Winston Laverne Shelton (May 3, 1922 – April 15, 2019) was an American inventor, engineer and businessman. He was awarded 76 patents in the United States by himself or as part of a team. He started working at General Electric in 1948. His patents have impacted modern washing machines and the fast food industry. He worked on creating more upgraded food service machines for Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). His washing machine patent for General Electric, (US 3257830 A), was referenced in over 40 patents afterwards. He founded Winston Industries, which was in use in more than 120 countries at the time of Shelton's death in 2019.