WCW Series: Who Do We Thank For Heat? MARGARET WILCOX

Before women had the right to vote in the United States, Margaret Wilcox brought an invention to the automotive industry that changed things.

Wilcox is the subject of our Women Crush Wednesday feature, which is an important one. Normally, we talk about recent women who race cars or test vehicles, but Margaret did something we can all be grateful for. Considering the fact that she was born in 1838, it’s amazing to realize what Wilcox did that helps the entire auto industry, even to this day.

Think About that Time in History

Wilcox was born in 1838, which was before the Civil War, before the first automobile, and before we had fifty states in this country. She grew up at a time when women were not typically pushed into science and engineering fields. Even so, Margaret A. Wilcox was one of the first female mechanical engineers in the country. She was so instrumental in the development of many industrial discoveries that she was granted several US patents for her inventions. She couldn’t vote, but she could make things that have made our lives much easier. One of these inventions continues to be important to the automotive industry.

Car Heating Systems Came from Her Invention

Not long after the horseless carriage or the automobile was invented, many engineers, including Wilcox, worked to make them more comfortable and safer to drive. In the fall of 1893, she applied for a patent for an invention that would help divers in many ways. This was an invention of the car heating system. The patent was registered on November 28, 1893, and was a system consisting of a combustion chamber and pipes that ran beneath the passenger area of the vehicle. This was where heated water moved.

The invention of this heating system solved two problems simultaneously. The heat made driving easier in foggy and cool weather by keeling the windows free of fog, and the system kept the interior of the vehicle arm. This system could keep passengers more comfortable and allow visibility to reach maximum levels. The heating made the driving experience more pleasant and safer when a vehicle was out on the road.

Considering the road conditions of the time were mostly dirt paths worn down by horses, and the wheels were either made of wood or metal, driving was harsh and difficult. Thankfully, most cars were slow-moving vehicles, especially when you compare them to models we have today. This meant visibility might have been more important then than it is now.

Sexism Shows Its Ugly Head

Although Margaret Wilcox was a mechanical engineer, women were not permitted to file for patents under their own names while she was alive. In fact, it wasn’t just not permitted; it was illegal. She filed her patents under her husband’s name for many years. Thankfully, the 1893patent for the car heating system was filed under her name because the laws had changed by this time. This means she was able to receive full credit for her invention, which she richly deserved.

The Heater Could Get Uncomfortable, but it Got Things Started

While an impressive invention of the time, the heating system designed by Wilcox caused the cabin of a vehicle to either be too cold or much too hot. If a driver kept going for a long time, they would often have burning hands and end at their destination covered in sweat. There wasn’t a way to regulate this heater, but it certainly was a step forward in the right direction for comfort and safety in vehicles.

Think of Wilcox Whenever You Use the Heater in Your Car

The first car heating system was designed, patented, and invented by Margaret Wilcox in 1893. This invention is something we still use today, just in a different form. Wilcox certainly is worthy of our Women Crush Wednesday for her contribution to the auto industry and the heating system used in early automobiles by manufacturers of the time.