Josephine Cochrane: After what event did she invent the dishwasher?

Josephine Cochrane built the first practical dishwasher in 1886. She was born on March 8, 1839 in Ohio, United States.

Cochrane was the daughter of civil engineers John Garis and Irene Fitch Garis.

Her father, John Garis, sent her to a private high school in Indiana. She moved to the state of Illinois with her sister and continued her education there. She married William Cochran on October 13, 1858, and they had two children from this marriage.

Josephine Garis Cochran (later Cochrane; March 8, 1839 – August 3, 1913) was an American inventor who was the inventor of the first commercially successful automatic dishwasher, which she designed in the shed behind her home; she then constructed it engaging the assistance of mechanic George Butters, who became one of her first employees. 

In the 19th century, washing dishes began to bother women in the United States.

They thought that washing dishes was not their duty.

They wanted to devote time to more social activities instead of dealing with this kind of work.

For this reason, the cleaners they hired were performing these duties for them. They complained that the maids did not care too much for their favorite dinnerware.

Cochrane was a wealthy woman who often hosted dinner parties. She never did the dishes herself, she.

She had servants who did the washing up; but she wanted a machine that could do this job faster without breaking any dishes.

After a dinner party, her maid broke some of the dishes while washing, which prompted her to look for a better alternative than hand washing.

The first dishwasher was patented by Joel Houghton in 1880. However, his invention could not clean the dishes properly.

Cochran was one step ahead of her competitors in creativity, mainly because she was a descendant of John Fitch, who claimed to have invented the steamship.

Cochrane started a company called KitchenAid to manufacture dishwashers.

The machine she invented worked with a simple system. Water and soap, pumped by two cylinders at the bottom, were pumped into the shelves where the dishes were lined up inside the machine. Absorbent cylinders drew this water to be pumped again later. First, she measured the dimensions of the dishes. She then made wire compartments, each specifically designed to fit plates, cups or saucers. The pods were placed in a wheel that would push the flat surfaces into the copper cauldron. The engine spun the wheel as hot soapy water gushed up from the bottom of the cauldron and fell on the dishes.

Her friends were very impressed by this situation. Cochran also built a dishwasher for her friends, and they named it the "Cochrane Dishwasher".

The name spread, and she soon began receiving requests from restaurants and hotels in the state of Illinois to build dishwashers. She demonstrated her invention at the Columbian World's Fair in Chicago in 1893 and won the "durability and mechanical fit" award. It became more known by the journalists at the fair upon the introduction of the machines. Cochran, who also marketed the machine herself, said that marketing was more difficult than inventing.

Cochran was only inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006 for her patent number 355.139, issued December 28, 1886.

Cochrane died in 1913.

Invention story from another angle

In 1886, we come across a female inventor, Josephine Cochrane. Cochrane is a descendant of the inventor of steamships, and in some sources it is even said that the inventor of steamships was the grandfather of Josephine Cochrane. It is also said that the young woman, who is thought to have knowledge in engineering and production due to the fact that she comes from such a family, leads a very wealthy life thanks to the wealth of her family.

So much so that Josephine Cochrane does not have to wash dishes at all throughout her life, her servants take care of all the housework, including washing the dishes. The idea that "We don't have to do the housework", which developed especially among wealthy women in the 19th century, and the parties they frequently organize at their homes, become the biggest problem for dozens of maids who leave every day. It is said that Josephine Cochrane's desire to find a solution to this problem is that the maids in her house are often clumsy and break the dishes while washing the dishes, so that new dishes are constantly brought to the house and the dishes are not washed fast enough. In fact, Josephine Cochrane said, "If no one invents a dishwasher, I will do it myself!" she is said to have shouted.

Shortly after Josephine Cochrane started this business with all her determination, she invents an automatic dishwasher, similar to today's. In the mechanism of this dishwasher, the wooden wheel is connected to the copper boiling pot. The impeller can be turned by hand or with the help of a power unit. On the inside, which is surrounded by wire nets, dishes can be placed and soapy water is thrown into these wire nets. The fact that Cochrane makes compartments in different sizes to place different kitchen utensils such as plates, glasses and pots inside is a detail that makes the machine it produces very functional.

Josephine Cochrane does not neglect to patent this functional and practical dishwasher, which she made for her own house in 1886. Then, orders start coming from both wealthy friends and restaurant and hotel owners who need a dishwasher. Upon the great interest of the dishwasher at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, the successful female inventor immediately establishes a production factory, and this factory, which Cochrane laid the foundations for, turns into a successful brand known worldwide especially for white goods and kitchen appliances.

The dishwasher is invented, but the story doesn't end there, of course. When water installations developed in the 1920s, many other brands started production in this field and expanded the sector. In 1929, Europe's first electric top-loading dishwasher was produced. Although this machine arouses great interest, it is not in demand enough in sales. Because the conditions of the period force people economically, and the economic problems affecting almost the whole world extinguish people's desire to spend money on new inventions.

After that, the dishwasher is not followed by negativities. With the outbreak of the Second World War, countries produce almost nothing except the equipment needed for the war. The inventor William Howard Livens, who can look up from chemical weapon designs despite the war period, does not give up and literally invents the dishwasher we know today. Dishwashers, which took this form in 1940, were designed as front-loading and drying at that time. In 1960, the automatic version of this model was produced. At the time they were first produced, these automatic dishwashers still do not receive the expected attention, because their price is said to be almost as expensive as a maid's salary for a year. Thanks to the fact that their prices have decreased to more affordable levels over time, dishwashers can find a place in many homes since then. The dishwasher, which was created by a woman inventor, can continue to make life easier today thanks to such a past.