Coleman Sellers II
Encyclopedia
Coleman Sellers II was a prominent American engineer and inventor.
, January 28, 1827. He was the youngest son of Coleman and Sophonisba (Peale) Sellers and a direct descendant of Samuel Sellers, who in 1682 received one of the first grants of land in Pennsylvania. His father and a number of paternal ancestors had been engineers; his maternal grandfather was Charles Willson Peale
. He was educated at common schools and studied for five years with Anthony Bolmar at his academy in West Chester, Pennsylvania
.
, which was operated by his two older brothers, Charles and George Escol Sellers. Here his mechanical ingenuity quickly asserted itself and under his direction the wire mill belonging to the plant was rebuilt and improved. He remained there for three years, serving part of the time as superintendent. Because of his prompt and thorough investigation of scientific discoveries, he became the mentor of a group of intellectual men in Cincinnati and frequently gave lectures, illustrated by practical experiments, on chemistry, physics, and electricity. In 1850-1851, he undertook the design and construction of locomotives for the Panama Railroad and upon the completion of this contract, took charge of the locomotive works of James and Jonathan Niles in Cincinnati. He served for five years as foreman in the works of Niles and Company.
In 1856, Sellers moved to Philadelphia, where he became chief engineer of William Sellers & Co. (the senior partner of which was his second cousin, William Sellers
), makers of machinists' tools, and general millwrights. In this capacity he obtained patents for a variety of inventions, some of which are listed below. In 1873, he became a partner of the firm.
Failing health led Sellers to resign his position as chief engineer of William Sellers & Co. in 1886, but subsequently he was induced to engage in active practice as a consulting engineer. Probably his greatest work in this capacity was in connection with the hydroelectric power development of Niagara Falls
. Sellers was a consulting engineer of the Cataract Construction Company, a corporation formed to execute the Niagara Falls project, and served on the International Niagara Commission, which determined the types of turbines and generators and the methods of power transmission finally adopted. Sellers designed the first large dynamos
installed in the Niagara Falls power plant.
, of which he served as vice president for several years and as president for five consecutive terms from 1870-1875. He was appointed professor of mechanics at the Institute in 1881. He contributed much to the interest of the Institute's meetings by his lectures, always drawing large audiences.
In 1888, Sellers was appointed professor of engineering practice at Stevens Institute of Technology
, Hoboken, New Jersey
, where he delivered lectures at intervals during the school year. The Institute conferred upon him the degree of doctor of engineering the same year of his appointment to the faculty.
Sellers was a member of engineering and scientific societies both in the United States and in Europe, and was a charter member and served as president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
.
In 1877, Sellers was decorated by King Oscar II
of Sweden
and Norway
with the Order of St. Olaf, in honor of his scientific attainments.
(United States Patent 31357), a protean development in the history of cinema. His invention in 1866 of feed-disks for lathes or other machine tools was the first practical solution of the problem of the infinite gradation of feeds. His other patents relate chiefly to improved forms of tools or modifications of existing machines. The use of absorbent cotton for surgical operations was recommended by him as early as 1861, and he proposed the employment of glycerine in order to keep photographic plates wet.
, a prominent investor in Philadelphia and New York.
Coleman Sellers II died December 28, 1907, in Philadelphia.
Early life
Sellers was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, January 28, 1827. He was the youngest son of Coleman and Sophonisba (Peale) Sellers and a direct descendant of Samuel Sellers, who in 1682 received one of the first grants of land in Pennsylvania. His father and a number of paternal ancestors had been engineers; his maternal grandfather was Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, as well as establishing one of the first museums....
. He was educated at common schools and studied for five years with Anthony Bolmar at his academy in West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
.
