Helge Palmcrantz
Encyclopedia
Helge Palmcrantz Swedish
inventor and industrialist. He was born in Hammerdal
, in the province of Jämtland
, as the son of a captain at Jämtlands fältjägarregemente
. He was recruited as a cadet to his father's regiment
, where he worked with land survey. After a couple of years he left the regiment to study at the Technological Institute of Stockholm (later known as KTH
).
With his companion and brother-in-law, Theodor Winborg, Palmcrantz founded a small but growing factory
on Kungsholmen
, Stockholm
, where they manufactured reaping machines, mower
s and other agricultural equipment of their own design.
In 1873 Palmcrantz patented the multi-barrel, lever-actuated, machine gun
that later would be known as the Nordenfelt machine-gun
. He named it for his financial backer, Thorsten Nordenfelt
. In 1875 Palmcrantz met with Nordenfelt and Nordenfelt's company became Palmcrantz' British agent. They both agreed on marketing the machine-gun under the, then well known, Nordenfelt brand. It was Nordenfelt who convinced Palmcrantz to increase the caliber
of his gun
to one inch, making it a suitable weapon
for use against the growing threat of torpedo boat
s.
After Palmcrantz had met an early death from a bleeding ulcer
, Winborg and Nordenfelt continued to develop and manufacture his guns in Sweden
, England
and Spain
.
Helge Palmcrantz has a school named after him; Palmcrantzskolan in Östersund
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
inventor and industrialist. He was born in Hammerdal
Hammerdal
Hammerdal is a locality situated in Strömsund Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 996 inhabitants in 2005. It is historically associated with Hammond, Louisiana, USA, by way of a Swedish immigrant who founded the Louisiana city....
, in the province of Jämtland
Jämtland
Jämtland or Jamtland is a historical province or landskap in the center of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders to Härjedalen and Medelpad in the south, Ångermanland in the east, Lapland in the north and Trøndelag and Norway in the west...
, as the son of a captain at Jämtlands fältjägarregemente
Jämtlands fältjägarregemente
Jämtlands fältjägarregemente , also I 5 or I 23, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment located in the province of Jämtland that traced its origins back to the 17th century.- History :...
. He was recruited as a cadet to his father's regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
, where he worked with land survey. After a couple of years he left the regiment to study at the Technological Institute of Stockholm (later known as KTH
Royal Institute of Technology
The Royal Institute of Technology is a university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH was founded in 1827 as Sweden's first polytechnic and is one of Scandinavia's largest institutions of higher education in technology. KTH accounts for one-third of Sweden’s technical research and engineering education...
).
With his companion and brother-in-law, Theodor Winborg, Palmcrantz founded a small but growing factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
on Kungsholmen
Kungsholmen
Kungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of Stockholm City. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland....
, Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where they manufactured reaping machines, mower
Mower
A mower is a machine for cutting grass or other plants that grow on the ground. Usually mowing is distinguished from reaping, which uses similar implements, but is the traditional term for harvesting grain crops, e.g...
s and other agricultural equipment of their own design.
In 1873 Palmcrantz patented the multi-barrel, lever-actuated, machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
that later would be known as the Nordenfelt machine-gun
Nordenfelt gun
The Nordenfelt Gun was a multiple barrel machine gun that had a row of up to twelve barrels. It was fired by pulling a lever back and forth. It was produced in a number of different calibres from rifle up to 25 mm...
. He named it for his financial backer, Thorsten Nordenfelt
Thorsten Nordenfelt
Thorsten Nordenfelt , was a Swedish inventor and industrialist.Nordenfelt was born in Örby outside Kinna, Sweden, the son of a colonel. The surname was and is often spelt Nordenfeldt, though Thorsten and his brothers always spelt it Nordenfelt, and the 1881 Census shows it as Nordenfelt...
. In 1875 Palmcrantz met with Nordenfelt and Nordenfelt's company became Palmcrantz' British agent. They both agreed on marketing the machine-gun under the, then well known, Nordenfelt brand. It was Nordenfelt who convinced Palmcrantz to increase the caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
of his gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
to one inch, making it a suitable weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
for use against the growing threat of torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
s.
After Palmcrantz had met an early death from a bleeding ulcer
Peptic ulcer
A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
, Winborg and Nordenfelt continued to develop and manufacture his guns in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Helge Palmcrantz has a school named after him; Palmcrantzskolan in Östersund
Östersund
Östersund is an urban area in Jämtland in the middle of Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth largest lake, Storsjön, opposite the island Frösön, and is the only city in Jämtland. Östersund is the...