Frederick Richard Simms
Encyclopedia
Frederick Richard Simms (12 August 1863 – 22 April 1944) was a British mechanical engineer, businessman, prolific inventor and motor industry pioneer. Simms coined the words "petrol" and "motorcar". He founded the Royal Automobile Club
, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
.
"of an old Warwickshire
family", the son of Frederick Louis Simms and his wife Antonia née Hermans. His Birmingham-born grandfather had established a trading company there to support the Newfoundland fishing fleet. Frederick Richard Simms' first wife was Austrian, his second, married 1910, was Mabel Louise, daughter of cotton merchant Joseph Worsley and they had two daughters. He was educated in Germany and London and at the Polytechnischer Verein in Berlin after completing an apprenticeship with AG fur Automatischen Verkauf in Hamburg and Berlin.
In a 1907 trip to the Alps, Simms discovered a waterfall
near the village of Holzgau
, now called the Simmswasserfall.
Simms may have spread his talents a little thinly to be able to show a single outstanding achievement. His lasting significance is in his role as a catalyst and intermediary between Britain and Europe and to a lesser extent USA.
He died in his 81st year, at Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, while living at Storth Oaks, Chislehurst, Kent. His wife predeceased him.
, from whom in 1890 he purchased the rights for the use and manufacture of Daimler's high-speed petrol engine
and other patents, in the British Empire – 'England and the colonies'. They were first used in motor launches but soon paved the way for the start-up of the British motor industry
. In May 1890 his mechanic Johann van Toll was sent ahead to look after their borrowed launch at Putney and van Toll obtained premises in the new Billiter Buildings at 49 Leadenhall Street, London for Simms & Co Consulting Engineers. There had been no purpose in Simms bringing a car with him because of the restrictions in Britain. However in the first half of 1893 Simms formed The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited
to become, possibly, the UK's first motor company and in June 1895 Simms and Evelyn Ellis bought in France and brought to England one of the first petrol–powered cars into the UK.
In early 1896 Simms sold The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited to The Daimler Motor Company Limited
floated by H J Lawson
, a motor industry visionary. Simms was then appointed a director of Stuttgart's Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft
which later became Daimler-Benz. He remained consulting engineer to Lawson's The Daimler Motor Company Limited but, perhaps wisely, did not join its board of directors.
On 14 November that year Simms and Gottlieb Daimler, took part in The Motor Car Club's Emancipation Day procession from London
to Brighton
, co-organised with H J Lawson, celebrating the lifting on that day of the speed limit under the Locomotive Act
which had required vehicles to travel no faster than 4 mph (6.4 km/h). This Emancipation Day drive is still commemorated by its annual replay, the London to Brighton run.
Simms founded the Automobile Club of Great Britain (later the RAC
) in 1897. He also assisted with the foundation of what became the Royal Aero Club.
Simms' Motor War Car
was the first armoured car ever built. It was designed and ordered in April 1899 and a single prototype was built by Vickers, Sons & Maxim on a special Coventry-built Daimler chassis with a German-built Daimler motor. Due to various mishaps Vickers was unable to complete it until early 1902 after the end of the Boer War.
In 1902 he founded, and was elected the first president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
(SMMT).
he invented developed and patented the Simms-Bosch magneto
electric ignition apparatus. It enabled engine designers to precisely time the ignition of fuel because it was tied to the rotation of the engine. Their initial low-tension system was not an unqualified success but they became the first to develop a practical high-tension magneto. In 1899 they established the jointly owned Compagnie des Magnetos Simms-Bosch but it foundered in 1906 on personal differences between the partners. In 1907 Simms established the Simms Magneto Company Ltd to manufacture magnetos under licence from Robert Bosch but he was unable to compete with European prices and it closed in 1913. He had however contributed to Bosch's business by his stimulus to their further product development and in opening up the French market for Bosch.
it became the principal supplier of magnetos to the armed forces, mainly from his Simms Magneto Company Limited of New Jersey which he had established in 1910. Another subsidiary was set up in 1915, Standard Insulator Company Limited. In 1920, following the virtual destruction of the Kilburn works by fire, the company took over a former piano factory in East Finchley
, north London
. A separate subsidiary to manufacture Simms-Vernier couplings was set up in Lyons France. During the 1930s the factory developed in conjunction with Leyland Motors a range of Diesel fuel injectors in particular the Uniflow injection pump of 1937. In World War II
the company again became the principal supplier of magnetos for aircraft and tanks, also supplying dynamo
s, starter motors
, lights, pumps, nozzles, spark plug
s and coils. Experimentation with compound metals for electrical contacts led to Compound Electro Metals Limited.
