Josephine Cochrane

Josephine M. ( Garis ) Cochrane ( * 1839 in Valparaiso ( Indiana); † August 3, 1913 ) from Shelbyville (Illinois ) is regarded as the inventor of the first practical dishwasher. The first patent on a device of this kind was Joel Houghton in 1850, but it proved to be barely functioning and found no spread.

Her father John Garis was a civil engineer, her grandmother was Irene Fitch, and her great-grandfather was the inventor John Fitch. On October 13, 1858, she married William A. Cochran ( 1831-1883 ).

She was a rich woman, and gave lots of parties. She was annoyed that their employees broke so many dishes, but also did not want to wash themselves; therefore, she dealt quite systematically with a device for flushing. In 1883 she began umzustetzen their ideas into action, with the help of the railway mechanic George Buttler they built the first machine.

On December 28, 1886, the dishwasher was patented on their name. At the World Exhibition in Chicago in 1893 Josephine Cochrane was awarded the prize for " the best mechanical construction, durability and purpose correspondence ."

Their first machine was built at a contract manufacturer in Indiana, with whom she but soon fell out. She founded the company Cochran 's Crescent Washing Machine Company, which later became in Kitchenaid. Customers were initially restaurants and hotels. Only after 1960 were dishwashers gradually moving into private households.