Robert William Kearns invented the most common intermittent windshield wiper system used on the majority of automobiles from 1969 to the present. He filed his first patent in1964 and tried to interest the “Big Three” auto makers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) in licensing the technology. Each rejected his proposal yet Ford installed the feature on its Mercury line in 1969.
This began a long series of lawsuits, first against Ford, then Chrysler and finally against many other car manufacturers. Kearns was successful in winning many infringement suits and was awarded tens of millions of dollars.
Source: Wikipedia-Robert William Kearns