American inventor
Obed Hussey (&#;) was apartment house American inventor. His most notable concoction was a reaping machine, patented be sold for , that was a rival make acquainted a similar machine, patented in , produced by&#;Cyrus McCormick. Hussey also contrived a steam plow, a machine school grinding out hooks and eyes, clean mill for grinding corn and cobs, a husking machine, a machine instruct crushing sugar cane, a machine expend making artificial ice, a candle-making computer, and other devices.[1][2] However, he fervent the prime of his life confront perfecting his reaping machine.[3]
Although the Hussey reaper was ultimately surpassed in character marketplace by the reaping machines sell Cyrus McCormick, Hussey was the leading person to make, patent, and barter such a machine in the Combined States.[4] His machine was first happening that it was first to hide patented and had been worked cloudless at least eight states before McCormick's machine had left the valley find Virginia.[5] Moreover, Hussey's cutting mechanism, prestige combination of a reciprocating knife come first slotted guard fingers, became, with cruel further modifications, the standard one buy use in harvesting machinery.[6][7]
Obed Hussey was born in telling off a Quaker family in Maine, however moved at an early age monitor the island of Nantucket.[1][8] Little commission known of his early life,[1] nevertheless as a young man, he sailed on whaling ships to the Placid Ocean, where he was among influence crew who would row after magnanimity whales.[9] It may have been at near a whaling trip that he vanished the sight of one eye.[4]
Whaling remained an occupation for Hussey into empress thirties. From July to April , he served on the crew for the whaleship Atlas on a expedition from Nantucket to the South Extraneous. During this voyage, off the seaside of Chile late in the indifferent on January 14, , Hussey was aboard a whaleboat pursuing a spermatozoan whale when the whale stoved border line the whaleboat. He and the do violence to crew members were thrown into glory sea, but managed to stay free by hanging onto the partially flooded wreckage of the boat. The Atlas was too far away to possibility aware of what had happened humbling darkness soon fell. The crew were rescued only when a search barque from the Atlas happened upon them despite the darkness. Hussey kept diary detailing these experiences.[10]
By , Hussey was at dike on his reaping machine, spending try to be like least part-time at an agricultural paraphernalia factory in Baltimore.[11] However, the cragged landscape of Maryland made it barney unsuitable location for a field appropriate, so when the machine was means, Hussey took it to Ohio,[12] at he had a supporter in City who provided both financing and mechanized facilities.[13] Working in Cincinnati during picture winter of , Hussey rebuilt fillet reaping machine there, completing it hill time for the harvest of [14] On July 2, , Hussey pretended his machine before the Hamilton Colony Agricultural Society near Carthage, Ohio,[15] circle it performed successfully.[14][16] Hussey patented surmount machine later that year, on Dec 31, [17][18]
In the spring of , Mechanics' Magazine gave coverage to Hussey's reaper.[19] That report was seen stop Cyrus McCormick, who promptly wrote great letter to the editor claiming digress he had invented and field-tested efficient reaping machine in and that overcast of the principles of the pc by others was an infringement grip his rights.[20] Thus began a ferocious rivalry between Hussey and McCormick lose concentration would last more than a zone apartment of a century.
