18 December 2015

Inventions in Everything: The Baby Cage

According to experts, babies and kids need fresh air. But if you live in an overdeveloped urban area, it can be hard to find an area where it is safe enough to bring your children so they can benefit. What is a mother living in the city to do if she really cares about her children's healthy development?

Fortunately, that was a problem that was solved by Emma Reed, a mother in Spokane, Washington, to whom U.S. Patent 1,448,235 was issued on 13 March 1923. Her solution? A "portable baby cage" that could be firmly placed into the windows of high rise apartment buildings!

Here's how she describes the problem and how her invention solves it:

It is well known that a great many difficulties rise in raising and properly housing babies and small children in crowded citied, that is to say from the health viewpoint. This is especially true with reference to babies and young children, who at present are being raised in large apartments, as a result of not obtaining the proper fresh air, as well as being outdoors, for such air and exercise. In crowded cities, where the houses are closely arranged, and in large apartments, there is no way for proper ventilation. Back and front yards are small, while those living in in apartments have no facilities whatever, to permit the children and babies to receive proper fresh air from the outside.

With these facts in view it is the purpose of the present invention to provide an article of manufacture for babies and young children, to be suspended upon the exterior of a building adjacent an open window, wherein the baby or young child may be placed. This article of manufacture comprises a housing or cage, wherein the baby or young child together with proper toys may be placed. The baby is enabled to receive fresh air through the screen or wire fabric, and it will be noted that the baby has sufficient room or space for playing with toys.

But wait! There's video of the invention in use!

It's the sort of thing that could only be made real by mothers who care!

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