, Valerie Shelton, became President and CEO of Winston Industries in 2010.
Media Appearances
In June 2016, Shelton was interviewed by French journalists. They asked him about his friendship with Colonel Sanders and how he invented the Collectramatic fryer for KFC. Shelton also showed how the Collectramatic works. This documentary, "Inside KFC," was first shown on September 14, 2016, on French television.
In May 2018, Shelton was interviewed by WHAS-TV in Louisville. The segment, called "Inventing Never Stops - The Inventor," showed his passion for inventing. He explained how his father's wish to "make the world a better place" motivated him to keep inventing better ways to cook and enjoy food.
NBC Today Show host Willie Geist shared Shelton’s life story on April 21, 2019. Geist quoted Shelton's life philosophy: "Innovating for the sake of others is how we pay our rent for our time on Earth. It’s how we give back to something that’s given us so much."
Awards and Honors
Winston Shelton received many awards for his inventions and contributions:
- 2010: Foodservice Equipment and Supplies (FE&S) Best in Class Consultants - Heavy Equipment - CVap Cook & Hold Ovens
- 2009: International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Lifetime Achievement Award for his amazing equipment and technology in cooking.
- 2009: International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Award of Excellence
- 2008: StarChefs International Chefs Congress Innovator Awards
- 2008: YUM! Brands Golden Bucket Award
- 2008: YUM! Brands YRI Equipment Supplier of the Year
- 2007: YUM! Brands Asia Business Relationship Award
- 2006: Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) Education Provider of the Year
- 2001: Honorary Doctorate of Science degree from West Virginia University
- 2001: Energy Foodservice Council's Manufacturer of the Year
- 1999: Electric Foodservice Council Manufacturer of the Year
- 1999: R&D Process Development & Equipment Technology Group's Vendor of the Year
- 1998: Johnson & Wales University Honorary Degree (for foodservice and hospitality professionals)
- 1998: Research Chefs Association (RCA) Pioneer Award Recipient
- 1996: Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration degree from Sullivan University
