People and Companies of WW I
Hiram Maxim
Hiram Maxim was born on February 5, 1840 in Maine. He was the son of a mechanic and showed much inovation at a young age. He started off his life of inventing at 26 when he recieved his first patent for a hair curler. He later invented a machine that produced illuminating gas. He is also credited with inventing the locamotive head lamp, a steam engine airplane, a gas engine, and a new method for producing carbon filaments in lightbulbs. His greatest invention, however, came in 1884 after he had moved to London with his invention of the machine gun. He attempted to sell the machine gun to the British military, and although many of the high ranking officers saw no need for such a weapon, the British bought it. Many other countries expressed interest in this new weapon he had created including Germany. Hiram Maxim died in London on November 24, 1916 at the age of 76.
"People were now beginning to talk about electric light."
"The next day he told me that he was a great believer in the future of electric lighting; that he was the first in the field, and that if I would take hold and assist him he would give me a salary of ten dollars a day, as well as a quarter interest in whatever might accrue from the work."
"People were now beginning to talk about electric light."
"The next day he told me that he was a great believer in the future of electric lighting; that he was the first in the field, and that if I would take hold and assist him he would give me a salary of ten dollars a day, as well as a quarter interest in whatever might accrue from the work."
Colt
Colt was founded by Samuel Colt in 1836 with the patent of his original revolver under the name of Patent Arms Manufacturing Company. It later closed in 1842 after it went bankrupt. It wasn't untill 1845 when Texas Ranger and U.S. Dragoon Forces credited their victories against the Indians to Colt's weapons and at the start of the Mexican War in 1846 Captain Walker of the U.S Army seeked out Samual Colt to discuss with him the manufacturing of a more powerful revolver. Colt worked with Eli Whitney Junior to manufacture these revolvers. In 1851 Colt opened his factory near Hartford, Connecticut with all of the most up to date metal working equipment. The company, throughout its history, has faced the usual problems of firearm manufacturers, heightened production during wartime, and decreased production after wartime.
"Abe Lincoln may have freed all men, but Sam Colt made them equal."
"Quality makes it a Colt"
"Abe Lincoln may have freed all men, but Sam Colt made them equal."
"Quality makes it a Colt"
John Browning
John Browning was born January 21, 1855 in Ogden, Utah. He is known as the father of modern firearms as many weapon manufacturers base their designs off of his. He gained his first weapon patent at the age of 24 for the Wichester Model 1885 single shot rifle. He continued to manufacture for Wichester including a lever action shot gun that he later modified and made his own using a pump action. After a long career of manufacturing weapons he came to realize that the only way to speed up the action of manual loading rifles is to eliminate the slow human factor. He got his idea for the automatic action while watching a shooting competition that as a man fired the rifle the grass around the muzzle was moved as a result of the escaping gases. He would later use these gases in his designs for the BAR , the Browning Machine Gun, and the Colt 1911. John Browning died on November 26, 1926 at the age of 71 leaving behind an almost five decade legacy of gun manufacturing which has remained nearly unchanged since.
“Many people saw on the frontier that communion should be open to anyone,”
"In spite of that, they asked me to come back,”
“Many people saw on the frontier that communion should be open to anyone,”
"In spite of that, they asked me to come back,”
Wilfred Stokes
Wilfred Stokes was born April 9, 1860 in Liverpool, England. Wilfred Stokes was a civil engineer working for Ransomes and Rapier who mainly manufactured cranes. He began working on the Stokes Mortar in 1914 at the beginning of the war. He had absolutely no military background yet he designed one of the most marvelous weapons of the war. He designed it with the thought of making it an infantry weapon which no other mortar of the time had been. He designed it like most other great inventions, with a simple design. All other mortars to this day are based atleast partially from his design. Stokes died on February 7, 1927 at the age of 66.