Howard Simpson
Encyclopedia
Howard Woodworth Simpson (8 May 1892 – 4 November 1963) was an automotive
engineer
whose designs were extensively used in automatic transmissions.
, the son of John Robert Bruce Simpson, a carriage
maker who was a superintendent for the Fisher Body Company
. The Simpsons moved to Detroit in 1902. Simpson graduated from Detroit Central High School in 1910 and entered an apprenticeship program at Cadillac Motor Company. He attended the University of Michigan
, graduating in 1917 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering
.
Simpson volunteered for military service during World War I
, but was rejected owing to poor eyesight. He served as a civilian employee in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, inspecting aircraft engines. After the war he went to work for the Henry Ford & Son Tractor Plant in Dearborn
, Michigan, as a draftsman
.
Simpson married Gertrude Haeger in 1918; they had two children, Bruce (b. 1921) and Charlotte (b. 1924).
In 1921 Henry Ford & Son was acquired by the Ford Motor Company
. Simpson became a design engineer at Ford, working primarily on tractor designs and planetary gearsets
. He often worked directly with Henry Ford
himself.
Simpson left Ford in 1938. In 1948 he was diagnosed with cancer. Told he had less than six months to live, he moved to the American southwest (California and then Arizona). He spent much of his time drawing every arrangement he could conceive for planetary gearsets, filing patents on each. He was granted 23 patents in this field during his lifetime.
using two identical planetary gearsets in series, linked by a common sun gear. The use of largely identical parts for the front and rear gearset made the transmission substantially cheaper to manufacture by reducing tooling costs. This three-speed gearing arrangement, patented in 1950, is commonly known as the "Simpson Gearset," although it is only one of numerous arrangements Simpson successfully patented during his life.
In the early 1950s Simpson attempted to sell his patent to major American automakers in Detroit, but was greeted with skepticism, despite his experience and positive reputation. Ford Motor Company licensed his three-speed gearset in 1953, although they did not put it into production. In 1955 Chrysler Corporation licensed the same gearset for use in their new three-speed Torqueflite
automatic, which went into production in mid-1956. General Motors
was reluctant to adopt this gearset, but eventually relented and licensed it for the Turbo Hydramatic, which entered production for the 1964 model year
. Ford similarly introduced reengineered Cruise-O-Matic
transmissions (C3, C4, and C6) using the gearset they had already licensed. The Simpson-geared Cruise-O-Matics were introduced in the 1964 and 1965 model years. Germany
's Daimler-Benz
licensed the gearset as well, although it did not enter production until the early 1970s, as the Mercedes-Benz
three-speed automatic.
In 2007 the Timken Company
and the SAE
Transmission and Driveline Committee established the annual SAE/Timken-Howard Simpson Automotive Transmission and Driveline Innovation Award for innovations in automotive transmissions and drivelines.
In 1964 an uncredited writer for Motor Trend
magazine said of Simpson, "[h]e was neither eccentric nor egocentric. An excellent engineer, he was usually calm and humble, always able to see merit in the other fellow's idea."
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
whose designs were extensively used in automatic transmissions.
Biography
Howard Simpson was born on 7 May 1892 in Kalamazoo, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, the son of John Robert Bruce Simpson, a carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
maker who was a superintendent for the Fisher Body Company
Fisher Body
Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it is now an operating division of General Motors Company...
. The Simpsons moved to Detroit in 1902. Simpson graduated from Detroit Central High School in 1910 and entered an apprenticeship program at Cadillac Motor Company. He attended the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, graduating in 1917 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
.
Simpson volunteered for military service during World War I
World 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...
, but was rejected owing to poor eyesight. He served as a civilian employee in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, inspecting aircraft engines. After the war he went to work for the Henry Ford & Son Tractor Plant in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, Michigan, as a draftsman
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
.
Simpson married Gertrude Haeger in 1918; they had two children, Bruce (b. 1921) and Charlotte (b. 1924).
