James Fox (engineer) facts for kids

James Fox was a clever inventor and machine maker who lived a long time ago, from around 1780 to 1830. He started his career as a butler for a man named Rev. Thomas Gisborne in Staffordshire, England. But James Fox loved to build things with his hands. His employer saw his talent and helped him start his own business.

Building Machines for a Growing World

In the area around Derby, many businesses were growing fast. These included companies making cotton, silk, lace, and hosiery (like socks and stockings). These factories needed lots of special machines, and they needed skilled people to build them. This was a great chance for James Fox!

He became very well-known for the machines he made, especially for the lace industry. He supplied many machines to the nearby town of Nottingham. Big companies like those owned by Richard Arkwright and Jedediah Strutt, who were pioneers in making cotton, also hired him.

Famous Lathes and Inventions

James Fox was especially famous for his lathes. A lathe is a machine that spins a piece of material so you can cut, drill, or sand it into shape. His lathes were known for being very good quality. He not only sold them in Britain but also sent many machines to other countries like France, Russia, and Mauritius.

People also say that James Fox invented some other important machines very early on. These included:

• A machine that could cut screws very accurately.
• A machine that could precisely divide and cut the teeth on gears (wheels with teeth).
• A "self-acting" lathe, which means it could do some of the work by itself without constant human help.

However, the exact details about these early inventions are not fully known today.

The First Planing Machines

James Fox also made one of the very first planing machines. A planing machine is used to create flat surfaces on metal. It's believed he made his in 1814. However, it's hard to say for sure who invented the first one because inventors like Fox, Matthew Murray from Leeds, and Richard Roberts from Manchester often kept their new ideas secret.

Fox's Legacy and Surviving Machines

James Fox's business in Derby was continued by his sons for many years, even into the late 1800s. We don't know much about what happened to the business after that.

Today, you can still see examples of the amazing machines James Fox made. Some of his machine tools were shown in books and drawings from his time. You can find some of his machines in museums, like in Birmingham, England, and even in Norway. There's also an example of a Fox lathe on display at Wortley Top Forge in South Yorkshire, England.