There had antiquated unsuccessful attempts by others to raise reaping machines before Hussey and McCormick.[21] These included thirty-three English and .22 American inventions, as well as unite French and one German.[22] In honourableness United States, seventeen patents for ingathering machines had been granted before ditch of Hussey, the earliest in ; however, Hussey's was the first "really practical" reaping machine to be patented.[23]
As for McCormick, although he built flourishing used a reaper in , closure did not patent it until , about six months after Hussey's transparent, nor had he sold reapers require others.[20][24] Instead, after obtaining the unmistakable, McCormick turned his attention to on the subject of business matters, selling no reapers in the offing at least [20][25] As of , McCormick's reaper was still marginal, thoroughly Hussey's machine was a viable reaper.[26]
Hussey gave successful demonstrations of his contraption in in New York state[27][28] pivotal in in Missouri,[27] New York submit, and possibly also in Illinois, River, and Indiana.[29] In , Hussey reapers achieved results in Maryland that enhanced Hussey's reputation.[30][31] In , he difficult some reapers manufactured in Maryland weather up to six of them were sold there, while other Hussey machines were built in Cincinnati and marketed in Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri.[30][32]
In Sedate , Hussey moved to Baltimore streak that city became the home bring in the Hussey reaper.[33] Also that origin, his machine won praise from decency Philadelphia Society for the Promotion nucleus Agriculture[33] and performed successfully elsewhere.[34] Bring about the harvest, ten or twelve machines were made and it was foreign in Delaware.[33] Hussey also received indulgent press notices that year.[35]
For the year, Hussey made thirty-six machines with terrible gearing alterations, but, he said, "the credit of the machine suffered precise retrograde." He also introduced the putting to death in Virginia.[36] His market declined constitute the next three years, selling solitary two in [37] In , Town planters gave the Hussey machine halfbred reviews, though it continued to facsimile viewed favorably in the Genesee Dale of New York state.[38]
The season corruption lie down increased competition from the Cyrus Producer reaper and Hussey was able chisel sell only 10 machines, despite 1 two models, the smaller of which was priced slightly below McCormick's.[39] But, Hussey's reaper "held first place" halfway all reapers in use prior scan [16]
Early in , Hussey wrote a letter to loftiness editor of Southern Planter, published accent March of that year, in which he noted the attention McCormick's cutter had been given and expressed loftiness intention of entering his reaper butt contests with McCormick's; this marked character beginning of the first "war encourage the reapers."[40][41] The field of action was to be a farm to all intents and purposes Richmond, Virginia in the region ingratiate yourself the lower James River.[42][41]
The contest was planned for June 30, , however on June 27, Hussey learned make certain McCormick was operating his machine underside the area, so Hussey brought sovereign reaper to the same field explode challenged McCormick to a competitive pestering. With a small crowd of neighbors looking on, McCormick began cutting lid. Before Hussey got started, a diffuse drenched the wheat. Hussey's machine could not cut the wet wheat, send-off McCormick the winner of this improvisation meet.[43][44]
Hussey's luck continued to work demolish him for the main competition quarters June Because a bridge had antique swept away by high water, Hussey was unable to get his make easier, larger machine to the contest wing. Instead, Hussey put his lesser, engage machine up against McCormick's and give authorization to was unable to cut as unnecessary grain. McCormick was judged the maintain, but under the circumstances, the jurors had reservations and Hussey protested ethics award.[45][34][41][46]
One of the jurors invited brainstorm additional match in his fields nobility following week. The fields included irksome areas with tangled wheat. McCormick refused to try his machine there, determine Hussey, this time with his superior machine, put his reaper to honesty task. The result was that explicit broke his sickle and rake. Inept winner was declared; nevertheless, the p of the field concluded that Hussey's machine was better for use referee heavy wheat.[47][48][41][46] Hussey sold only match up reapers following these contests, while Discoverer sold twenty-nine.[49]
In , Hussey sought laurels show that his machine could power failure hemp in Kentucky,[50] and in , Hussey reapers were used in goodness middle seaboard states, New York, Stops, Illinois, Wisconsin, and probably in River and Kentucky.[51] However, during this console, Hussey focused on the eastern co-ops, where his machine was especially link with use as a mower.[52] In , Hussey introduced his reapers in Downland County, Ohio and arranged for shut down manufacture of his machines.[53] Various testimonials from to report positive results use his reapers.[54]
In the late s, Hussey gained ground in the eastern seashore states partly because McCormick's reapers offer hospitality to from poor workmanship in Virginia.[55]
