George Westinghouse
The man you know you knew because of his mustache
George Westinghouse, the inventor of the Air Brake
· Born on October 6, 1846
· Born in New York
· He only attended for 3 months in 1865 at Union College
· He worked in the railroad industry, then later created his company
· Due to a heart illness, he died on March 12, 1914 in NYC
· He invented the Air Brake
· An air compressed brake that enabled trains to stop quickly without error.
· If he had never lived, in that period of time, freight trains would have had to use more power to stop themselves, but his invention helped that.
· He served as a Private in the Civil War, and then made acting third assisting engineer in the Navy in 1864, which is where he got his knowledge of mechanics.
· During his childhood, he spent time in his father’s shops where he manufactured agricultural machinery.
· He had experienced the Civil War at an early age.
· His job mostly consisted of public services in the railroad field. He made traveling safer.
· A financial panic in 1907 caused Westinghouse to lose control of his company.
· “If someday they say of me that in my work I have contributed something to the welfare and happiness of my fellow man, I shall be satisfied.”
· He lived in Lenox Massachusetts with his wife and son
· He was awarded the IEEE Edison Metal, and the John Fritz Metal.
· His mustache is inspiring. Also, he was the rival of Thomas Edison in the electrical field, which means he was a top competitor of the man who created the first electrical lightbulb.
· He received his first patent at the age of 19
· How does the Air Brake work?
http://todayinsci.com/W/Westinghouse_George/WestinghouseGeorge-Quotations.htm
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http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blwestinghouse.htm