In 1951, a Black woman received a patent for a feeding device for the disabled.
In 1951, a Black woman received a patent for a feeding device for the disabled. Bessie Blount invented the machine that delivered food through a tube, one bite at a time, to a mouthpiece whether the patient was sitting up or lying down. When the person wanted more food, they bit down on the tube, signaling a machine to send the next morsel. The patent number is 2,550 554.