BRIDGWOOD, Charlotte, American. Inventor of the first automatic windscreen wipers in 1913. Charlotte was very inventive and was also president of a small manufacturing company in New York City. They produced the Electric Storm Windshield Wiper. This version was an improvement on ANDERSON’S patent of 1905, since it was automatic and used rollers as opposed to blades. By 1923 such devices were standard on vehicles, but Charlotte got little credit or wealth from it.