Theophilus Van Kannel

Theophilus Van Kannel (* 1841 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, † December 24, 1919 in Cincinnati, Ohio) was a Dutch- American inventor. He received on August 7, 1888, U.S. Patent 387.571 on the revolving door.

In June 1865, he had acquired the patent 48 137 on his machine for coring cherries.

Already on December 22, 1881 H. Bock hacker had DE18349 received from Berlin, the German patent for his door without a draft, but it does not market.

Van Kannel had his patent for his revolving door against the accusation that it was nothing more than a turnstile defend. It led to several advantages, such as: quietness, the banning of the weather, the protection of employees in the vicinity of doors from deadly colds and acoustic insulation. He intended to use it even in private homes. But decisive advantages they had at skyscrapers, where the warm air rises and would be difficult to open due to the pressure difference normal doors.

In 1889 he was awarded the Franklin Institute with the John Scott Legacy Medal. He founded the Van Kannel Revolving Door Company, which competed from about 1900 with the Atchison Revolving Door Company. He moved the company after Atchison (Kansas). 1907, both companies were bought by the International Steel Company.