John Oldham (engineer) facts for kids

John Oldham (1779–1840) was a clever Irish engineer and inventor. He is most famous for creating something called the Oldham coupler, which is a special part used in machines.

A Life of Invention

John Oldham was born in Dublin, Ireland. When he was young, he learned to be an engraver, which means he carved designs onto metal. Later, he became a miniature-painter, creating tiny, detailed pictures.

Oldham was always thinking of new ideas. He invented a machine that could number things automatically. In 1809, he tried to sell this machine to a bank in Newry to number their banknotes, but they didn't buy it.

However, in 1812, the Bank of Ireland saw how useful his numbering machine was and decided to use it! They hired John Oldham as their main engineer and engraver.

Later, in 1837, Oldham started working for the Bank of England. There, he made even more improvements to the machines that printed and numbered banknotes. His machines were used for many years, until about 1852. John Oldham passed away in London on February 14, 1840.

Oldham's Engineering Ideas

John Oldham wasn't just good with banknotes; he also thought a lot about how to make ships move. In 1817, he got a patent for a new way to move ships using paddles powered by a steam engine. He wanted to copy how a person uses a paddle to row a boat.

In 1820, he improved his idea. He designed paddles that spun on a shaft across the ship. These paddles could "feather," meaning they could change their angle as they moved through the water. This invention was used in the Aaron Manby, which was the first iron ship that could travel on the sea.

Oldham also invented a special system for warming buildings. This system was used in the Bank of Ireland and later in the Bank of England.

Oldham's Family

John Oldham had a large family with 17 children. His oldest son, Thomas Oldham (1801–1851), followed in his father's footsteps. Thomas took over his father's job at the bank.

Thomas Oldham was also a talented engineer. In 1842, he gave a presentation about how letterpress printing was used to number and date the Bank of England's notes. The next year, he described an automatic balance machine used at the Bank of England. For this work, he received a special award called the Telford medal. Thomas Oldham died in Brussels in 1851.