Harvey Hubbell
Encyclopedia
Harvey Hubbell II was a U.S. inventor, entrepreneur
and industrialist. His best known inventions are the electrical plug
, and the pull-chain light socket.
In 1888, at the age of thirty-one, Hubbell quit his job as a manager of a manufacturing company and founded Harvey Hubbell, Incorporated in Bridgeport, Connecticut
, a company which is still in business today, still headquartered near Bridgeport. Hubbell began manufacturing consumer products and, by necessity, inventing manufacturing equipment for his factory. Some of the equipment he designed included automatic tapping
machines and progressive dies
for blanking and stamping
. One of his most important industrial inventions, still in use today, is the thread
rolling machine. He quickly began selling his newly devised manufacturing equipment alongside his commercial products.
Hubbell received at least 45 patents; most were for electric products. The pull-chain electrical light socket was patented in 1896, and his most famous invention, the electrical power plug, in 1904. This invention eliminated possible mis-wiring and the need to hard-wire electrical devices to their power source.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and industrialist. His best known inventions are the electrical plug
Domestic AC power plugs and sockets
AC power plugs and sockets are devices for removably connecting electrically operated devices to the power supply. Electrical plugs and sockets differ by country in rating, shape, size and type of connectors...
, and the pull-chain light socket.
In 1888, at the age of thirty-one, Hubbell quit his job as a manager of a manufacturing company and founded Harvey Hubbell, Incorporated in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, a company which is still in business today, still headquartered near Bridgeport. Hubbell began manufacturing consumer products and, by necessity, inventing manufacturing equipment for his factory. Some of the equipment he designed included automatic tapping
Taps and dies
Taps and dies are cutting tools used to create screw threads, which is called threading. A tap is used to cut the female portion of the mating pair . A die is used to cut the male portion of the mating pair . The process of cutting threads using a tap is called tapping, whereas the process using a...
machines and progressive dies
Die (manufacturing)
A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material using a press. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create...
for blanking and stamping
Machine press
A machine press, commonly shortened to press, is a machine tool that changes the shape of a workpiece.-Servomechanism:A servomechanism press, also known as a servo press or a electro press, is a press driven by an AC servo motor. The torque produced is converted to a linear force via a ball screw....
. One of his most important industrial inventions, still in use today, is the thread
Screw thread
A screw thread, often shortened to thread, is a helical structure used to convert between rotational and linear movement or force. A screw thread is a ridge wrapped around a cylinder or cone in the form of a helix, with the former being called a straight thread and the latter called a tapered thread...
rolling machine. He quickly began selling his newly devised manufacturing equipment alongside his commercial products.
Hubbell received at least 45 patents; most were for electric products. The pull-chain electrical light socket was patented in 1896, and his most famous invention, the electrical power plug, in 1904. This invention eliminated possible mis-wiring and the need to hard-wire electrical devices to their power source.