Simon Ingersoll (March 3, 1818 – July 24, 1894) was an American inventor who created the steam-powered percussion rock drill, which replaced the hand drill and was a major advancement in the mining and construction industries.[1][2] The drill vastly increased efficiency. However, despite lower labor costs, there was no recorded upturn in unemployment. Instead, workers were assigned to more meaningful tasks.[3]
Ingersoll was born in Stanwich, Connecticut.[2] He was a farmer, and in his spare time an inventor.[2] Based on his percussion drill, in 1871 he founded the Ingersoll Rock Drill Company, a predecessor of today's Ingersoll Rand.[2][4] Simon Ingersoll later sold his patents and died destitute in 1894.[2]
References
- ^ "Simon Ingersoll". National Inventors Hall of Fame. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Mahmud, Arshad. "Simon Ingersoll". ASME.org. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
- ^ Day, Ruby (October 29, 2019). "Design Patterns of Innovation - Pneumatic Tools". Innowiki.org.
- ^ "Daniel Russell - The Ingersoll Rock Drill". Manufacturer and Builder Magazine. July 1879. Retrieved 5 December 2017.