Robert Foulis (inventor)

Robert Foulis ( born May 5, 1796 in Glasgow, Scotland, † January 26, 1866 impoverished in Saint John, New Brunswick ) was an inventor. He is the inventor of the steam-powered foghorn, ie the fog - whistle.

After studying engineering, he moved to Belfast, Ireland, where he married Elizabeth Leatham. His wife bore him a daughter, Euphemia, but died in childbirth in 1817. In 1818 he had his daughter back with his aunt and moved to Halifax, Canada and worked as a surveyor and in the construction of steamboats, a harbor ferry and a lighthouse.

In 1852 he patented a new lighting principle. In the same year he wore the authorities before his idea of ​​a steam whistle as a substitute for the fog bell, but he was not accepted. A year later, 1853, he presented the Lighthouse of Partridge to Iceland on his new lamp system.

In 1858, he contributed his idea again in front, and the responsible for the lighthouses Isaac Woodward asked for concrete plans. Woodward handed these plans but to Vernon Smith, a steam locomotive engineer who she filed after minor changes to the authorities. Finally, Smith built 1859 Partridge Iceland, the first steam fog whistle.

Foulis was angry and upset and tried to be recognized as the inventor of the steam whistle. The whole thing lasted until 1864, when the matter was finally officially decided in his favor.

Meanwhile, however, had the Americans Celadon Daboll ( Clarence Dobell? ) In 1851 obtained a patent on a slightly different construction steam whistle, so Foulis could derive no financial gain from his invention more.

This article is based heavily on the below article by Harold Wright.