John Appold facts for kids
John George Appold (born April 14, 1800, in Shoreditch, London – died August 31, 1865, in Gloucestershire) was a British fur dyer and a very clever engineer. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which means he was a respected member of a group of important scientists.
Who Was John Appold?
John Appold took over his father's fur-dyeing business when he was just 22 years old. He was very good at finding new and scientific ways to improve the dyeing process. Because of his smart ideas, he earned a lot of money. This allowed him to spend most of his time on his favorite hobby: inventing and working with machines.
A Clever Inventor
John Appold created many inventions. They all showed how incredibly clever he was. Even though his inventions might not be the most famous ones in history, they were very useful and important for their time.
The Amazing Pump
One of his most important inventions was a special type of centrifugal pump. This pump won him a special medal at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. This exhibition was a huge show of new inventions from all over the world. Appold's pump had curved blades and worked incredibly well. It was 68% efficient, which was more than three times better than any other pump there! While the basic idea of a centrifugal pump was already known, Appold's design made it much more effective.
Helping Lay Cables
Another valuable invention by Appold was a special brake. This brake was used when laying deep-sea telegraph cables. These cables helped people send messages across oceans. His brake was used to lay the very first Transatlantic cable in 1858. This cable connected Europe and North America!
John Appold was very generous with his ideas. He was friends with many important engineers of his time. They often asked him for advice, and he was always happy to help. He didn't patent many of his inventions. Instead, he preferred to share his ideas freely with everyone.
His Unique Home
Appold's house was like a museum filled with amazing mechanical gadgets. He had doors that opened automatically when someone approached them. He also had window shutters that closed with just the touch of a spring. The same movement would even turn on and light the gas lamps!
Even though he was well-known among engineers, he didn't become super famous. This might be because he didn't need to earn money from his inventions. If he had, he might have developed them even further. Still, he was highly respected by the people he worked with.
John Appold is remembered with a special plaque inside St Leonard's, Shoreditch church. He is buried at West Norwood Cemetery.
