who invented the dryer

The modern clothes dryer evolved over time, but the first true tumble-style clothes dryer is most often credited to American inventor George T. Sampson, who patented his design in 1892.

Quick Scoop: Who Invented the Dryer?

If you’re asking “who invented the dryer,” there are really two key moments:

1. The first mechanical drum dryer (the ancestor of dryers)
   • In 1799 , French inventor Pochon (often written as Pochons) created an early “ventilator” dryer.

 * It was a **large metal drum with holes** , turned by hand over an **open fire** to dry clothes.

 * It worked, but clothes often **smelled of smoke** and could even **catch fire**.

2. The first successful, safer tumble clothes dryer
   • In 1892 , George T. Sampson , an African American inventor in the United States, patented a safer indoor clothes dryer that many sources call the first “successful” tumble dryer.

 * His U.S. patent (No. 476,416), granted **June 7, 1892** , described a metal frame and drying structure using heat from a **stove** rather than an open flame.

 * Sampson’s design **kept clothes away from the main heat source** , reducing smoke and fire risk while allowing indoor drying in bad weather.

So in short:

• Pochon : early mechanical drum dryer in 1799 (the ancestor).

• George T. Sampson : first widely recognized, safe tumble-style clothes dryer in 1892, often credited as the inventor of the dryer in a modern sense.

If you’re answering a quiz or SEO title like “who invented the dryer,” the safest simple answer is: George T. Sampson, who patented a successful clothes dryer in 1892.

Mini timeline of dryer evolution

• 1799 – Pochon’s ventilator : Hand-cranked, perforated drum over an open fire in France.

• 19th century – Various “dryer” racks and fire-based devices that left clothes smoky or at risk of burning.

• 1892 – George T. Sampson’s clothes dryer : Used a frame and rods over a stove , not an open flame, making indoor drying safer and more efficient.

• 1938 – First automatic electric tumble dryer : J. Ross Moore patented an automatic electric dryer, paving the way for the modern electric machines we use today.

Quick FAQ style notes

• Was George T. Sampson really first?
  Not the first to ever dry clothes with a device, but he created one of the first safe, practical indoor clothes dryers and is widely cited as the key inventor of the dryer as we recognize it.

• What made his dryer special?
  • Used heat from a stove , not an open fire.

* Clothing was **suspended or placed in a structure away from the hottest source** , reducing fire risk.

* Worked **indoors** , so weather didn’t matter and clothes were safer from theft or dirt.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.