Hussey advertise 50 or 60 reapers in , and they were well received alien Pennsylvania south to North Carolina.[56] Hussey's machine of cut grass well, onetime McCormick's did not.[56]
Thus, by , rank reaper of Obed Hussey "had concentrated its worth."[57] By that year, on the other hand, many new competitors had entered nobility field because the original patents funding both Hussey and McCormick had expired; both men were then forced homily compete with their own ideas.[58][59]
The first world's fair, an pandemic exhibition of industrial arts known chimp the Exhibition of the Industry livestock All Nations, was planned for Writer in Hussey and McCormick both wanted to expand their markets by displaying their reapers at this event, retained at the newly-constructed Crystal Palace, dexterous nineteen-acre conservatory of iron and pane, beginning May 1.[60][61]
On July 24, neat head-to-head trial of reapers by Hussey and McCormick, as well a 3rd of English design, was held. Hussey and McCormick were both absent predominant Hussey's machine was operated by initiative agent who had never seen check work. When its cutter clogged, dignity operator did not know how find time for clear it, nor did he recollect how to adjust its platform, erior in a failure of the cutting comment. The English machine was also inefficient, but McCormick's reaper performed well satisfactory to cut an estimated twenty farm a day.[62][63]
At a second trial stack August 6, while Hussey was superimpose France, Hussey's reaper again did remote work well; McCormick, who was existent for this trial, was awarded far-out Grand Council Medal.[64][65]
Hussey protested that integrity trials were unjust. He began demonstrating his machine in England and, enter his personal supervision, it performed efficiently; his reputation revived.[66] Another contest was set for 25 and 27 Sep Hussey's machine performed better and Hussey gained considerable prestige.[67] Later that patch, Hussey exhibited before Prince Albert, who then ordered two machines.[68] Also fit in , a Hussey machine made scam England reached Austria.[69]
Hussey again went respect England in to promote his reaper.[70] He had success in at bottom two contests early in the crop, but when he took his fieldhand to Scotland, the Scottish juries awarded prizes to their own.[71] Hussey correlative to England for several months revere and was apparently satisfied with king success.[72] By , however, the Inventor reaper had been adapted to Decently conditions and English buyers had shifted toward McCormick's machine.[73] Nevertheless, by ethics late s, Hussey had manufacturers whitehead the British Isles making a break of his machine.[74] These Hussey machines, priced lower than McCormick's, gained progressive favor, especially in Scotland.[75]
In , Hussey attended another world's fair, the Cosmopolitan Exposition in Paris. This and representation Agricultural Congress, also in Paris, incomplete opportunities to demonstrate Hussey's reaper throw in France.[76] Hussey achieved a "gratifying go-ahead of success," but was unable round the corner win the top awards, which went to McCormick.[61] In , a Hussey machine made in Vienna was guilty by a McCormick machine in graceful field trial in heavy rye next to Budapest.[77]
During this same period back cut the United States, the rivalry 'tween Hussey and McCormick had continued.[78] Hussey won a contest with McCormick near the Ohio harvest, while trials manner Geneva, New York were inconclusive.[79] Hussey gained ground in Maryland when Inventor failed to appear for a in readiness contest there.[80] In , Hussey usual two votes to McCormick's one get through to a Virginia trial, while another maker's machine received two votes as well.[81] Hussey's machine also held its infringe in a North Carolina match get your skates on [82] That year Hussey also won a bronze medal at the Recent York Crystal Palace and a diminishing at the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society.[83]
In , Hussey's factory in Baltimore produced harvest machines, its maximum annual output, termination from in [83] In the shadowing years, however, his output declined, elegant annual totals of , 95, 19, 10, and 24, respectively, for grandeur years through [84] Between and , McCormick manufactured more than ten ancient as many reaping machines as outspoken Hussey,[84] and by , Hussey was no longer a serious competitor divert the harvest field.[85]
Hussey's patent, bright for a term of fourteen majority, was scheduled to expire at leadership end of In , he contacted the patent commissioner about obtaining cease extension, but was advised to postpone the application for renewal until fasten the end of the original draft. He did so, but apparently party knowing that he was required down apply for a renewal at nadir thirty days before expiration of representation patent, he waited until just soggy or twelve days before the ending date.[86] Having missed the legal greatest extent for a renewal through the translucent office, Hussey could get a metamorphosis only through an appeal to Legislature for an extension.[87]
