Margaret Eloise Knight
Personal Information
Born: 1838
Died: 1914
Country of Birth: USA
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: White
Education
left school at age 12
Professional Life
Field of Study: Inventor
Institution/Corporation: unknown
Degrees & Memberships: none
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1871, decorated by Queen Victoria for paper-bag machine; 2006, National Inventors Hall of Fame
Achievements: Flat-bottom paper bag, Machine for Making Flat-Bottomed Paper Bags; founded Eastern Bag Company 1870; sold most of her patents for out-right fees or limited royalties; made her living as an inventor
Invented the machine for making flat-bottomed paper bags
Has been called "the most famous 19th century woman inventor"
When she was 12 she witnessed an accident in a cloth factory; invented a device that automatically stopped a machine if something got stuck in it so similar accidents wouldn't happen again
Charles Annan spied on her & tried to steal her paper bag invention; she took him to court & his defense was "women were incapable of being inventors" but she had proof the machine was her invention; she won the case & was awarded the patent
She was responsible for over 100 inventions but only received patents for 27, including paper bags & a sole cutting machine
Left school when she was 12