Earl Avery Thompson (July 1, 1891 – April 20, 1967) was an American engineer and inventor who had a goal to make driving the automobile safer by reducing the effort required to shift the manual transmission of the day. Thompson even wanted to automate the process of shifting the transmission. Two of his most notable achievements towards that goal are listed on this page:
Thompson was born in Elgin, Oregon, on July 1, 1891. He was educated at Oregon State College where he majored in mechanical and electrical engineering. Thompson worked for General Motors Corporation (GM) from 1929–1940. Thompson left GM May 1, 1940, to begin his own business, the E.A. Thompson Manufacturing Co. In Ferndale, Michigan. Thompson manufactured the Thompson Automatic Profiling Milling machine which is used by manufacturers in the production of arms, plane, tank, and gun parts.[1] Thompson died April 20, 1967, at the age of 75 in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Notable achievementsEdit
The synchromesh transmissionEdit
Thompson's 1918 invention of a synchromeshmanual transmission using a tapered cone synchronizer to prevent gear clash (US Patent US1435430 in March 1922[2]) would make shifting a manual transmission faster, easier and safer. In April of 1922 Thompson, armed with drawings and data for a prototype synchromesh transmission, set out for Detroit to sell it to the automobile industry. But the automobile manufacturers were not impressed; their customers, he was told, were satisfied with transmissions just as they were. Thompson persisted. After several trips between Oregon and Detroit, and months spent improving the design, and two more patent applications,[3][4] he was finally able to arrange a meeting with Lawrence Fisher, managing director of Cadillac Motor Car Division and Ernest Seaholm, Cadillac's chief engineer. They were interested in the idea, and (in 1924) Thompson was retained as a consultant while the transmission was perfected[5] (10 models in all).
The first cars to use Thompson's synchromesh transmission design were Cadillac and LaSalle cars in 1928, then Buick 8's in 1931.[6] Thompson sold his synchromesh transmission patents to GM in 1924[7] and 1930 for a reported $1 million.
Thompson became an employee of Cadillac Motor Car Division on September 1, 1929, and was appointed to be assistant chief engineer. Thompson continued improving the design of the synchronizer. In 1933. Thompson began working on the development of an automatically shifting transmission. Thompson left Cadillac in 1934 and joined the General Motors Corporation (GM) Engineering Department.[8]
GM Automatic Safety Transmission DevelopmentEdit
In 1934 at the GM Engineering Department, Thompson became the project leader of a group of four engineers including Ralph F. Beck, William L. Carnegie, Walter B. Herndon, and Maurice S. Rosenberger. This group developed the Automatic Safety Transmission,[9] an optional semi-automatic transmission for some 1937–1939 Oldsmobile and 1938 Buick vehicles.[10]
GM Hydra-Matic Transmission DevelopmentEdit
In June 1936 a fifth engineer, "O.K." Oliver K. Kelley, joined Thompson's group; he was transferred from G.M.C. Truck and Coach Division where the development of a hydraulic torque converter drive for a transit bus was proceeding.[11] Thompson's group combined a fluid coupling with a unique hydraulically controlled, automatically shifting 4-speed planetary transmission, introduced as an option on 1940 Oldsmobiles as Hydra-Matic, the world's first mass-produced fully automatic transmission. The 1940 Hydra-Matic transmission would continue to be refined and produced for another 16 years, including wartime use in some military vehicles.
AwardsEdit
Recipient of the Elmer A. Sperry Award in 1963 for design and development of the first successful automatic automobile transmission
Manual transmission patentsEdit
1918/1922 US Patent US1435430[2] for an Automatic gear-shifting mechanism for sliding gear transmission
1923/1937 US Patent US2101825[3] for an Automatic Gear Shifting Mechanism
1925/1932 US Patent US1888640[4] for a Transmission
Automatic transmission patentsEdit
The Identification tag of a 1953 Hydra-Matic Transmission showing 15 Patents, 9 were Thompson's
Thompson was awarded 22 patents.[12] Nine of his patents were directly related to the development of the Hydra-Matic transmission
1933/1942 US Patent US2285760[13] for Change Speed Gearing with Automatic Overdrive
1934/1940 US Patent US2195605[14] for Change Speed Transmission and Control
1935/1940 US Patent US2193304[15] for Change Speed Mechanism and Control
1937/1940 US Patent US2193305[16] for Brake and Clutch Capacity Control
1937/1940 US Patent US2193524[17] for Change Speed Gearing and Control
1937/1944 US Patent US2362418[18] for Clutch and Gearing Control
1938/1940 US Patent US2204872[19] for Change Speed Gearing and Control
1940/1945 US Patent US2380680[20] for Clutch and Control
1940/1947 US Patent US2430258[21] for Rotary Hydraulic Coupling of the Turbine Type
External linksEdit
^"Ferndale 1918-1943 25 Years of Progress | PDF | M 1 (Michigan Highway) | Forging". Scribd.
^ ab"Automatic gear-shifting mechanism for sliding gear transmission".