The East Finchley factory continued to expand after the war, eventually reaching 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²), and the company took over many other firms. Simms Motor Units was itself taken over by Lucas CAV in 1968. Manufacturing in East Finchley was steadily run down as UK manufacturers lost market share. The factory closed in 1991 to be redeveloped for housing. It is commemorated by Simms Gardens and Lucas Gardens.
Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club is a private club and is not to be confused with RAC plc, a motorists' organisation, which it formerly owned.It has two club houses, one in London at 89-91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey, next to the City of London Freemen's School...
, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is the trade association for the United Kingdom motor industry. It "promote the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad".-History:...
.
Family and education
Simms was born in Hamburg GermanyHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
"of an old Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
family", the son of Frederick Louis Simms and his wife Antonia née Hermans. His Birmingham-born grandfather had established a trading company there to support the Newfoundland fishing fleet. Frederick Richard Simms' first wife was Austrian, his second, married 1910, was Mabel Louise, daughter of cotton merchant Joseph Worsley and they had two daughters. He was educated in Germany and London and at the Polytechnischer Verein in Berlin after completing an apprenticeship with AG fur Automatischen Verkauf in Hamburg and Berlin.
In a 1907 trip to the Alps, Simms discovered a waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
near the village of Holzgau
Holzgau
Holzgau is a municipality in the Austrian district of Reutte, Tyrol.HistoryThe main village of the municipality is situated in the valley Lechtal on the fan of the Höhenbach. The village was first mentioned in 1315 as Holzge, later as Holzgaw. In 1401 it became an autonomous parish.The village is...
, now called the Simmswasserfall.
Simms may have spread his talents a little thinly to be able to show a single outstanding achievement. His lasting significance is in his role as a catalyst and intermediary between Britain and Europe and to a lesser extent USA.
He died in his 81st year, at Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, while living at Storth Oaks, Chislehurst, Kent. His wife predeceased him.
Consulting engineer and Daimler motors
In 1889 the 26-year-old Simms met and became firm friends with Gottlieb DaimlerGottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Daimler was an engineer, industrial designer and industrialist born in Schorndorf , in what is now Germany. He was a pioneer of internal-combustion engines and automobile development...
, from whom in 1890 he purchased the rights for the use and manufacture of Daimler's high-speed petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
and other patents, in the British Empire – 'England and the colonies'. They were first used in motor launches but soon paved the way for the start-up of the British motor industry
British motor industry
The automotive industry in the United Kingdom is now best known for premium and sports car marques including Aston Martin, Bentley, Daimler, Jaguar, Lagonda, Land Rover, Lotus, McLaren, MG, Mini, Morgan and Rolls-Royce. Volume car manufacturers with a major presence in the UK include Ford, Honda,...
. In May 1890 his mechanic Johann van Toll was sent ahead to look after their borrowed launch at Putney and van Toll obtained premises in the new Billiter Buildings at 49 Leadenhall Street, London for Simms & Co Consulting Engineers. There had been no purpose in Simms bringing a car with him because of the restrictions in Britain. However in the first half of 1893 Simms formed The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
to become, possibly, the UK's first motor company and in June 1895 Simms and Evelyn Ellis bought in France and brought to England one of the first petrol–powered cars into the UK.
In early 1896 Simms sold The Daimler Motor Syndicate Limited to The Daimler Motor Company Limited
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
floated by H J Lawson
Harry John Lawson
Henry John Lawson, also known as Harry Lawson, was a British bicycle designer, motor industry pioneer, and fraudster. As part of his attempt to create and control a British motor industry Lawson formed and floated The Daimler Motor Company Limited in London in 1896. It later began manufacture in...
, a motor industry visionary. Simms was then appointed a director of Stuttgart's Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft
Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft
Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft was a German engine and later automobile manufacturer, in operation from 1890 until 1926. Founded by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, it was based first in Cannstatt...
which later became Daimler-Benz. He remained consulting engineer to Lawson's The Daimler Motor Company Limited but, perhaps wisely, did not join its board of directors.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, co-organised with H J Lawson, celebrating the lifting on that day of the speed limit under the Locomotive Act
Locomotive Act
The Locomotive Acts were a series of Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom to control the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on British public highways during the latter part of the 19th century...
which had required vehicles to travel no faster than 4 mph (6.4 km/h). This Emancipation Day drive is still commemorated by its annual replay, the London to Brighton run.
Simms founded the Automobile Club of Great Britain (later the RAC
Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club is a private club and is not to be confused with RAC plc, a motorists' organisation, which it formerly owned.It has two club houses, one in London at 89-91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey, next to the City of London Freemen's School...