In 1921 Henry Ford & Son was acquired by the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. Simpson became a design engineer at Ford, working primarily on tractor designs and planetary gearsets
Epicyclic gearing
Epicyclic gearing or planetary gearing is a gear system consisting of one or more outer gears, or planet gears, revolving about a central, or sun gear. Typically, the planet gears are mounted on a movable arm or carrier which itself may rotate relative to the sun gear...
. He often worked directly with Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
himself.
Simpson left Ford in 1938. In 1948 he was diagnosed with cancer. Told he had less than six months to live, he moved to the American southwest (California and then Arizona). He spent much of his time drawing every arrangement he could conceive for planetary gearsets, filing patents on each. He was granted 23 patents in this field during his lifetime.
The Simpson Gearset
Simpson's preferred gearset was for a three-speed automatic transmissionAutomatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
using two identical planetary gearsets in series, linked by a common sun gear. The use of largely identical parts for the front and rear gearset made the transmission substantially cheaper to manufacture by reducing tooling costs. This three-speed gearing arrangement, patented in 1950, is commonly known as the "Simpson Gearset," although it is only one of numerous arrangements Simpson successfully patented during his life.
In the early 1950s Simpson attempted to sell his patent to major American automakers in Detroit, but was greeted with skepticism, despite his experience and positive reputation. Ford Motor Company licensed his three-speed gearset in 1953, although they did not put it into production. In 1955 Chrysler Corporation licensed the same gearset for use in their new three-speed Torqueflite
TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite is the trademarked name of Chrysler Corporation's automatic transmissions, starting with the three-speed unit introduced late in the 1956 model year as a successor to Chrysler's two-speed PowerFlite...
automatic, which went into production in mid-1956. General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
was reluctant to adopt this gearset, but eventually relented and licensed it for the Turbo Hydramatic, which entered production for the 1964 model year
Model year
The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....
. Ford similarly introduced reengineered Cruise-O-Matic
Cruise-O-Matic
Ford-O-Matic was the first automatic transmission used by Ford Motor Company, designed by Borg Warner Corporation. Introduced in 1950, the three-speed Ford-O-Matic evolved into the Cruise-O-Matic in 1958 and the FMX in 1968. This line continued in production until 1980, when the AOD was introduced...
transmissions (C3, C4, and C6) using the gearset they had already licensed. The Simpson-geared Cruise-O-Matics were introduced in the 1964 and 1965 model years. Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
licensed the gearset as well, although it did not enter production until the early 1970s, as the Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
three-speed automatic.
Death and legacy
Simpson died of cancer in November 1963. During his lifetime he was granted a total of 41 patents, which eventually resulted in millions of dollars of royalty payments to him and his estate.In 2007 the Timken Company
Timken Company
The Timken Company is a global manufacturer of bearings, alloy steels, and related components and assemblies.- History :The company was founded by Henry Timken in St. Louis, Missouri in 1899 and incorporated as The Timken Roller Bearing Axle Company. A year earlier, in 1898, Timken got a patent...
and the SAE
SAE International
SAE International is an organization for engineering professionals in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial vehicle industries. The Society is a standards development organization for the engineering of powered vehicles of all kinds, including cars, trucks, boats, aircraft, and others.SAE...
Transmission and Driveline Committee established the annual SAE/Timken-Howard Simpson Automotive Transmission and Driveline Innovation Award for innovations in automotive transmissions and drivelines.
In 1964 an uncredited writer for Motor Trend
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
magazine said of Simpson, "[h]e was neither eccentric nor egocentric. An excellent engineer, he was usually calm and humble, always able to see merit in the other fellow's idea."
Sources
- "Man with a Pencil: Engineering Genius of the Modern Automatic Transmission," Motor TrendMotor TrendMotor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
, Vol. 16, No. 10, Oct. 1964, pp. 82–85. - Ford R. Bryan, Henry's Lieutenants (Chicago: IL: Wayne State University Press: 1993), ISBN 0-8143-2428-2.