Margaret E. Knight lived in this house in Framingham, MA. (Photograph courtesy of Mrs. Berlin's 3rd grade class at the Charlotte A. Dunning School in Framing-ham, MA.)

Introduction

Back in 1838 when Margaret E. Knight was born, nobody knew that she would become one of the world's greatest inventors.

Margaret was not like other girls as we will see in a moment. 

Early Inspiration

Margaret was only 12 when she made her first invention. She was at a textile mill when she saw an employee get a terrible injury. After observing this accident she was determined to invent a machine that would provide safety to all mill workers. After she thought of many ideas she finally thought of the stop-motion device, something that would stop the machine automatically if anything got caught.           

Biography of Margaret E. Knight

"I'm not surprised at what I've done. I'm only sorry I couldn't have had as good a chance as a boy, and have been put to my trade regularly." - Margaret Knight

As quoted in Feminine Ingenuity, ch. 3, by Anne L. MacDonald (1992).

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Flat-Bottom Paper Bag Machine

Out of the many inventions Margaret Knight made, the flat bottom paper bag was one of the greatest. While working in a paper bag factory, Margaret saw how hard it was to pack things in a bag with no flat bottom and came up with the idea of the flat-bottom paper bag machine! With her boss's approval, Margaret made a wooden model of her idea to test. It took her a year of testing before she was satisfied and wanted to make a metal model. After having it manufactured the way she wanted it, Margaret needed it to be recognized as her own so she tried to apply for a patent.

Margaret was certain that she was going to get her patent, but someone stopped her.  A man named Charles Annan tried to steal her invention.  Charles had studied her invention and tried to patent it before she did.  When Margaret found out Charles was trying to patent her invention, she and Charles went to court.  Charles' argument was that a women couldn't invent such a complicated machine.  Margaret proved her case by showing drawings, models, and notes.  The judges saw Margaret really did invent the machine and awarded her patent number 109,224.

More Inventions

These are some more inventions by Margaret Knight:

Rotary Engine

Spit

Shoe Cutter

Dress and Skirt Shield

Margaret Knight died in 1914.  The most amazing thing about Margaret is she made so many inventions even though most people didn't believe she could do anything but she pushed her self to reach her goal. 

Drawings from Margaret's patent application.  Image courtesy of the Framingham Historical  Society and Museum, and the National Museum  of American History--Smithsonian Institution.