Biography of a.p. abourne

Alexander P. Ashbourne was a nineteenth century innovator who brought the spring-loaded biscuit cutter and revolutionized the process to refine and treat coconut oil.

Biography of a.p. abourne books Although the exact date of his emancipation is unknown, by all enslaved people in Pennsylvania had been freed. About Us. Received patent number , for a coconut oil refining process on June 1st, , patent number , for a method for treating coconut on August 21st, , and patent number , for a process for preparing coconut on July 27th, Since Ashbourne was born after the Pennsylvania Gradual Abolition Act was passed in , he was not subject to a lifetime of enslavement.

Though not much of Ashbourne’s life is documented, we know he was born into slavery in Philadelphia in In his early years, Ashbourne was a wheat harvester alongside his parents. A born visionary, he sought new ways to making harvesting easier and more efficient.  Although his ideas never made it to fruition, his initial failures did not inhibit his drive for creating and innovating in the years to come.

Freed from slavery in , Ashbourne continued to live and work in Pennsylvania. By , he was a well-known caterer and served the elite at weddings and buffets.

Black inventor a p abourne He grew up cutting wheat alongside his family members. There were also metal plates with various shapes. In , Ashbourne was awarded a patent for his spring-loaded biscuit cutter. Our Customers.

It was through his work as a caterer that he noticed biscuits were hand-patted and lacked uniformity. From here, he set out on a decade long mission to create a device that would provide consistency and efficiency in the biscuit-making process. In , Ashbourne was awarded a patent for his spring-loaded biscuit cutter. This invention enhanced the biscuit making process as the cutter had a board to rollout the dough that was attached to a metal plate with cutter shapes mounted on it.

Once the dough was rolled, the cook would then need to push down on the spring-loaded cutter and the dough was shaped into biscuits and easily released.

Ashbourne’s ingenuity continued and his focus turned to oil.

Biography of a.p. abourne Today in history, Ashbourne received a patent for treating coconut on Aug. He also gained a patent for a process for preparing coconut oil on July 27, Product Solutions. Start Writing Get the app.

He received two patents ( and ) for refining and preparing coconut oil. His process for oil refinement included filtration, bleaching, heating to a high temperature, and hydrogenation to remove unsaturated fatty acids from the oil. Thanks to Ashbourne’s work, coconut oil could be used domestically, including in the preparation of food, cosmetics, etc.

Ashbourne lived out his days in Oakland, California, where he ran a convenience store.

He died in at the age of His innovations continue to benefit us today. Ashbourne can be remembered the next time you enjoy biscuits or cook with coconut oil.   

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