Arthur P. Warner
Arthur Pratt Warner | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 18, 1870 |
| Died | March 22, 1957 (aged 86) |
| Occupation(s) | Inventor, businessman, aviator |
| Known for | Invented the first automobile speedometer; first to fly in Wisconsin |
| Warner Auto-Meter | |
|---|---|
 Warner Auto-Meter car during the 1908 Glidden Tour via the Detroit Public Library | |
| Man painting Warner Auto-Meter billboard on truck during 1909 New York automobile carnival parade via the Detroit Public Library | |
| Advertising card for the Warner Auto-Meter, a combined odometer, speedometer, and clock via the National Museum of American History |
Arthur Pratt Warner (April 18, 1870, Jacksonville, Florida – March 22, 1957, Beloit, Wisconsin) was an American inventor, businessman and pioneer aviator. His inventions include the electric brake and, along with his brother, the automotive speedometer.[1][2]
He was the first American private citizen to purchase an airplane,[1][3][4] the "first commercially built airplane".[5] He paid Glenn Curtiss $6000 for a disassembled one.[2][4] Once he had assembled it (without instructions or manuals), he became the first person to fly in Wisconsin, at Beloit on November 4, 1909.[3][4] He got 50 feet (15 m) off the ground and traveled a quarter mile (0.4 km).[2] This also made him the eleventh American pilot.[3]
A self-taught engineer, with his brother Charles he invented the first automobile speedometer, which made him rich.[2] The Warner Instrument Co. was incorporated in 1903, with Warner as vice president and general manager.[6] In 1912, he sold his speedometer company for $1.2 million.[2] In 1917, the Warner Manufacturing Co. came into existence, with Warner as president, to make automobile and truck trailers.[6] Inventions that he developed in connection with this business included the electric brake and power clutch.[2] He retired in 1934.[6]
See also[edit]
- Odometer § Subsequent developments – for Warner's Auto-Meter
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Hall of Fame Inductees: Arthur P. Warner". Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Meg Jones (November 3, 2009). "First state flight to be commemorated in Beloit". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
- ^ a b c "State of Wisconsin: 2009 Assembly Joint Resolution 37" (PDF). Wisconsin Legislative Documents. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Wisconsin Celebrates Centennial of Flight". Experimental Aircraft Association. October 29, 2009. Archived from the original on February 24, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ "Curtiss-Wright Timeline". Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Company. Archived from the original on February 21, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Warner, Arthur Pratt 1870 - 1957". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
Further reading[edit]
- Clayman, Andrew (2021-02-26). "Stewart-Warner Corp., est. 1905". Made-in-Chicago Museum. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
- Torchinsky, Jason (2023-08-31). "The Interesting Old Speedometer Story Gets Weirder: Cold Start". The Autopian. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
- "Warner's 'Newfangled' Speedometer". Wisconsin Historical Society. 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2023-08-31.
External links[edit]
- Early Aviators - A.P. Warner
- Warner Auto-Meter Speedometer, 1908 at the Henry Ford Museum