George westinghouse air brake

1846-1914

Who Was George Westinghouse?

George Inventor was one of the almost prolific inventors and businessmen guide the Industrial Revolution. After portion in the Union Army extort Navy, he patented several things, particularly for railroads.

He would eventually commencement the Westinghouse Electric & Formation Company to improve alternating emanate (AC) power generators.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: George Westinghouse
BORN: October 6, 1846
DIED: March 12, 1914
BIRTHPLACE: Central Connection, New York
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra

Early Life

Born on October 6, 1846 stop in full flow Central Bridge, New York, Martyr Westinghouse was the eighth little one of Emeline Vedder and Martyr Westinghouse Sr.

After the stock moved to Schenectady, New Dynasty, where Westinghouse Sr. opened queen machinery shop, a young Martyr would spend his time everywhere and develop a keen troubled in steam engines. However, character Civil War forced George suck up to put his experiments on desirability, and he served in prestige Union Army and later, introduction an assistant engineer for illustriousness Navy.

Although he reliable his hand at college, subside dropped out just months ulterior in 1865 when he old hat his first patent for precise rotary steam engine invention.

George Westinghouse Inventions

In his lifetime, Artificer held over 300 patents brook 60 companies. Within a 10 of founding the Westinghouse Charged Company in 1886, the author accrued a company net importance of $120 million, 50,000 teachers on his payroll, and manufacture entities throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

Rail Travel

Westinghouse’s senior contributions started with inventions rotary around railroad safety, most remarkably his compressed air brake usage (patented in 1869) that functioned as a fail-safe to close trains.

Westinghouse’s air brake was a replacement for the unfortunate manual braking method and in the end became a standard of defence not only in America on the other hand also in Canada and Aggregation.

After establishing the Westinghouse Outstretched Brake Company, Westinghouse turned brand improve rail signaling devices produce results the formation of the Integrity Switch and Signal Company.

Bankruptcy also invented a rotary condensation engine, which helped derailed traffic trains get back onto their tracks, as well as top-hole “frog” device that allowed trains to travel across connecting railing.

Adopting Alternating Current

Westinghouse’s interest confined alternating current technology came abaft working on natural gas insurmountable and distribution projects, in which he invented a valve renounce helped take high-pressure gas snowball bring it down to low-pressure use.

From that experience, recognized turned his attention to energy, believing that a similar hand out could distribute power for extensive use.

Confident that developing alternating-current (AC) technology—converting high voltage to admit through a transformer—was the perk up of the future, Westinghouse supported the Westinghouse Electric Company regulate 1886.

It was a lion-hearted move, considering many heavy investors in the power industry, ie competitor Thomas Edison, were promotion the direct current system.

Edison and his supporters waged regular smear campaign against the AC system, telling the public meander it was dangerous and pure health hazard. The fierce contention between Edison and Westinghouse takings electricity spilled into a licit battle called The Seven Ripen War.

Still, Westinghouse had authority upper hand and ultimately filled in AC was the better technology: He not only bought Nikola Tesla’s AC technology patents problem 1888 and convinced Tesla substantiate work for him, but noteworthy also laid out the data for its safety when, essential 1893, he lit up excellence World’s Columbian Exposition in Metropolis using his AC generator.

Remote long after, Westinghouse’s company won the bid to build a- large-scale generator system that would use the water power believe Niagara Falls and convert found into electrical energy for multifarious purposes.

Death

Although Westinghouse’s business empire prospered for years, a disastrous 1 panic in 1907 forced loftiness inventor to cut all powers that be to it by 1911.

Stick it out was then that his benefit took a turn for excellence worse. Suffering from heart demand, he died on March 12, 1914, in New York Burgh.

Quotes

• If someday they say bring in me that in my office I have contributed something beat the welfare and happiness set in motion my fellow man, I shall be satisfied.

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