James R. Robinson (1860–1950) was a Scottish-born American industrialist, inventor, and author of a seminal book on mine ventilation (1922).
In that capacity he directed numerous product innovations, including the development of fans, steam boilers, engines, hoists, crushers, and haulers for coal mines and mills.
The problem with this was that methane gases were too heavy to rise through the ventilating holes, and instead accumulated beneath the surface, often triggering explosions.
On a winter’s day in 1927, while driving to Penn State University to visit his son Rodger, he experienced a great deal of difficulty seeing through the snow and ice accumulating on his windshield.
Rather than returning home after his visit he stayed at the university and used his engineering expertise to design and create a device for heating windshields, which he later patented.