Clarence Walton Musser inventor of the harmonic drive

Harmonic Drive

A Harmonic Drive is a special type of mechanical gear system that can improve certain characteristics compared to traditional gearing systems . It was invented in 1957 and is now produced by Harmonic Drive LLC...

 is an old hand at masterminding design breakthroughs. He is credited with over 250 major inventions and discoveries.

Some of his inventions were the Army recoilless rifle, aircraft personnel catapults, instrumentation for underwater detonation testing. His varied career includes experience in many diverse fields. He was research advisor to the Department of Defense for 15 years. With other industrial and government organizations, he has served as chief engineer, director of research, and consultant. He held professional engineering licences in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 and Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

. As a research adviser to United Shoe Machinery Corp., he explored nonrigid-body mechanics, using controlled deflection as an operating medium. In 1957 Musser announced invention of the harmonic drive

Harmonic Drive

A Harmonic Drive is a special type of mechanical gear system that can improve certain characteristics compared to traditional gearing systems . It was invented in 1957 and is now produced by Harmonic Drive LLC...

(U. S. patent 2,906,143).