Newport News, Virginia, Home to Inventors and Patents

Newport News, Virginia has a rich history and heritage. The early settlers included families such as the Southgates and Taylors. Some of the city’s early residents were notable scientists and professors. One such prominent family was Nathaniel Southgate Shaler, who held several patents.

Inventors

The City of Newport News is home to a number of notable inventors. The first one was a woman, Charlotte W. Allen, who received US patent No. 62,800 for an improved smoothing iron stand. She was the presumed wife of W.H. Allen, a prominent publisher and attorney in Newport. Her patent was granted on July 8, 1890, and she received a U.S. patent for it.

Inventors in Newport News include Ralph J. Stolle, who was granted over 50 patents for inventions. One of his most significant inventions was the “Submarine Mast Antenna Controller.” The idea came to him while he was mowing his lawn one Saturday morning. He then raced home and jotted down the idea. The invention eventually became an invaluable tool for the U.S. Navy fleet, and it has saved the fleet over $15 million.

Two other Newport News residents received patents for inventions. In addition to Thielman, Gerhard Thielman and his son Benjamin collaborated on the Spherical Tractor Operating Mobile Platform. The city was also home to Navy scientists who patented 12 new technologies, including a self-contained vehicle with multi-mission capability.

One of the patents that was issued in Newport News is for a dry-cleaning machine. This invention was designed to be safer and more efficient. It also improved the life of many residents.

Patents

The City of Newport News has a long history of pursuing patents. Patents are an excellent way to advance a company’s research. For example, the Chief Technology Office of the city hosts “Shark Tank” sessions for employees in which patent-worthy ideas are presented to a panel of experts. The process of filing a patent has numerous benefits for all involved, and it keeps the research community on the cutting-edge.

The City of Newport News is known for its innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. The City is home to many startups, and it is a leading destination for new companies. It also has a thriving business community that attracts and retains businesses. With a supportive environment and a strong sense of community, it has become a hub for entrepreneurship.

Another example is the dumper mechanism. This device is similar to the Kaltenbach device but works differently. The difference lies in the arrangement of the switches. As such, it is not a direct copy of the Kaltenbach patent. The Newport News dumper mechanism works differently, but achieves the same result.

The average time between the date of filing a patent application and the grant date varies widely. In Newport News, the longest period was 1,958 days. The patent application for a nano-porous BNNT composite with thermal switching was approved on June 14, 2017. While patents are a necessary step for advancing an innovation, they do not guarantee its success. According to Dennis Crouch, co-director of the Center for Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship, roughly half of all patents are not granted because of costs. In the city of Newport News, three inventors were granted patents in June.

Linus Yale Jr.

Lock inventor and manufacturer Linus Yale, Jr. was born in Salisbury, New York. He began his career as a painter but switched careers when he learned to make locks. His cylinder lock became the standard household lock, and he patented it in 1851. As a child, he was also an accomplished artist. At age 16, he was already a professional portrait painter, and he never painted an unappealing picture.

Linus’ mechanical aptitude was evident from an early age, when he played with his father’s tools and rummaged through the junk pile. His artistic tastes were also evident, as he liked to paint and sketch both indoors and outdoors. In fact, he would often neglect the bait in his fishing poles because he wanted to draw instead.

Yale’s father was an inventor and businessman. He had several patents for his mechanical inventions, including a device to adjust joiners’ squares and a tool to reverse screw-taps. He also received two patents for improved mechanics’ vises. He died in 1868 in New York.

After completing his studies, he began working in his father’s lock business. Soon after, he opened his own lock business in Shelburne Falls, Mass. He believed that traditional locks were vulnerable to pickpockets and explosives, and wanted to improve upon these security devices. He also invented the Yale Infallible Bank Lock, which incorporated a combination lock and a keyhole embedded into the door.

Charlotte Allen

Newport is known for its Virginia heritage and was home to many early settlers. The Southgates and Taylors were among the earliest families to settle there. They were renowned scientists and professors who held many patents. In fact, some of Newport’s most famous patents have come from Newport.

Linus Yale Jr.’s inventions

The City of Newport News is honored to honor Linus Yale Jr., a man who invented the Yale cylinder lock. This patented lock was one of the most important inventions of his time. Yale was born in Salisbury, N.Y., and married in 1844. As a child, he showed an aptitude for art. He became a professional portrait painter at age 16. He never painted a picture that was distasteful or offensive.

Yale’s most famous invention is the cylinder pin-tumbler lock. It is still widely used today and constitutes the majority of personal locks in the world. His father had also invented the millstone process and sawmill head blocks. While he wasn’t an expert in engineering, he had a passion for tinkering with locks. His design was inspired by ancient Egyptian locks.

Yale’s inventions received critical acclaim. He exhibited many of his designs at world’s fairs and received several awards. His inventions were also the basis of many patents, most of which were devoted to locks. His work also included improvements to the clock lock and a new type of lock called a double combination lock.

Yale is also credited with introducing combination safes and key-operated cylinder locks. His skills in mechanics led him to design a pin-tumbler mechanism and flat key. These inventions have played major roles in the creation of modern locks.

Shaler’s inventions

Nathaniel Southgate Shaler, a native of Newport, was a prominent professor and scientist who held multiple patents. He was also a member of the Virginia family, the Southgates. Shaler’s father was a physician, and his grandfather instilled in him a love of the classics. At the age of 18, he was admitted to Harvard University to study the earth sciences. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1862.

Shaler’s inventions were also patented by other Newport News men and women. Among them were John W. Thompson, a water wheel inventor from Springfield, Mo., and C.F. Butterworth. Others included B. R. Cole, a saw guide from Williamsport, Pa., and E.R. Colver, an engineer from Newport News.

Newport News is a historical city that has been influenced by many different cultures and periods. In the early 17th century, the English began settling along the shores of Hampton Roads. In 1610, Sir Thomas Gates captured a Native American village near the area.