František Křižík

František Křižík ( born July 8, 1847 in Plánice; † January 22, 1941 in Stádlec in Tábor ) was a Czech engineer, industrialist and inventor. His greatest invention were improvements in the carbon arc lamp, which he had patented automatic regulation, as well as its contribution to the electrification of Bohemia by the construction of power plants and the installation of electrical iron and trams. Of the journalists of his time, he was often praised as the " Czech Edison ".

Life

Křižík was son of a tailor. In Prague he attended secondary school, but could not take the exams because he lacked the money for exam fees. Due to its special performance in school professor Carl Zenger let him even without Matura at the Prague Polytechnic. Already during his studies he perfected the controls of railway signaling systems. This work he also, as an employee of the railroad on.

In 1878 he attended the World Exhibition in Paris and saw there for the first time arc lamps. In the same year he was a major improvement, namely the automatic regulation apply for a patent.

Already in 1882 he took himself with his arc lamp at the Paris World's Fair, where they competed against Edison's light bulb, and was awarded a gold medal.

In 1881 he began, then to produce its technical innovations first in Pilsen in Karlin in Prague itself.

In 1883 he participated in the International Electrical Exhibition in Vienna and took free illumination of the terrain. That earned him a lot of admiration.

Inventions

In 1878 he constructed a blocking signal device. In 1880, he invented a new type of arc lamp, which he in 1882 for a patent after it had already been used in the previous Pilsner theater lighting the stage for the Piett - paper factory in Pilsen.

In 1888 he built the first power station in Zizkov in Bohemia, then more throughout the world. He also began manufacturing electrical appliances: dynamo, arc lamps and incandescent lamps and installation materials.

Pioneer of the electric rail transport

Pilsen: Urban tram

In 1892 Křižík was asked by the Pilsen Municipal Corporation to develop a project for the construction of an urban tram. A year later Křižík presented a draft for an electric railway in the royal county town of Pilsen ( návrh per elektrickou dráhu městskou v královském krajském městě Plzni ). When the order is placed Křižík received the majority of the works (tracks, electrical utility, electrical equipment of the railcar ), continue the operations Škoda (steam boilers for the power plant ) and Václav Brožík a syn ( railcar ) involved. On June 29, 1899, the tram traffic was recorded in Pilsen with twenty railcars. Křižík was therefore instrumental in determining the shape of the Pilsen city traffic.

Prague: The Letna tram to the exhibition grounds

See: Letna tram

Another plan was to build an electric tram in Prague. However Křižík received no concession for this, as the Prague horse tram had the monopoly. So he was able to build a tram line Letna to the exhibition grounds for the taking place in 1891 Anniversary National Exhibition of the Kingdom of Bohemia. She was only 800 meters long, but still a sensation. In addition, the area was was illuminated with 226 arc lamps and more than 1,400 light bulbs Křižík production and he had to issue a fountain of light, an illuminated with lamps fountains build. The railway was a private company and drove in the summer months by the year 1900.

Prague: Tram Florenc - Vysočany

As early as 1896 was an 8 km long tram line Florenc - Karlin - Liben - Vysočany be put into operation. Operator was the company " Křižíkova soukromá Elektrická dráha Prague - Liben - Vysočany " ( Křižík private electric railway Prague - Liben - Vysočany ). The route went through several suburbs north of the city center and upgraded annually 2 million passengers.

Lokalbahn Tábor Bechyně

Main article: Railway Tábor Bechyně

In 1903 he built a 24 km long railway line from Bechyně to Tábor - it was the first electric railway in Austria - Hungary.

Electrification of the horse-drawn tram on Prague's Charles Bridge

1883 - 1905 inverted over the Charles Bridge, the horse-drawn tram. With the electrification of this route you hesitated for a long time, because the classical catenary would have significantly disrupted the historical form of the bridge. On František Křižík proposal, the power supply was attached by means of special, between the rails, built contacts. The electric street railway traffic over the Charles Bridge was taken in September 1905. However, the system was quite prone to failure, also endangered the traffic the existence of the bridge as well as the statues, so that you decided as early as 1908 on the Charles Bridge to the setting of the tram service.

Missed the boat

Křižík certainly missed the connection to the technical development. He overlooked the fact that the AC over the DC had certain advantages. So he lost, for example, the tender for a power plant in Holešovice against the young dynamic engineer Eduard flask was placed on the AC technology.

In the economically problematic years of the First World War, he had to convert to a corporation his company at the behest of the banks.

Embittered pulled the inventor, who was often referred to as the " Bohemian Edison " back.

Křižík honor

In his birthplace in Plánice a small museum is housed. The exhibition includes photographs, copies of patent documents and a functional arc lamp.

When he died at the age of almost 94 years, he was buried in the cemetery Vyšehrad in Prague. His body is in the so -called Slavín, honor tomb for outstanding personalities of the Czech people.

In several cities the streets are named after him. In Prague, a metro station named after him: Křižíkova.

Since December 2008, a Euro City train pair between Bratislava and Prague is named after František Křižík.