David Edward Hughes

David Edward Hughes ( born May 16, 1831 in London, † 22 January, 1900 in London ) was a British-American engineer and inventor.

Life and work

David Edward Hughes was the son of David Hughes. In 1838 his parents emigrated with him to Virginia in the United States. After leaving school, he studied music and science. In 1850 he got a job as a teacher in Kentucky for music, physics and mechanics. Besides this activity he pursued extensive technical studies. As a result, Hughes introduced in 1855 an electric pressure telegraph in public before, the type of printing telegraph. In contrast to the Morse telegraph here directly readable plaintext at the sender and the recipient was printed on strips of paper.

1857 Hughes returned back to the UK and went to England.

In 1865 he experimented with an imported phone by the German physicist and inventor Philipp Reis. Its telephone is considered the first working device of transmitting sound via electrical lines. Also, Hughes was able to achieve good results with the apparatus.

The genius of the design is highlighted by the fact that the " Hughes telegraph " were used until the 20th century world. Further physical studies led him in 1878 to provide an improved carbon microphone in public. It was this to the successful continuation of experiments of Thomas Alva Edison and Emil Berliner, he underscored also largely theoretical. A description of Hughes ' ​​construction can be found here: Hughes telephone. Allegedly, his first carbon microphone was so sensitive that running a fly could be made audible. Hughes gave up a patenting and put his microphone at leisure.

At the age of 68 years, David Edward Hughes died on 22 January 1900 in the 40 Langham Street, London. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery in London.

Honors

1880 Hughes was elected as a member ( "Fellow" ) to the Royal Society, in 1885, the Royal Medal awarded him.