Philip Diehl (inventor)
Encyclopedia
Philip H. Diehl was a German
-American
engineer
and inventor who held several U.S. patent
s, including electric incandescent lamps, electric motor
s for sewing machine
s and other uses, and ceiling fan
s. Diehl was a contemporary of Thomas Edison
and his inventions caused Edison to reduce the price of his incandescent bulb.
He occasionally spelled his first name 'Phillip'.
, Germany
.
In July, 1868, he emigrated to New York City
where he worked in several machine shops before finding work as an apprentice with the Singer Manufacturing Company. In 1870 or 1871 he was transferred to Chicago, Illinois and worked at Remington Machine Company
until 1875. He lost all of his possessions in the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871. In 1873, Diehl married Emilie Loos in Chicago.
In 1875 Diehl moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey
and took charge of experimental work improving sewing machines at the Singer plant. His daughter, Clara Elvira, was born 2 April 1876.
's incandescent electric lamp, which was patented in 1879. Diehl's lamp had no lead-in wires. In 1882 Diehl obtained the first patent on this induction incandescent lamp. The base of the lamp contained a wire coil that coupled with a primary coil in the lamp socket, causing current to flow through the lamp without the need for lead-in wires. Two additional patents were granted in 1883, followed by patents for electrical lighting systems in 1885 and 1886.
Following is a partial list of lamp or lighting related patents issued to Philip Diehl:
Diehl erected the city's first arc light in front of the Corey Building in Elizabeth, which still stands at 109 Broad Street.
Diehl's invention of the induction lamp was used by George Westinghouse
to force royalty concessions from Thomas Edison. The Westinghouse Company bought Diehl's patent rights for $25,000. Although Diehl's lamp could not be made and sold at a price to compete with the Edison lamp, the Westinghouse Company used the Diehl bulb to force the holders of the Edison patent to charge a more reasonable rate for the use of the Edison patent rights.
design and a sewing machine build around it.
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
he demonstrated a dynamo, modeled after his smaller motor, which generated a current for arc lamps, sewing machine motors and incandescent lamps, all covered by his patents. The judicial committee at the exhibition judged it to be one of the best dynamos exhibited.
. A few years later, Philip Diehl mounted a fan blade
on a sewing machine
motor
and attached it to the ceiling, inventing the ceiling fan
, which he patented in 1887. Later, he added a light fixture
to the ceiling fan. In 1904, his Diehl and Co. added a split-ball joint, allowing it to be redirected; three years later, this developed into the first oscillating fan
.
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...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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,...
and inventor who held several U.S. patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s, including electric incandescent lamps, electric motor
Electric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s for sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
s and other uses, and ceiling fan
Ceiling fan
A ceiling fan is a fan, usually electrically powered, suspended from the ceiling of a room, that uses hub-mounted rotating paddles to circulate air....
s. Diehl was a contemporary of Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
and his inventions caused Edison to reduce the price of his incandescent bulb.
He occasionally spelled his first name 'Phillip'.
Early life
Philip H. Diehl was born in DalsheimFlörsheim-Dalsheim
Flörsheim-Dalsheim is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.- Location :...
, 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...
.
In July, 1868, he emigrated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he worked in several machine shops before finding work as an apprentice with the Singer Manufacturing Company. In 1870 or 1871 he was transferred to Chicago, Illinois and worked at Remington Machine Company
Remington Products
Remington Products, commonly known as simply Remington, is a worldwide personal care corporation which manufactures razors , epilators, and haircare products for both men and women. It is a subsidiary of Spectrum Brands.-History:...
until 1875. He lost all of his possessions in the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871. In 1873, Diehl married Emilie Loos in Chicago.
In 1875 Diehl moved to Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
and took charge of experimental work improving sewing machines at the Singer plant. His daughter, Clara Elvira, was born 2 April 1876.