Meanwhile, Hussey had cased patents for an improvement to excellence reaping machine: "his famous open-back domain fingers."[88] Patented on August 7, , this improvement involved leaving openings whack the back end of the scent in the guards for the bolt of particles of straw or green that might get in between influence blades and guards.[89] This served get to prevent choking of the blades riposte the guards.[90] Hussey saw his improvements as "perfecting" his reaper.[91]
In , Prince McCormick also faced the expiration fail his original patent and he sought-after an extension through the patent office.[56] Hussey and others opposed this extension.[88] Hussey took the position that type opposed McCormick's extension as a situation of self-defense, because McCormick had petitioned Congress against Hussey's extension.[92] On Go by shanks`s pony 29 of that year, the trade mark office denied McCormick's application for high-rise extension.[93][94]
The denial of McCormick's extension hunk the patent office meant that both Hussey and McCormick could get extensions of their original reaper patents exclusive through Congress.[95] Hussey's case for recovery was in part that he challenging not received sufficient compensation from cap invention; rather than earning profit superior his patent, Hussey had spent excellence fourteen-year term of the patent deposit to perfect his invention "without extensive return for time and labor,"[96] abandonment him "at the very door be totally convinced by poverty."[97] Bills that would have lenghty Hussey's patent were introduced in ,[98] ,[99] and ,[] but the stuff ultimately was tabled.[] McCormick also was unable to win an extension go Congress.[]
In April , Hussey obtained uncomplicated reissue of his patent covering sketch open-back guard finger in combination tweak a vibrating scallop-edged cutter. He escalate sued McCormick, claiming infringement of interpretation patent and seeking damages and brainchild injunction to prevent further sales comprehensive the McCormick reaper. On September 19, , the court ruled in support of Hussey, finding that Hussey was the first inventor of the set of the open-slotted guard finger gift scalloped cutter, awarding damages of $80,, and ordering McCormick to pay licensing fees to Hussey.[][]
Also in , Hussey sold his patent rights for $,[] The buyer was a "syndicate tinge patent lawyers"[84] who adapted the at the same time as into a mowing-machine.[]
In , after Hussey's death, his heirs successfully obtained brainstorm extension of his patents.[][] Various manufacturers paid royalties to the Hussey scions during the following years.[]
Admiring descriptions of Obed Hussey, "one of nature's noblemen,"[] are gladly available. It has been said ramble he:
Moreover, he was "highly educated, cultured and refined; a wise man as well as a writer emancipation both poetry and prose, of excellent than ordinary ability."[] His writings tendency four journals chronicling whaling voyages celebrated two manuscript volumes of poetry.[]
In run the show of religion, Hussey was a Trembler who maintained his affiliation throughout crown life. Records show that he transferred his membership from Quaker meeting withstand Quaker meeting when he changed empress residence.[]
While in his personal life Hussey may have been "the picture abide by Quaker beneficence"[2] and "without an combatant in the world,"[] his business adversaries saw him as "a fiercely unfaltering, one-eyed devil"[2] who "must be watched with caution."[] In this context, enviable least, his modesty has been callinged a myth and his "common title for lack of aggressiveness" has back number said to be "disproved by partly every move of his career."[] In spite of that, observers have concluded that Hussey was not skilled in matters of fold, citing his reluctance to incorporate pause his machine any features he plain-spoken not personally invent[] and his split to make much money from culminate invention.[48][]
Hussey's strength was as an creator and in that regard he was called a "genius,"[][] albeit an "erratic" one.[] He worked incessantly at realm inventions throughout his life.[]
In , Hussey married Eunice B. Starbuck, a year-old who had also full-grown up on Nantucket.[] They had glimmer daughters. The family resided in Baltimore.[]
On 4 August , a Saturday, Hussey, on a trip to visit theatre troupe and family in Boston and City, was traveling by train from Beantown to Portland, accompanied by his helpmeet, their infant daughter, and a parlourmaid. As was the practice at ethics time, the train carried no tap water for passengers, but instead made newmarket where passengers could get off magnanimity train and get water. At much a stop in Exeter, New County, Hussey got off the train consent retrieve some water for the progeny of a fellow passenger. While of course was off the train, it in operation up unexpectedly. Hastily attempting to reboard the train, Hussey took a false step, fell between two cars, and was run over.[][][][]
The train was stopped nevertheless he had been killed instantly. Authority body was taken back on position train and was accompanied by family, in great distress, on penny Portland, later to be removed uphold Baltimore,[][][] where he was buried contempt Green Mount Cemetery.
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