The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
The first patent for a mechanical dishwashing device was granted in 1850 to a man named Houghton from Ogden, New York. His wooden contraption splashed water on dishes. In 1866, Josephine Cochrane of Shelbyville, Indiana, built a dishwasher in her home. Her interest in developing tools that would ease the labor of household chores extended beyond dishwashing machines, and she established one of the first kitchen equipment companies in America. Cochrane worked diligently on her dishwashing machine but was unable to invest enough time and money into its commercial production. After her husband's death, she began commercial production of her machine with financial help from friends. Cochrane's first two models were both hand-operated and ultimately proved as tiring as washing dishes by hand. However, Cochrane built improved models for home and hotel use. Her larger machines were powered by a steam engine and were capable of washing hundreds of dishes in two minutes. The modern Kitchenaid dishwasher is the descendant of Cochrane's early machines. In 1911, the first motor-powered dishwashing appliance was developed. The first practical dishwasher for home use was marketed in 1932. Despite the fact that the average daily time spent washing dishes was sixty-eight minutes, the machine was not in great demand. Early machines, designed for restaurants and hotels, passed dirty dishes under jets of hot water on a conveyor belt. Modern machines operate by mechanical arms that rotate and spray water on dishes placed in stationary wire baskets. Machines draw in cold water and heat it; the average home dishwasher uses approximately 3.5 gallons (13.2 l) of water heated to 140° F (60° C). An entire day's dishes can be washed in one load. The dishwasher dries the dishes by circulating hot air, thus condensing moisture. In Seattle, Washington, in 1962 Kelvinator demonstrated a dishwasher that used neither soap nor water. The machine relied on high-frequency sound waves to clean dishes but proved too costly to develop on a mass scale. Newer dishwashers remove soil without hand rinsing, an energy saving boon.