James Fox (engineer)
James Fox ( * 1789, † 1859) was a machine tool manufacturer, who was previously employed as a butler at Rev. Thomas Gisborne, of Foxhall Lodge, Staffordshire, and had a strong interest in the craft. His employer not only encouraged him, but also helped him to start his own company.
The growth of cotton, silk and lace and hosiery industry in the area of Derby demanded in accordance with professional mechanical engineers. Therefore, Fox asked to find many ways work. His lace machinery ( machine tip ) was celebrated and he provided so that the neighboring city of Nottingham. Also from the big companies Arkwright and Strutt, the founder of modern cotton production, Fox got jobs.
Fox built around 1814 independently by Murry and Richard Roberts one of the first planing machines, which are also the return stroke of the chisel anwandte as a key differentiator for metal cutting. Enforced but eventually has become the rapid return also used by James Nasmyth.
Greater influence exercised Fox on the development of the lathe. As it changes brought to the movement of the support a rack on the lathe bed on to a transmission, and so the feed rod, the lead screw to relieve. He also divided the leadership of the support from the tailstock. Besides producing for the UK, he exported many machines abroad to France, Russia and Mauritius. Among other things he produced in 1830 a lathe with foot drive and feed rod to the metal workshop of the Royal Commercial Institute in Berlin.
Fox's company in Derby was continued by his sons, but the history of the company from the last third of the 19th century is unknown.
Some of Foxes machines were displayed in contemporary literature and some are exhibited as museum pieces in Birmingham and Norway.