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Earl Avery Thompson July 1 1891 April 20 1967 was an American engineer and inventor who had a goal to make driving the automobile safer by reducing the effort required to shift the manual transmission of the day Thompson even wanted to automate the process of shifting the transmission Two of his most notable achievements towards that goal are listed on this page Earl Avery Thompson in his youth unknown year Contents 1 Early life and career 2 Notable achievements 2 1 The synchromesh transmission 2 2 GM Automatic Safety Transmission Development 2 3 GM Hydra Matic Transmission Development 3 Awards 4 Manual transmission patents 5 Automatic transmission patents 6 External linksEarly life and career EditThompson was born in Elgin Oregon on July 1 1891 He was educated at Oregon State College where he majored in mechanical and electrical engineering Thompson worked for General Motors Corporation GM from 1929 1940 Thompson left GM May 1 1940 to begin his own business the E A Thompson Manufacturing Co In Ferndale Michigan Thompson manufactured the Thompson Automatic Profiling Milling machine which is used by manufacturers in the production of arms plane tank and gun parts 1 Thompson died April 20 1967 at the age of 75 in Bloomfield Hills Michigan Notable achievements EditThe synchromesh transmission Edit Thompson s 1918 invention of a synchromesh manual transmission using a tapered cone synchronizer to prevent gear clash US Patent US1435430 in March 1922 2 would make shifting a manual transmission faster easier and safer In April of 1922 Thompson armed with drawings and data for a prototype synchromesh transmission set out for Detroit to sell it to the automobile industry But the automobile manufacturers were not impressed their customers he was told were satisfied with transmissions just as they were Thompson persisted After several trips between Oregon and Detroit and months spent improving the design and two more patent applications 3 4 he was finally able to arrange a meeting with Lawrence Fisher managing director of Cadillac Motor Car Division and Ernest Seaholm Cadillac s chief engineer They were interested in the idea and in 1924 Thompson was retained as a consultant while the transmission was perfected 5 10 models in all The first cars to use Thompson s synchromesh transmission design were Cadillac and LaSalle cars in 1928 then Buick 8 s in 1931 6 Thompson sold his synchromesh transmission patents to GM in 1924 7 and 1930 for a reported 1 million Thompson became an employee of Cadillac Motor Car Division on September 1 1929 and was appointed to be assistant chief engineer Thompson continued improving the design of the synchronizer In 1933 Thompson began working on the development of an automatically shifting transmission Thompson left Cadillac in 1934 and joined the General Motors Corporation GM Engineering Department 8 GM Automatic Safety Transmission Development Edit In 1934 at the GM Engineering Department Thompson became the project leader of a group of four engineers including Ralph F Beck William L Carnegie Walter B Herndon and Maurice S Rosenberger This group developed the Automatic Safety Transmission 9 an optional semi automatic transmission for some 1937 1939 Oldsmobile and 1938 Buick vehicles 10 GM Hydra Matic Transmission Development Edit In June 1936 a fifth engineer O K Oliver K Kelley joined Thompson s group he was transferred from G M C Truck and Coach Division where the development of a hydraulic torque converter drive for a transit bus was proceeding 11 Thompson s group combined a fluid coupling with a unique hydraulically controlled automatically shifting 4 speed planetary transmission introduced as an option on 1940 Oldsmobiles as Hydra Matic the world s first mass produced fully automatic transmission The 1940 Hydra Matic transmission would continue to be refined and produced for another 16 years including wartime use in some military vehicles Awards EditRecipient of the Elmer A Sperry Award in 1963 for design and development of the first successful automatic automobile transmissionManual transmission patents Edit1918 1922 US Patent US1435430 2 for an Automatic gear shifting mechanism for sliding gear transmission 1923 1937 US Patent US2101825 3 for an Automatic Gear Shifting Mechanism 1925 1932 US Patent US1888640 4 for a TransmissionAutomatic transmission patents Edit nbsp The Identification tag of a 1953 Hydra Matic Transmission showing 15 Patents 9 were Thompson sThompson was awarded 22 patents 12 Nine of his patents were directly related to the development of the Hydra Matic transmission 1933 1942 US Patent US2285760 13 for Change Speed Gearing with Automatic Overdrive 1934 1940 US Patent US2195605 14 for Change Speed Transmission and Control 1935 1940 US Patent US2193304 15 for Change Speed Mechanism and Control 1937 1940 US Patent US2193305 16 for Brake and Clutch Capacity Control 1937 1940 US Patent US2193524 17 for Change Speed Gearing and Control 1937 1944 US Patent US2362418 18 for Clutch and Gearing Control 1938 1940 US Patent US2204872 19 for Change Speed Gearing and Control 1940 1945 US Patent US2380680 20 for Clutch and Control 1940 1947 US Patent US2430258 21 for Rotary Hydraulic Coupling of the Turbine TypeExternal links Edit Ferndale 1918 1943 25 Years of Progress PDF M 1 Michigan Highway Forging Scribd a b Automatic gear shifting mechanism for sliding gear transmission a b Automatic gear shifting mechanism a b Transmission ECL 147 Automatic Transmission Development 1970 23 May 1931 33 Honolulu Star Bulletin at Newspapers com 1931 05 23 Retrieved 2022 06 05 Gott Phillip G 1991 Changing Gears 1st ed USA Society of Automotive Engineers p 88 ISBN 1 56091 099 2 Earl Thompson NO CLUTCH TO PRESS NO GEARS TO SHIFT Automotive News 13 December 2005 Daniel Strohl April 13 2008 SIA Flashback Almost Automatic hemmings com Yellow Coach Part 2 Yellow Coach Mfg Co Yellow Truck and Coach Yellow Bus Greyhound Bus Silversides GMC Truck CCKW DUKW General Motors CoachBuilt com Retrieved 2022 06 05 ininventor Earl A Thompson Google Search www google com Change speed gearing with automatic overdrive Change speed transmission and control Change speed mechanism and control Brake and clutch capacity control Change speed gearing and control Clutch and gearing control Change speed gearing and control Clutch and control Rotary hydraulic coupling of the turbine type Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Earl A Thompson amp oldid 1166087961, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