Career
In 1846, Sellers became draughtsman in the Globe Rolling Mill in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, which was operated by his two older brothers, Charles and George Escol Sellers. Here his mechanical ingenuity quickly asserted itself and under his direction the wire mill belonging to the plant was rebuilt and improved. He remained there for three years, serving part of the time as superintendent. Because of his prompt and thorough investigation of scientific discoveries, he became the mentor of a group of intellectual men in Cincinnati and frequently gave lectures, illustrated by practical experiments, on chemistry, physics, and electricity. In 1850-1851, he undertook the design and construction of locomotives for the Panama Railroad and upon the completion of this contract, took charge of the locomotive works of James and Jonathan Niles in Cincinnati. He served for five years as foreman in the works of Niles and Company.
In 1856, Sellers moved to Philadelphia, where he became chief engineer of William Sellers & Co. (the senior partner of which was his second cousin, William Sellers
William Sellers
William Sellers was a mechanical engineer, manufacturer, businessperson, and inventor who filed more than 90 patents, most notably the design for the United States standard screw thread...
), makers of machinists' tools, and general millwrights. In this capacity he obtained patents for a variety of inventions, some of which are listed below. In 1873, he became a partner of the firm.
Failing health led Sellers to resign his position as chief engineer of William Sellers & Co. in 1886, but subsequently he was induced to engage in active practice as a consulting engineer. Probably his greatest work in this capacity was in connection with the hydroelectric power development of Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
. Sellers was a consulting engineer of the Cataract Construction Company, a corporation formed to execute the Niagara Falls project, and served on the International Niagara Commission, which determined the types of turbines and generators and the methods of power transmission finally adopted. Sellers designed the first large dynamos
Dynamos
Dynamos may mean:*The plural of dynamoAn association football club:*Dynamos F.C., a South African association football club*Dynamos F.C., a Zimbabwean association football club*Lusaka Dynamos F.C., a Zambian association football club...
installed in the Niagara Falls power plant.
Leadership/Recognition
From the time of his return to Philadelphia in 1856, Sellers was closely identified with the Franklin InstituteFranklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
, of which he served as vice president for several years and as president for five consecutive terms from 1870-1875. He was appointed professor of mechanics at the Institute in 1881. He contributed much to the interest of the Institute's meetings by his lectures, always drawing large audiences.
In 1888, Sellers was appointed professor of engineering practice at Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a technological university located on a campus in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA – founded in 1870 with an 1868 bequest from Edwin A. Stevens. It is known for its engineering, science, and technological management curricula.The institute has produced leading...
, Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
, where he delivered lectures at intervals during the school year. The Institute conferred upon him the degree of doctor of engineering the same year of his appointment to the faculty.
Sellers was a member of engineering and scientific societies both in the United States and in Europe, and was a charter member and served as president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
.
In 1877, Sellers was decorated by King Oscar II
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
with the Order of St. Olaf, in honor of his scientific attainments.
Notable Inventions
Sellers obtained more than thirty letters-patent for inventions of his own, one of the first of which, a coupling device for shafting (1857), is the essential factor in the modern system of interchangeable shafting parts. In 1861, he patented the KinematoscopeKinematoscope
The Kinematoscope was patented in 1861 , a protean development in the history of cinema. The invention aimed to present the illusion of motion....
(United States Patent 31357), a protean development in the history of cinema. His invention in 1866 of feed-disks for lathes or other machine tools was the first practical solution of the problem of the infinite gradation of feeds. His other patents relate chiefly to improved forms of tools or modifications of existing machines. The use of absorbent cotton for surgical operations was recommended by him as early as 1861, and he proposed the employment of glycerine in order to keep photographic plates wet.
Personal
Sellers married Cornelia Wells (1831–1909), October 8, 1851. They had four children: Coleman Jr. (1852–1922), Jessie (1855–1932), Horace Wells (1857–1933), and Harold (1875–1876). Jessie married Sabin ColtonSabin W. Colton
Sabin Woolworth Colton, Jr. was an American investor. He was the only private individual to ever own a chair on both the Philadelphia and New York Stock Exchanges....
, a prominent investor in Philadelphia and New York.
Coleman Sellers II died December 28, 1907, in Philadelphia.