William Robinson (inventor)
Encyclopedia
William Robinson was an American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and businessman. He invented the first track circuit
used in railway signaling, a major development that improved railroad safety and efficiency.
on November 22, 1840. He came to the United States as a boy and lived in Brooklyn, New York for much of his adult life.
He received his B.A. degree in 1865 and his M.A. degree in 1868 from Wesleyan University
. He received a Ph.D.
in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from Boston University
in 1907.
system for railroads in 1867. His first system was installed on the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
in 1870. He received multiple patent
s for railway signaling inventions:
He established the Robinson Electric Railway Signal Company in 1873 and during the 1870s his signal systems were installed on railroads throughout the United States. He lived in Boston
in the mid-1870s and supervised installation of his systems on the Boston and Lowell Railroad
, the Boston and Providence Railroad, and other roads in the region. He organized the Union Electric Signal Company in 1878. This company, holding valuable patents on track circuit designs, was acquired by the newly-formed Union Switch and Signal (US&S) in 1881.
William Robinson was the author of History of Automatic Electric and Electrically Controlled Fluid Pressure Signal Systems for Railroads (1906).
, and an esteemed member of the Signal Section of the American Railway Association
.
Robinson died on January 2, 1921, in Brooklyn.
Track circuit
A track circuit is a simple electrical device used to detect the absence of a train on rail tracks, used to inform signallers and control relevant signals.- Principles and operation :...
used in railway signaling, a major development that improved railroad safety and efficiency.
Early life and education
William Robinson was born in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on November 22, 1840. He came to the United States as a boy and lived in Brooklyn, New York for much of his adult life.
He received his B.A. degree in 1865 and his M.A. degree in 1868 from Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
. He received a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in 1907.
Railway signaling inventions
Robinson began developing an automatic block signalAutomatic Block Signal
Automatic Block Signaling, or ABS, is a block system that consists of a series of signals that divide a railway line into a series of blocks and then functions to control the movement of trains between them through automatic signals...
system for railroads in 1867. His first system was installed on the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
Philadelphia and Erie Railroad
The Philadelphia and Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in Pennsylvania between 1861 and 1907. It was subsequently merged into the Pennsylvania Railroad .-History:...
in 1870. He received multiple patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s for railway signaling inventions:
- 1870: automatic electrical and electrically controlled fluid pressure signal systems (U.S.)
- 1871: automatic electro-pneumatic electric signal systems (U.K.)
- 1872: closed track circuit system (U.S. and France).
He established the Robinson Electric Railway Signal Company in 1873 and during the 1870s his signal systems were installed on railroads throughout the United States. He lived in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in the mid-1870s and supervised installation of his systems on the Boston and Lowell Railroad
Boston and Lowell Railroad
The Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
, the Boston and Providence Railroad, and other roads in the region. He organized the Union Electric Signal Company in 1878. This company, holding valuable patents on track circuit designs, was acquired by the newly-formed Union Switch and Signal (US&S) in 1881.
Other inventions
Following the sale of Union Electric Signal to US&S, Robinson turned his attention to other fields, particularly mechanical inventions. His other significant inventions included:- the Robinson radial car truck
- the first coaster brake used on bicycleBicycleA bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
s - roller bearing skatesRoller skatesRoller skates are devices worn on the feet to enable the wearer to roll along on wheels. A first basic type of roller skate consists of a boot with four wheels with ball bearings, arranged in the same configuration as the wheels of a typical car.-History:...
, and - a repeating telephoneTelephoneThe telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
.
William Robinson was the author of History of Automatic Electric and Electrically Controlled Fluid Pressure Signal Systems for Railroads (1906).
Professional recognition
Robinson was a Fellow of the American Institute of Electrical EngineersAmerican Institute of Electrical Engineers
The American Institute of Electrical Engineers was a United States based organization of electrical engineers that existed between 1884 and 1963, when it merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers to form the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers .- History :The 1884 founders of the...
, and an esteemed member of the Signal Section of the American Railway Association
American Railway Association
The American Railway Association was an industry trade group representing railroads in the United States. The organization had its inception in meetings of General Managers and ranking railroad operating officials known as Time Table Conventions, the first of which was held on October 1, 1872, at...
.
Robinson died on January 2, 1921, in Brooklyn.