) in 1897. He also assisted with the foundation of what became the Royal Aero Club.
Simms' Motor War Car
Motor War Car
Simms' Motor War Car was the first armoured car ever built.It was designed by F.R. Simms and a single prototype was ordered in April 1899 It was built by Vickers, Sons & Maxim of Barrow on a special Coventry-built Daimler chassis with a German-built Daimler motor.Because of difficulties, including...
was the first armoured car ever built. It was designed and ordered in April 1899 and a single prototype was built by Vickers, Sons & Maxim on a special Coventry-built Daimler chassis with a German-built Daimler motor. Due to various mishaps Vickers was unable to complete it until early 1902 after the end of the Boer War.
In 1902 he founded, and was elected the first president of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders is the trade association for the United Kingdom motor industry. It "promote the interests of the UK automotive industry at home and abroad".-History:...
(SMMT).
Simms-Bosch Magneto
In conjunction with Robert BoschRobert Bosch
Robert Bosch was a German industrialist, engineer and inventor, founder of Robert Bosch GmbH.-Biography:...
he invented developed and patented the Simms-Bosch magneto
Magneto (electrical)
A magneto is an electrical generator that uses permanent magnets to produce alternating current.Magnetos adapted to produce pulses of high voltage are used in the ignition systems of some gasoline-powered internal combustion engines to provide power to the spark plugs...
electric ignition apparatus. It enabled engine designers to precisely time the ignition of fuel because it was tied to the rotation of the engine. Their initial low-tension system was not an unqualified success but they became the first to develop a practical high-tension magneto. In 1899 they established the jointly owned Compagnie des Magnetos Simms-Bosch but it foundered in 1906 on personal differences between the partners. In 1907 Simms established the Simms Magneto Company Ltd to manufacture magnetos under licence from Robert Bosch but he was unable to compete with European prices and it closed in 1913. He had however contributed to Bosch's business by his stimulus to their further product development and in opening up the French market for Bosch.
Simms Motor Units
In 1913 Simms started Simms Motor Units Ltd, at first to sell and repair components, in particular dynamos and magnetos. In World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
it became the principal supplier of magnetos to the armed forces, mainly from his Simms Magneto Company Limited of New Jersey which he had established in 1910. Another subsidiary was set up in 1915, Standard Insulator Company Limited. In 1920, following the virtual destruction of the Kilburn works by fire, the company took over a former piano factory in East Finchley
East Finchley
East Finchley is a suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, in north London, and situated north-west of Charing Cross. Geographically it is somewhat separate from the rest of Finchley, with North Finchley and West Finchley to the north, and Finchley Central to the west.- History :The land on which...
, north London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
. A separate subsidiary to manufacture Simms-Vernier couplings was set up in Lyons France. During the 1930s the factory developed in conjunction with Leyland Motors a range of Diesel fuel injectors in particular the Uniflow injection pump of 1937. In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the company again became the principal supplier of magnetos for aircraft and tanks, also supplying dynamo
Dynamo
- Engineering :* Dynamo, a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator* Dynamo theory, a theory relating to magnetic fields of celestial bodies* Solar dynamo, the physical process that generates the Sun's magnetic field- Software :...
s, starter motors
Automobile self starter
A starter motor is an electric motor for rotating an internal-combustion engine so as to initiate the engine's operation under its own power.- History :...
, lights, pumps, nozzles, spark plug
Spark plug
A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by...
s and coils. Experimentation with compound metals for electrical contacts led to Compound Electro Metals Limited.
The East Finchley factory continued to expand after the war, eventually reaching 300000 square feet (27,870.9 m²), and the company took over many other firms. Simms Motor Units was itself taken over by Lucas CAV in 1968. Manufacturing in East Finchley was steadily run down as UK manufacturers lost market share. The factory closed in 1991 to be redeveloped for housing. It is commemorated by Simms Gardens and Lucas Gardens.
Simms Manufacturing
Simms acquired some of the foreign patent rights to the petrol engine. In 1900 he set up Simms Manufacturing Company Ltd in Bermondsey and moved the business in 1902 to Welbeck Works in Kimberley Road, Kilburn. There they made Simms-Welbeck cars, lorries and marine engines, fire engines, agricultural vehicles, military vehicles and guns, and aeronautical devices until about 1908. Simms invented the first rubber bumper and a prototype indicator.See also
- The Daimler Motor Company LimitedDaimler Motor CompanyThe Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
- History of East Finchley, Simms Motors