Hymen Lipman
Encyclopedia
Hymen L. Lipman is credited with registering the first patent for a pencil
with an attached eraser
on March 30, 1858 .
Hymen L. Lipman was born March 20, 1817, in Kingston, Jamaica, to English parents. He emigrated to the United States around 1829 with them, arriving in Philadelphia, Pa., where he resided for the remainder of his life.
In 1840, Lipman succeeded Samuel M. Stewart, then the leading stationer in Philadelphia. Three years later, he started the first envelope company in the U.S.
In 1848, he was married to Mary A. Lehman, daughter of Peter Lehman, one of the founders of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. They had a son and two daughters.
In 1862, Lipman sold his patent to Joseph Reckendorfer for $100,000, who went to sue the pencil manufacturer Faber
for infringement. In 1875 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against Reckendorfer declaring the patent invalid because his invention was actually a combination of two already known things with no new use.
Pencil
A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
with an attached eraser
Eraser
An eraser or rubber is an article of stationery that is used for rubbing out pencil markings. Erasers have a rubbery consistency and are often white or pink, although modern materials allow them to be made in any color. Many pencils are equipped with an eraser on one end...
on March 30, 1858 .
Hymen L. Lipman was born March 20, 1817, in Kingston, Jamaica, to English parents. He emigrated to the United States around 1829 with them, arriving in Philadelphia, Pa., where he resided for the remainder of his life.
In 1840, Lipman succeeded Samuel M. Stewart, then the leading stationer in Philadelphia. Three years later, he started the first envelope company in the U.S.
In 1848, he was married to Mary A. Lehman, daughter of Peter Lehman, one of the founders of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. They had a son and two daughters.
In 1862, Lipman sold his patent to Joseph Reckendorfer for $100,000, who went to sue the pencil manufacturer Faber
Eberhard Faber
Eberhard Faber GmbH was founded in 1922 in Neumarkt, near Nuremberg, Germany, as a pencil factory. It was taken over in 1978 by Staedtler, a stationery company with global presence...
for infringement. In 1875 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against Reckendorfer declaring the patent invalid because his invention was actually a combination of two already known things with no new use.