John Miller (entrepreneur)

John A. Miller (* 1872 in Homewood, Illinois, 1941, Houston, Texas, † born June 24, when August John Mueller ) was an American inventor, roller coaster designer and car designer. He became famous for many inventions in the aft rail construction to play an important role today, as the sprag or the Underfriction Wheels, wheels hold the car from the bottom of the rails. He was able to secure more than 100 patents in the field of roller coaster engineering and safety and was involved in the construction of more than 130 roller coasters. He is often referred to as the " Thomas Edison of roller coaster".

Biography

At the age of 19 years, Miller began at the company of LaMarcus Adna Thompson roller coaster pioneer working and was there after a short time the senior technicians. Jointly developed Thomson and Miller continue the roller coaster and notified a number of patents. From 1911 Miller designed as a consultant for the Philadelphia Toboggan Company about 15 roller coasters.

In 1920, Miller with Harry C. Baker, a successful contractor who had specialized in the construction of roller coasters, the Miller and Baker, Inc.. During this time the company built more than 40 roller coasters. Among new developments such as the Dip -Lo Docus mentioned roller coasters with rotating carriage. Already 1923 the two parted again and worked with their own company further. Harry Baker's company built for example in 1927 the famous Cyclone at Coney Iceland. Miller founded the John A. Miller Company, Inc..

In the late 1920s, Miller again went into a partnership. Together with Norman Bartlett, the Flying Turns have been developed, a bobsled -like roller coaster type, do not drive their vehicles on rails, but with rubber wheels in a crafted wooden trough. The first track of this kind opened in 1929 at the Lakeside Park, Dayton. Due to the world economic crisis, the joint company went bankrupt in 1932. Bartlett was subsequently to build some Flying Turns.

Little is known about Miller's later years. In 1936 he built two Tripple Racer, Racing Coaster with three lanes in Dallas and Louisville. Much time was spent at the end of the 1930s in Mexico. He died during the planning of a roller coaster for Houston, Texas on June 24, 1941.

Inventions

The most important invention Miller's 1919 patented Underfriction apply wheels. Through this cross under the rail wheels, the car of the roller coaster are held firmly on the route. This has made it possible to construct steeper slopes, hills with more airtime and more sloping curves than only guided laterally (side friction ) roller coasters and enabled the development of modern roller coasters. To date, trolleys are used for most roller coasters that are based on this invention in wooden roller coasters, the chassis and rail construction has hardly changed since then.

Miller 1910 patented the safety chain dog, a simple metal bar, the rupture at the drive chain of the lift Hills rolling back the car prevented by reaching in locking to the inclined plane. With this assurance is the typical " clacking " triggered when pulling up the chariots of many roller coasters.

Furthermore, Miller patented various types of roller coaster cars and trains, braking devices, safety bar and building types of roller coasters. In addition, he also held a patent for a ferris wheel type with rolling on rails gondolas, but was never realized.

Roller coasters

Today, only nine of the 130 built with the participation of Miller railways are in operation: