Here's to you, Mr Intermittent Windshield Wiper Guy - GoFuckYourself.com

SteveLightspeed · 02-25-2005, 12:01 PM

DETROIT - Robert Kearns, the inventor of intermittent windshield wipers, has died of cancer, according to family members. He was 77.

Kearns died Feb. 9 at his home in suburban Baltimore and was buried in Michigan on a misty Valentine's Day (news - web sites).

"It was going just enough to have the wipers going on intermittent. I thought, `How appropriate,'" Kearns' daughter, Maureen Kearns, told the Detroit Free Press for a story published Friday.

Kearns was born in Gary, Ind., and grew up in suburban Detroit. He was a member of the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites), during World War II. After the war, he earned engineering degrees from the University of Detroit and Wayne State University and a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University.

In 1967, Kearns patented the intermittent wipers he invented. He demonstrated the system to Ford Motor Co., which introduced cars with intermittent wipers in 1978. Other automakers soon followed.

Kearns filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Ford and collected $10 million in 1990. Five years later, the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) let Kearns collect around $21 million from Chrysler Corp. for using his design.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...us/obit_kearns

JFK · 02-25-2005, 12:18 PM

yes thank you, I read a lot of articles about him getting ripped off the the big manufacturers. Glad to see he got his money in the later stages of his life

Black Dog · 02-25-2005, 01:18 PM

I saw this guy intereview on David Letterman a long time ago, right after he won the patent suit. Just goes to show that the little guy sometimes can win in court against a huge corporation, especially in a patent suit.

B

tony286 · 02-25-2005, 01:37 PM

nice to see he got paid

MrJackMeHoff · 02-25-2005, 02:01 PM

How do you invent a wiper speed?

02-25-2005, 12:01 PM	#1
SteveLightspeed Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Lightspeedworld Posts: 7,940	Here's to you, Mr Intermittent Windshield Wiper Guy DETROIT - Robert Kearns, the inventor of intermittent windshield wipers, has died of cancer, according to family members. He was 77. Kearns died Feb. 9 at his home in suburban Baltimore and was buried in Michigan on a misty Valentine's Day (news - web sites). "It was going just enough to have the wipers going on intermittent. I thought, `How appropriate,'" Kearns' daughter, Maureen Kearns, told the Detroit Free Press for a story published Friday. Kearns was born in Gary, Ind., and grew up in suburban Detroit. He was a member of the Office of Strategic Services, the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency (news - web sites), during World War II. After the war, he earned engineering degrees from the University of Detroit and Wayne State University and a doctorate from Case Western Reserve University. In 1967, Kearns patented the intermittent wipers he invented. He demonstrated the system to Ford Motor Co., which introduced cars with intermittent wipers in 1978. Other automakers soon followed. Kearns filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Ford and collected $10 million in 1990. Five years later, the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) let Kearns collect around $21 million from Chrysler Corp. for using his design. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...us/obit_kearns __________________ Abra-cadabra!

02-25-2005, 12:18 PM	#2
JFK FUBAR the ORIGINATOR Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: FUBARLAND Posts: 67,374	yes thank you, I read a lot of articles about him getting ripped off the the big manufacturers. Glad to see he got his money in the later stages of his life __________________ FUBAR Webmasters - The FUBAR Times - FUBAR Webmasters Mobile - FUBARTV.XXX For promo opps contact jfk at fubarwebmasters dot com

02-25-2005, 01:18 PM	#3
Black Dog Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Toronto, Earth Posts: 1,108	I saw this guy intereview on David Letterman a long time ago, right after he won the patent suit. Just goes to show that the little guy sometimes can win in court against a huge corporation, especially in a patent suit. B __________________ Looking for a great program that converts ANY traffic? Me too! :-P

02-25-2005, 02:01 PM	#5
MrJackMeHoff Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: LOLLIPOP ISLAND =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Posts: 4,569	How do you invent a wiper speed? __________________

02-25-2005, 01:37 PM	#4
tony286 lurker Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: atlanta Posts: 57,021	nice to see he got paid