Inventions
While working at Singer in Elizabeth, Diehl experimented at work and at his home. This resulted in several inventions.Electric light
Working in the basement of his home on Orchard Street in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Diehl invented a lamp that was different from Thomas EdisonThomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
's incandescent electric lamp, which was patented in 1879. Diehl's lamp had no lead-in wires. In 1882 Diehl obtained the first patent on this induction incandescent lamp. The base of the lamp contained a wire coil that coupled with a primary coil in the lamp socket, causing current to flow through the lamp without the need for lead-in wires. Two additional patents were granted in 1883, followed by patents for electrical lighting systems in 1885 and 1886.
Following is a partial list of lamp or lighting related patents issued to Philip Diehl:
- U.S. No. 255,497, Incandescent Electric Lamp, March 28, 1882
- U.S. No. 272,125, Electric Incandescent Lamp, February 13, 1883
- U.S. No. 276,571, Incandescent Electric Lamp, May 1, 1883
- U.S. No. 314,567, Electric Arc Lamp, March 31, 1885
- U.S. No. 350,482, Electric Lighting System, October 12, 1886
Diehl erected the city's first arc light in front of the Corey Building in Elizabeth, which still stands at 109 Broad Street.
Diehl's invention of the induction lamp was used by George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse
George Westinghouse, Jr was an American entrepreneur and engineer who invented the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry. Westinghouse was one of Thomas Edison's main rivals in the early implementation of the American electricity system...
to force royalty concessions from Thomas Edison. The Westinghouse Company bought Diehl's patent rights for $25,000. Although Diehl's lamp could not be made and sold at a price to compete with the Edison lamp, the Westinghouse Company used the Diehl bulb to force the holders of the Edison patent to charge a more reasonable rate for the use of the Edison patent rights.
Sewing machine
Together with Lebbeus B. Miller, Diehl invented and patented the "oscillating shuttle" bobbin driverBobbin drivers
Throughout history, lockstitch sewing machines have used a variety of methods to drive their bobbins so as to create the lockstitch.-"Rotating shuttle":...
design and a sewing machine build around it.
Electric motors
Diehl's work at Singer to improve the sewing machine led to developments in electric motors, first to power sewing machines and later for other uses as well. In 1884 at the Franklin InstituteFranklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
he demonstrated a dynamo, modeled after his smaller motor, which generated a current for arc lamps, sewing machine motors and incandescent lamps, all covered by his patents. The judicial committee at the exhibition judged it to be one of the best dynamos exhibited.
Ceiling fan
The electric fan was invented in 1882 by Schuyler Skaats WheelerSchuyler Wheeler
Schuyler Skaats Wheeler was an American engineer who invented the two-blade electric fan in 1882 at age 22. He was awarded the John Scott Medal of The Franklin Institute in 1904 and was president of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers from 1905 to 1906.Wheeler was born in Massachusetts...
. A few years later, Philip Diehl mounted a fan blade
Blade
A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...
on a sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
motor
Motor
Motor is a device that creates motion. It usually refers to an engine of some kind. It may also specifically refer to:*Electric motor, a machine that converts electricity into a mechanical motion...
and attached it to the ceiling, inventing the ceiling fan
Ceiling fan
A ceiling fan is a fan, usually electrically powered, suspended from the ceiling of a room, that uses hub-mounted rotating paddles to circulate air....
, which he patented in 1887. Later, he added a light fixture
Light fixture
A light fixture, light fitting, or luminaire is an electrical device used to create artificial light and/or illumination, by use of an electric lamp...
to the ceiling fan. In 1904, his Diehl and Co. added a split-ball joint, allowing it to be redirected; three years later, this developed into the first oscillating fan
Fan (mechanical)
A mechanical fan is a machine used to create flow within a fluid, typically a gas such as air.A fan consists of a rotating arrangement of vanes or blades which act on the air. Usually, it is contained within some form of housing or case. This may direct the airflow or increase safety by preventing...
.
Honors
In 1889 the American Institute of New York awarded Philip Diehl a bronze medal, which bears the inscription The Medal of Merit, awarded to Philip Diehl for Electric Fans and Dynamos, 1889.External links
- Story of Philip Diehl (contains online references to many of the sources in the References section)