Charles Hotchkiss Norton
Encyclopedia
Charles Hotchkiss Norton (November 23, 1851, Plainville, Connecticut
– October 27, 1942, Plainville, Connecticut
) was an American
mechanical engineer and designer of machine tool
s.
After working for the Seth Thomas Clock company in Thomaston
, in 1886 Norton became Assistant Engineer with the Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company at Providence, Rhode Island
, redesigning their universal grinding machine
. In 1890 he became a partner in the newly established Leland, Faulconer & Norton Company at Detroit, Michigan
, designing and constructing machine tools. Returning to Brown & Sharpe in 1896, he designed a grinding machine with larger and heavier grinding wheel
s, capable of supplying machine parts for the emerging automobile industry. In 1900 he left Brown & Sharpe to found the Norton Grinding Company in Worcester, Massachusetts
with support from the Norton Emery Wheel Company (founded by an unrelated Norton); the two firms merged in 1919, with Norton as their Chief Engineer until 1934, when he became their Consulting Engineer. On April 8, 1925, he was a recipient of The John Scott Medal and Premium for his invention of "accurate grinding devices of high power".
Charles H. Norton House
, the house in Plainville in which Norton lived until his death in 1942, is today a National Historic Landmark
.
Plainville, Connecticut
Plainville is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,328 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.8 square miles , of which 9.8 square miles is land and 0.1 square miles is water...
– October 27, 1942, Plainville, Connecticut
Plainville, Connecticut
Plainville is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 17,328 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.8 square miles , of which 9.8 square miles is land and 0.1 square miles is water...
) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mechanical engineer and designer of machine tool
Machine tool
A machine tool is a machine, typically powered other than by human muscle , used to make manufactured parts in various ways that include cutting or certain other kinds of deformation...
s.
After working for the Seth Thomas Clock company in Thomaston
Thomaston
Thomaston is the name of several places in the United States of America:*Thomaston, Alabama*Thomaston, Connecticut*Thomaston, Georgia*Thomaston, Indiana*Thomaston, Maine, a town**Thomaston , Maine, census-designated place within the town...
, in 1886 Norton became Assistant Engineer with the Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company at Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, redesigning their universal grinding machine
Grinding machine
A grinding machine, often shortened to grinder, is a machine tool used for grinding, which is a type of machining using an abrasive wheel as the cutting tool...
. In 1890 he became a partner in the newly established Leland, Faulconer & Norton Company at Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, designing and constructing machine tools. Returning to Brown & Sharpe in 1896, he designed a grinding machine with larger and heavier grinding wheel
Grinding wheel
A grinding wheel is an expendable wheel that is composed of an abrasive compound used for various grinding and abrasive machining operations...
s, capable of supplying machine parts for the emerging automobile industry. In 1900 he left Brown & Sharpe to found the Norton Grinding Company in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
with support from the Norton Emery Wheel Company (founded by an unrelated Norton); the two firms merged in 1919, with Norton as their Chief Engineer until 1934, when he became their Consulting Engineer. On April 8, 1925, he was a recipient of The John Scott Medal and Premium for his invention of "accurate grinding devices of high power".
Charles H. Norton House
Charles H. Norton House
Charles H. Norton House in Plainville, Connecticut, was the home of the inventor and machinist Charles Hotchkiss Norton, born November 23, 1851 in Plainville. Norton designed heavy-duty precision grinding machines important for development of the automobile industry...
, the house in Plainville in which Norton lived until his death in 1942, is today a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.