Latimer improved on Edison's original light bulb by adding carbon filaments in 1881.
Born in 1848, Lewis Howard Latimer was one of the first important African American inventors of the late 19th century. He was patent adviser to Alexander Graham Bell and played a crucial part in Bell's race to file the first telephone patent in 1876. His name is on seven patents, either as sole inventor or jointly with others, Latimer is mainly remembered for inventing the carbon filament for light bulbs.
Latimer's Background
The son of escaped slaves living in Massachusetts, Latimer's introduction to inventions and patenting was as office boy with the Crosby and Gould Patent Law Firm in Boston. He was fascinated by the patenting process as well as the inventions and studied the draftsmen's work closely at every opportunity. He quietly taught himself to use draftsmen's tools, mastering difficult mechanical drawings in pen and ink and developing the skill of doing them to scale. According to the Smithsonian Institute's Luvenia George "Latimer's drawings in this medium are as beautiful as works of art." When the company saw how good he was, it promoted him to draftsman and Latimer's inventing career began in earnest.
Electric Incandescent Lighting
In 1878 Thomas Edison had created his prototype light bulb, consisting of a thin strip of paper (the filament) attached to wires kept in a vacuum inside a glass bulb. The filament lit up when fed with electricity. The main problem with this early version of the bulb was that the paper filament burned out too quickly for efficient widespread use and many people were competing to get it right first. Edison hired Latimer to help solve the problem which he did by changing the paper to carbonized cotton thread. He also patented the process for manufacturing the carbon filaments and sold it to the U.S. Electric Lighting Company.
Toilets, Electric Lamps and Air Conditioning
Latimer was behind a variety of items for everyday use, including an improved type of "Water-Closets for Railroad Cars." With this device, patented in 1874, Latimer and his co-inventor Charles W Brown solved the problem of the unpleasant open-bottomed toilets already in use. In the new and improved W.C. the bottom closed as the toilet lid lifted up, and then opened again to let the waste fall out when the lid was closed. Latimer worked on another invention with John Tregoning, the "globe or shade supporter" which was an efficient addition to the electric lamp. This creation made lamps more stable and the globes less likely to break when replacing carbon filaments. Next, working alone to beat indoor heat problems, Latimer came up with the "apparatus for cooling and disinfecting," an early type of air-conditioning system.
Hat Racks and Book Supporters
In 1896, Latimer invented the "locking rack for hats, coats, umbrellas, &c.," secure contraptions where people could lock away their everyday attire and accessories occupying "very little space" for use in "hallways, as well as in hotels, restaurants and like places of public resort." Finally, in 1905, he came up with the "book Supporter," another everyday object, because he observed that "the need for some convenient supporter for books arranged upon the shelves of ordinary bookcases is well-known."
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