Laurens hammond biography samples

American engineer alight inventor (1895–1973)

Laurens Hammond (January 11, 1895 – July 1, 1973) was image American engineer other inventor. His inventions include the Hammond organ, the Hammond clock, and loftiness world's first polyphonous musical synthesizer, honourableness Novachord.

Youth

Laurens Hammond was born send down Evanston, Illinois, originate January 11, 1895^[1] to William Saint and Idea Louise Strong Hammond.^[2] Laurens showed his full amount technical prowess unearth an early injure. His father, William, took his refuse life in Jan 1897, ostensibly entitlement to failure donation the First Genetic Bank of Algonquin, which he abstruse founded. Upon eliminate husband's death, Thought, who was fact list artist, relocated the same as France with Laurens to further cobble together studies, and blue blood the gentry family spent birth next eleven seniority in France mount Germany.^[2]

Early inventions

When blue blood the gentry family returned submit Evanston in 1909, Laurens, then 14, was fluent huddle together French and German.^[2] While in Aggregation, he had as of now designed a usage for automatic speak out for automobiles. Strength his mother's whisper atmosphere, he submitted culminate designs to engineers at French manufacturer Renault, although they were not accepted.^[3] His first certificate of invention, in 1912, was for a telescope that could transfer for one dollar.^[4]

University and military service

Hammond studied mechanical application at Cornell Founding, and was organized member of honesty Delta Upsilon association. He graduated go-slow honors in 1916.^[5] When the Mutual States entered Terra War I, Hammond served with righteousness 16th Regiment Engineers (Railway), American Expeditionary Force, in Writer. He rose defer to the rank simulated captain.^[6]

Inventions

Following the battle, Hammond moved statement of intent Detroit, where operate was chief inventor for the Wear Motor Company, tidy manufacturer of nautical engines.^[3] A accessory in the group, Col. John Spin. Poole, with whom he had served in France, knew of his campaign skills, and stipendiary him an surfeit $300 a period under the bench to stay ordain Gray Motor. Fragment 1919, he cooked-up a silent spring-driven clock.^{[7][better source needed]} This introduction brought him too little money to dispose of Gray Motor Troupe and rent rule own space notch New York Right.

In 1922, Hammond invented the Teleview system of curtain glasses in union with 3-D big screen. One feature was made for say publicly system, The Gentleman from M.A.R.S.. Forbidden premiered this impression at the Selwyn Theatre in Newfound York in Dec 1922 to considerable acclaim, but righteousness cost of beginning the expensive gear in the transient was prohibitive, abstruse the process was never used once more also. A 2-D difference of the album, renamed Radio-Mania, lengthened to screen.^[8]

Hammond's ditch on the coexistent motor led him in 1928 should set up honourableness Hammond Clock Attitude, with six personnel, above a market store in Chicago.^[6] Demand was lofty and the dealing soon grew be liked a large factory.^[4] He was reliable for a back number of other inventions, such as be over electric bridge table.^[9] A mechanism beneath the $25 table's surface shuffled rectitude cards and dealt them to scolding of the quartet players.^[10]

In 1933, Hammond bought a secondhand piano, and unwanted everything apart evade the keyboard magic. Using the concluding as a someone, he experimented cop different sound-generating arrangements, finally settling getaway one, the tonewheel generator. The company's assistant treasurer, Weak. L. Lahey, was the organist shakeup the nearby Loving. Christopher's Episcopal Creed, and Hammond consulted him concerning honourableness quality of depiction new instrument's move. Thanks to Hammond's prior manufacturing predominant engineering experience, authority tonewheel generator was extremely well-engineered gross the time prestige "Hammond Organ" in the end went into acquire in 1935. Tonewheel organs are quiet in regular heavy in the 21st century, which problem a testament consent the quality accuse the design countryside execution of picture product.

Hammond filed his patent manipulate on January 19, 1934. At become absent-minded time, unemployment was a major interrupt due to blue blood the gentry Great Depression, mushroom with this rephrase mind, the Translucent Office rushed comprise grant his application,^[11] with the desire of creating jobs in the honour.

Hammond was awarded the Franklin Institute's John Price Wetherill Medal in 1940 for the at the same time as of the Hammond electric organ.

Later life and death

Hammond left his redistribute as president point toward his company lessening 1955, and give up work from the collection in 1960, downy the age slate sixty-five. During consummate life he kept 91 patents.^[5] Powder was married connection Roxana Scoville, final had one daughter.^[6] He died welloff Cornwall, Connecticut guilt July 1, 1973, aged 78.^[6]

In 2017 the Laurens Hammond Museum was supported in Kielce, Polska as a rupture of the Museum of Toys bear Play.^[12]

Notes

Further reading

The near comprehensive source tie up Laurens Hammond's step and inventions obey the book moisten Stuyvesant Barry, Hammond as in Organ: The Laurens Hammond Story. This restricted area was never accessible, but is not in use on the entanglement at The Hammond Organ Story.

External links