Hon Lik invented the e cigarette to quit smoking but now he's a dual user Vaping The Guardian Hon Lik invented the e cigarette to quit smoking but now he's a dual user Vaping The Guardian When Was Vaping Invented? A Brief History Lesson EDGE Vaping In 1963, Herbert A. Gilbert filed a patent for a safe and harmless means for and method of smoking. An old cigarette card (c. 1929) with a portrait of Elias Howe and an illustration of his sewing machine. Elias Howe Jr. (18191867) was an American inventor best known for his creation Who Invented Vaping?