On January 25, 1870, Gustavus Dows received U.S. Patent No. 99170 on a Soda Fountain:

Gustavus D. Dows, the youngest of a 21-child family from Billerica, ran a drugstore with his brother at 213 Central Street in Lowell in the mid-1850s. He spent his days serving shaved ice lemonade to his customers, laboriously pulling a block of ice from an ice box each time and set to shaving with a hand planer it to make each drink. He spent his nights trying to come with a better way to make his shaved ice drinks, eventually inventing a dispenser that shaved ice and then automatically mixed it with syrup and cream.

Dows patented his invention and moved to Boston’s Washington Street, where business boomed. Not only did he sell more and more ice cream sodas, but he also sold his patented soda fountains. The New York Times wrote that Mr. Dows was the first to create a fountain that “looked like a Doric temple.”

On January 24, 1871, Charles Goodyear, Jr., (son of the inventor of vulcanization of rubber) received U.S. Patent No. 111,197 on a Machine for Sewing Boots and Shoes:

This was one of a series of seven patents that issued for machinery to make the famous Goodyear welt. U.S. Patent Nos. 96944, 112802,113420, 116947, 140035, and 143237, culminating with U.S. Patent No. 170547. A welt is a strip of material (e.g., leather, rubber, or plastic) extending the perimeter of a shoe outsole. The Goodyear welt machinery was actually based on a welt machine patented by August Destouy (U.S. Patent No. 143237) in 1862.

On January 23, 1968, U.S. Patent No. 3,364,616, issued to Samuel Speers on a Toy Deep Sea Diver Outfit:

This outfit was for GI Joe, which Speers also designed.

Speers began working for Hassenfeld Brothers in 1960. He was quickly put in charge of product development for GI Joe who he patented (U.S. Patent No. 3,277,602) a few years earlier in 1966:

In 1969 after several hits including GI Joe and Mr. Potatohead, Hassenfeld Brothers rebranded as Hasbro, and Speers was an integral part of their success.

On January 21, 1837, Hezekiah L. Thistle received U.S. Patent No. 112 on a Riding Saddle useful for removing the sick and wounded:

Thistle claimed the title Captain, and led a volunteer force in Florida during the Second Seminole War. He is also credited with inventing a more conventional ambulance for use during that operation:

On January 20, 1874, U.S. Patent No. 146607 issued to Elijah McCoy, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, on an Improvement in Steam-Lubricators:

Elijah was one of the most prolific Black inventors of his era, receiving at least 52 patents (listed below). So remarkable was his career, that the United States Patent and Trademark Office named its first regional office, in Detroit, Michigan, the “Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Patent Office.”

On January 19, 1904, Charles Foglesong received U.S. Patent No. 750179 on an ELectric Blanket:

Electric blanket technology developed relatively quickly. Frank Singer received U.S. Patent No. 751353 on an Electric Blanket a few weeks later, on February 2, 1904. Harlow D. Parker obtained U.S. Patent No. 1,158,834 on a Vibratory Electric Bath Blanket on November 2, 1915.

On January 18, 1977, Julie Newmar received U.S. Patent No. 4,003,094 on Pantyhose with Shaping Band for Cheeky Derrier Relief, that was marketed under the name under the name “Nudemar”:

Julie Newmar is an actress famous a number of roles, including Catwoman on the 1960s TV series Batman. In addition to her panty hose patent, Julie also received U,S. Patent No. 3,935,865 on a Brassiere, which issued February 3, 1976.

On January 17, 1871, Andrew Hallidie received U.S. Patent No. 110971 on an Endless Wire Ropeway that formed the basis for the San Francisco cable care system:

Cable car service began in San Francisco on August 1, 1873, running a distance of 2,800 feet and rising 307 feet. Hallidie’s was not the first U.S. patent on a cable car, that honor goes to  Eleazer A. Gardner who received U.S. Patent No. 19,736, on March 23, 1858. Although second in time, Hallidie’s cable car was a financial success, and his patents, which were enforced on cable car promoters around the world and made him wealthy.

On January 15, 1907, Lee DeForest received U.S. Patent No. 841386 for Wireless Telegraphy and 841287 for a Device for Amplifuing Feeble Electrical Currents:

The vacuum tube amplifier was a critical component of early radios and televisions, until transistors replaced them. For his pioneering work, de Forest has been credited as the “Father of Radio”, an appellation he adopted as the title of his 1950 autobiography. 

On January14, 1908, U.S. Patent No. D39025 issued to Erhard Faber on an Eraser:

Readers of a certain age will remember this typewriter eraser:

Or the pink version with a brush: