Alexander T. Brown
Encyclopedia
Alexander T. Brown was an inventor, engineer, businessman and entrepreneur in Syracuse, New York
and was credited with over 100 inventions. He invented the Smith Premier typewriter, the L. C. Smith breech-loading shotgun and the two-speed Hi-Lo Bi-Gear for bicycles.
He was one of the founders of the Brown-Lipe Gear Company, a manufacturer of bicycle gears and later Brown-Lipe-Chapin Company, a manufacturer of automobile gears, differentials and transmissions, which merged with General Motors
in 1922.
. Throughout his career, he was connected with many extensive and important business interests.
located in Cortland County in Southern New York State on November 21, 1854, and was the son of Nancy M. Alexander (August 16, 1826 - January 26, 1907), of Leyden, Massachusetts
, and Stephen Smith Brown (March 22, 1827 - March 19, 1893), also a native of Cortland County, and a farmer by occupation. He was one of three children, one who died at a young age and a brother, William H. Brown, also of Syracuse.
The family came from "Revolutionary ancestry" and the line of descent can be traced back to Thomas Brown, of Lynn, Massachusetts
, and Charles Brown of Rowley, Massachusetts
. Another of his maternal relatives was an early settler of Onondaga County and one of its pioneer teachers.
Paternal grandfather, Timothy Brown, settled in Scott in Cortland County in 1800. His wife's family at one time owned the land on the site of the city of Cortand
.
Brown obtained his early education at the district school in Scott at later at academies in Homer
and Cortland, New York
, when he wasn't needed on the farm and spent his free time tinkering with his father's farm implements to make them more efficient. While still in his teens, he applied for his first U.S. patent, a "self-binding" harvester, however, found that someone else had already applied for the patent. Brown credited James T. Leland, a neighboring farmer, for nurturing the inventor in him. Leland had a small workshop on his farm where he worked on machinery and it was here that young Brown spent his spare time.
He entered business life as a salesman of agricultural implements in Auburn, New York
in 1878 at the D. M. Osborne & Company in the manufacture of harvesters.
During 1879, at the age of 25, he secured employment in Syracuse as a lathe
operator with W. H. Baker Gun Company, later secured by the L. C. Smith Company, manufacturers of firearms, where he worked in the mechanical department. While in the employment of the company, he perfected the modern breech-loading shotgun which was called the L. C. Smith Gun and later sold to Hunter Arms Company.
Some would say that Lyman C. Smith was the father of the L. C. Smith shotgun, however, "the heart of the gun," its rotary bolting mechanism was invented in March 1883, by Brown. It is suspected by some that Brown was given the task of "circumventing" the Baker patents. On July 13, 1886, he was issued patent 345,362 on which the hammerless L. C. Smith shotgun was based. His last known gun patent was 381,109, issued on April 17, 1888 for an air rifle.
Wilbert Lewis Smith, who owned the L. C. Smith Company gun factory in Syracuse first "engaged" Brown after he was recommended "as a person with considerable inventive talent." Smith was one of the Smith brothers, famous for their typewriters, along with Lyman Cornelius Smith. Brown not only improved the Smith's guns, but he also involved the brothers in his new venture, the Smith Premier typewriter.
Brown had first become interested in the typewriter at the Centennial Exposition
in 1876, which was the first official World's Fair
in the United States
and held in Philadelphia. Brown had seen a "single case" typewriter there built by Sholes and Glidden and "was convinced he could design a better one." Wilbert L. Smith personally financed the construction of a working model and liked it so well he "decided to put it into production" at his gun works.
In addition to designing the typewriter, Brown also designed the machinery needed to manufacture the typewriter. Syracuse in those days was soon known as the "typewriter city."
in 1895. In July of that year, auto manufacturer, Charles Duryea
used the Brown-Stillman tires on his "motorized wagon" and won the $5,000 first prize in the 54 miles (86.9 km) automobile race which was reported as the first automobile race held in the United States. Duryea "covered the distance in 7 hours, 53 minutes at an average speed of 7 miles per hour (3.1 m/s).
The two men established their tire business while still employed by the Smith brothers. They formed an association in Syracuse in 1888; one year after Brown patented his typewriter. Stillman acted as assistant superintendent to Brown at the Smith gun factory where he was employed as consulting engineer until 1903.
Brown also invented the "clincher" tire for bicycles from which the manufacture of the Dunlop tire was founded.
at 208 Geddes Street, considered an early business incubator and referred to as "the cradle of industries" in Syracuse
.
Together, Brown and Lipe designed and built the two-speed Hy-Lo Bi-Gear for bicycles. In 1895, the men established the Brown-Lipe Gear Company, and although the bicycle gear failed to catch on during the days of the two-wheelers, the gear soon found a lucrative market in the automobile industry. In January 1904, the Brown-Lipe Gear Company moved to the former offices occupied by the Franklin Automobile Company
. According to manager, H. W. Chapin, the factory had been running nights to keep up with demand and "gears and transmissions made by this concern are being used by a large number of manufacturers."
Brown and Lipe turned their attention to the automobile and their work can be seen in the improvements of operation. Brown-Lipe Gear Company was the parent company of the Brown-Lipe-Chapin Company, a manufacturer of differentials, clutches and transmissions, where Brown was president.
and was at one time its president and later director. The Franklin automobile
was manufactured complete with Brown's differential (equalizing) gear.
He was a contributing director to the Hospital of the Good Shepherd and the Women's and Children's Hospital, both in Syracuse.
He was a life member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
and of the National Geographic Society
. He was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Society of Automobile Engineers. Brown was a thirty-second degree Mason. Through his ancestry he was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution
.
He was an avid sportsman and "sports of field, forest and stream" appealed to him and he "maintained a boat" on the St. Lawrence River. He held memberships in many clubs and associations, among them; the Angler's Association, Stony Island Club and Adirondack League Club.
Other clubs in which he held membership included; The Transportation Club of New York City, The Citizens, Century and Automobile of Syracuse, the City and Automobile clubs of Auburn, New York
, and Wolverine Automobile of Detroit, Michigan
. Additionally, he belonged to the Onondaga Golf and Country Club and the Bellevue Country Club of Syracuse.
Throughout the years, Brown was director of the Remington Typewriter Company, the Globe Malleable Iron and Steel Company, the First National Bank of Syracuse and the Syracuse Journal Company.
While he never took an active part in political affairs, he was civic minded and was chairman of the New York State grade crossing commission and a trustee of Syracuse University
as well as New York State College of Forestry
. He was a Republican
.
, Cortland County, New York
. Together, the couple had two sons; Charles Seamans Brown (April 20, 1885), and Julian Stephen Brown (March 29, 1887). Both sons were also known for their ambition, mechanical abilities and "keen business sense."
The Alexander T. Brown home
, located at 726 West Onondaga Street in Syracuse, is an example of "domestic" Romanesque Revival architecture. It was designed by Gordon Wright
and built of Potsdam sandstone and was completed in 1895. The home came complete with a hydraulic elevator "that ran from basement to attic."
In later life, he was drawn to Shackelton Point and Oneida Lake
and he acquired several farms adjacent to his lakeside property. He maintained horses on the property and had barns filled with farm implements. Many of his later patents were related to farm equipment, including improvements for tractor frames and a mower sickle bar for tractors.
He was a modest man and was an art lover and enjoyed collecting paintings, rare books, and rifles. He was a crack shot and had one of the largest private collections of military rifles in the world at the time of his death.
He died at his home in Syracuse after an illness of several months. Cause of death on January 31, 1929, was bronchial pneumonia.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
and was credited with over 100 inventions. He invented the Smith Premier typewriter, the L. C. Smith breech-loading shotgun and the two-speed Hi-Lo Bi-Gear for bicycles.
He was one of the founders of the Brown-Lipe Gear Company, a manufacturer of bicycle gears and later Brown-Lipe-Chapin Company, a manufacturer of automobile gears, differentials and transmissions, which merged with General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
in 1922.
Biography
In the field of public life and commercial and industrial activity, Alexander Timothy Brown was numbered among the leading influential citizens of Syracuse, and among the "captains of industry" in the city. He belonged to a small group of "distinctively representative" businessmen who were the pioneers in inaugurating and building up the chief industries in Central New YorkCentral New York
Central New York is a term used to broadly describe the central region of New York State, roughly including the following counties and cities:...
. Throughout his career, he was connected with many extensive and important business interests.
Early life
He was born in ScottScott, New York
Scott is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 1,193 at the 2000 census. The town was named after General Winfield Scott. The Town of Scott is on the north border of Cortland County and is northwest of the City of Cortland.- History :Scott is within the former...
located in Cortland County in Southern New York State on November 21, 1854, and was the son of Nancy M. Alexander (August 16, 1826 - January 26, 1907), of Leyden, Massachusetts
Leyden, Massachusetts
Leyden is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 772 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, and Stephen Smith Brown (March 22, 1827 - March 19, 1893), also a native of Cortland County, and a farmer by occupation. He was one of three children, one who died at a young age and a brother, William H. Brown, also of Syracuse.
The family came from "Revolutionary ancestry" and the line of descent can be traced back to Thomas Brown, of Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
, and Charles Brown of Rowley, Massachusetts
Rowley, Massachusetts
Rowley is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,500 at the 2000 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Rowley.-History:...
. Another of his maternal relatives was an early settler of Onondaga County and one of its pioneer teachers.
Paternal grandfather, Timothy Brown, settled in Scott in Cortland County in 1800. His wife's family at one time owned the land on the site of the city of Cortand
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
.
Brown obtained his early education at the district school in Scott at later at academies in Homer
Homer (village), New York
Homer is a village in Cortland County, New York, USA . The population was 3,368 at the 2000 census. The village name is derived from the surrounding town, which was named after the poet Homer....
and Cortland, New York
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
, when he wasn't needed on the farm and spent his free time tinkering with his father's farm implements to make them more efficient. While still in his teens, he applied for his first U.S. patent, a "self-binding" harvester, however, found that someone else had already applied for the patent. Brown credited James T. Leland, a neighboring farmer, for nurturing the inventor in him. Leland had a small workshop on his farm where he worked on machinery and it was here that young Brown spent his spare time.
He entered business life as a salesman of agricultural implements in Auburn, New York
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
in 1878 at the D. M. Osborne & Company in the manufacture of harvesters.
During 1879, at the age of 25, he secured employment in Syracuse as a lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
operator with W. H. Baker Gun Company, later secured by the L. C. Smith Company, manufacturers of firearms, where he worked in the mechanical department. While in the employment of the company, he perfected the modern breech-loading shotgun which was called the L. C. Smith Gun and later sold to Hunter Arms Company.
Some would say that Lyman C. Smith was the father of the L. C. Smith shotgun, however, "the heart of the gun," its rotary bolting mechanism was invented in March 1883, by Brown. It is suspected by some that Brown was given the task of "circumventing" the Baker patents. On July 13, 1886, he was issued patent 345,362 on which the hammerless L. C. Smith shotgun was based. His last known gun patent was 381,109, issued on April 17, 1888 for an air rifle.
Smith Premier typewriter
In 1889, Brown, along with George F. Stillman, turned their attention to devising a typewriter machine that incorporated their own design ideas and the Smith Premier typewriter was the result. The machine was manufactured by Smith Premier Typewriter Company in Syracuse, were Brown was "inventor in charge of mechanical construction." He was also president of the company for several years.Wilbert Lewis Smith, who owned the L. C. Smith Company gun factory in Syracuse first "engaged" Brown after he was recommended "as a person with considerable inventive talent." Smith was one of the Smith brothers, famous for their typewriters, along with Lyman Cornelius Smith. Brown not only improved the Smith's guns, but he also involved the brothers in his new venture, the Smith Premier typewriter.
Brown had first become interested in the typewriter at the Centennial Exposition
Centennial Exposition
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially...
in 1876, which was the first official World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and held in Philadelphia. Brown had seen a "single case" typewriter there built by Sholes and Glidden and "was convinced he could design a better one." Wilbert L. Smith personally financed the construction of a working model and liked it so well he "decided to put it into production" at his gun works.
In addition to designing the typewriter, Brown also designed the machinery needed to manufacture the typewriter. Syracuse in those days was soon known as the "typewriter city."
Pneumatic tire
Brown and Stillman are best known for their invention of the pneumatic tire for vehicles, patented on December 20, 1892. The tire was manufactured at the Hartford Rubber Works in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
in 1895. In July of that year, auto manufacturer, Charles Duryea
Charles Duryea
Charles Edgar Duryea was the engineer of the first-ever working American gasoline-powered car. He was born near Canton, Illinois, the son of George Washington Duryea and Louisa Melvina Turner and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but spent most of his life working in Springfield, Massachusetts...
used the Brown-Stillman tires on his "motorized wagon" and won the $5,000 first prize in the 54 miles (86.9 km) automobile race which was reported as the first automobile race held in the United States. Duryea "covered the distance in 7 hours, 53 minutes at an average speed of 7 miles per hour (3.1 m/s).
The two men established their tire business while still employed by the Smith brothers. They formed an association in Syracuse in 1888; one year after Brown patented his typewriter. Stillman acted as assistant superintendent to Brown at the Smith gun factory where he was employed as consulting engineer until 1903.
Brown also invented the "clincher" tire for bicycles from which the manufacture of the Dunlop tire was founded.
Telephone switchboard
He also was drawn to the telephone design and there are several patents pertaining to this and accredited to him. Brown designed an automatic switchboard for the telephone that allowed for a "change from manual transmission of calls to a dial phone system" which eventually led to the rotary dial phone. The patent was sold to the Strombert-Carlson Company.Lipe machine shop
Brown worked with Charles E. Lipe in the C. E. Lipe Machine ShopC. E. Lipe Machine Shop
The C. E. Lipe Machine Shop was established in Syracuse, New York in 1880 in the Lynch Building by Charles E. Lipe , a mechanical engineer. The building became an early industrial incubator and was commonly known as the Lipe Shop. While Lipe worked on his own ideas, he rented out facilities to others...
at 208 Geddes Street, considered an early business incubator and referred to as "the cradle of industries" in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
.
Together, Brown and Lipe designed and built the two-speed Hy-Lo Bi-Gear for bicycles. In 1895, the men established the Brown-Lipe Gear Company, and although the bicycle gear failed to catch on during the days of the two-wheelers, the gear soon found a lucrative market in the automobile industry. In January 1904, the Brown-Lipe Gear Company moved to the former offices occupied by the Franklin Automobile Company
Franklin (automobile)
The Franklin Automobile Company was a manufacturer of automobiles in the United States between 1902 and 1934 in Syracuse, New York. Herbert H. Franklin, the founder, began his career in the metal die casting business before establishing his automobile enterprise.Franklin founded the H. H. Franklin...
. According to manager, H. W. Chapin, the factory had been running nights to keep up with demand and "gears and transmissions made by this concern are being used by a large number of manufacturers."
Brown and Lipe turned their attention to the automobile and their work can be seen in the improvements of operation. Brown-Lipe Gear Company was the parent company of the Brown-Lipe-Chapin Company, a manufacturer of differentials, clutches and transmissions, where Brown was president.
Franklin manufacturing
He was also one of the founders of the H. H. Franklin Manufacturing CompanyH. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company
H. H. Franklin Manufacturing Company was founded in 1893 by industrialist Herbert H. Franklin in Syracuse, New York. The company specialized in machine die-casting and made small parts such as gears and bearing caps...
and was at one time its president and later director. The Franklin automobile
Franklin (automobile)
The Franklin Automobile Company was a manufacturer of automobiles in the United States between 1902 and 1934 in Syracuse, New York. Herbert H. Franklin, the founder, began his career in the metal die casting business before establishing his automobile enterprise.Franklin founded the H. H. Franklin...
was manufactured complete with Brown's differential (equalizing) gear.
U.S. patents
In all, Brown was awarded over 300 patents in his lifetime.- L. C. Smith shotgun - Granted U.S. Patent 345,362 on July 13, 1886.
- Air rifle - Granted U.S. Patent 381,109 on April 17, 1888.
- Pneumatic tire - Granted U.S. Patent 488,494 on December 20, 1892 (Stillman and Brown).
- Sliding-gear transmission - Granted U.S. Patent 819,334 in May 1906.
Affiliations
Brown was active in many civic organizations in the Syracuse area and was well known for his philanthropy.He was a contributing director to the Hospital of the Good Shepherd and the Women's and Children's Hospital, both in Syracuse.
He was a life member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is a professional body, specifically an engineering society, focused on mechanical engineering....
and of the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
. He was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Society of Automobile Engineers. Brown was a thirty-second degree Mason. Through his ancestry he was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution
Sons of the American Revolution
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution is a Louisville, Kentucky-based fraternal organization in the United States...
.
He was an avid sportsman and "sports of field, forest and stream" appealed to him and he "maintained a boat" on the St. Lawrence River. He held memberships in many clubs and associations, among them; the Angler's Association, Stony Island Club and Adirondack League Club.
Other clubs in which he held membership included; The Transportation Club of New York City, The Citizens, Century and Automobile of Syracuse, the City and Automobile clubs of Auburn, New York
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
, and Wolverine Automobile of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. Additionally, he belonged to the Onondaga Golf and Country Club and the Bellevue Country Club of Syracuse.
Throughout the years, Brown was director of the Remington Typewriter Company, the Globe Malleable Iron and Steel Company, the First National Bank of Syracuse and the Syracuse Journal Company.
While he never took an active part in political affairs, he was civic minded and was chairman of the New York State grade crossing commission and a trustee of Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
as well as New York State College of Forestry
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry is an American specialized doctoral-granting institution located in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, immediately adjacent to Syracuse University...
. He was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Personal life
On April 2, 1883, Brown was married to Mary Lillian Seamans (died 1933), daughter of Julian C. Seamans of VirgilVirgil, New York
Virgil is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 2,287 at the 2000 census. The name is from the Roman poet Virgil...
, Cortland County, New York
Cortland County, New York
Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
. Together, the couple had two sons; Charles Seamans Brown (April 20, 1885), and Julian Stephen Brown (March 29, 1887). Both sons were also known for their ambition, mechanical abilities and "keen business sense."
The Alexander T. Brown home
Alexander Brown House
The Alexander Brown House in Syracuse, New York is a Romanesque Revival sandstone and tile home built in 1895. It was the home of Alexander T. Brown, co-founder of Brown-Lipe-Chapin Company, a firm that was absorbed into General Motors. Brown was a successful inventor and manufacturer...
, located at 726 West Onondaga Street in Syracuse, is an example of "domestic" Romanesque Revival architecture. It was designed by Gordon Wright
Gordon Wright
Gordon Wright was an American historian. He focused on modern European history and was the pre-eminent historian on modern French history. He has been recognized nationally and internationally for his work and his method of teaching...
and built of Potsdam sandstone and was completed in 1895. The home came complete with a hydraulic elevator "that ran from basement to attic."
In later life, he was drawn to Shackelton Point and Oneida Lake
Oneida Lake
Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York State . The lake is located northeast of Syracuse and near the Great Lakes. It serves as one of the links in the Erie Canal. It empties into the Oneida River which flows into the Oswego River which in turn flows into Lake Ontario...
and he acquired several farms adjacent to his lakeside property. He maintained horses on the property and had barns filled with farm implements. Many of his later patents were related to farm equipment, including improvements for tractor frames and a mower sickle bar for tractors.
He was a modest man and was an art lover and enjoyed collecting paintings, rare books, and rifles. He was a crack shot and had one of the largest private collections of military rifles in the world at the time of his death.
He died at his home in Syracuse after an illness of several months. Cause of death on January 31, 1929, was bronchial pneumonia.