Edmond Michel
Encyclopedia
Edmond Michel was a Frenchman who immigrated to the United States in the early 20th Century. He lived in New Orleans. His claim to fame was the invention of the handheld circular saw
. Watching sugar farmers cut through thick cane stalks with machete
s, he believed that there was a better way.
Michel mounted a mixer motor onto a standard machete, as well as a worm wheel gearbox and a 2 inch circular blade. This invention, while actually working fairly effectively (if slowly), required an external generator, making it quite impractical.
In creating this device, Michel effectively invented the worm-drive motor.
Michel then tried again, using a piece of wood with a notch carved into it. In the notch, he mounted the same mechanism as the mechanical reaper, but with a 6 inch blade. This was the first electric circular saw.
After a New Orleans newspaper ran an article about Michel's invention, he was approached by Joseph W. Sullivan. The two became business partners and moved to Chicago. In 1924, they were granted a patent for the Michel Electric Hand Saw
. Attracting immediate interest from contractors despite numerous mechanical problems, the two began production of the saw. The name was changed to 'Skil' in 1926, after Sullivan's wife commented on the skill necessary to use one.
Just before the Great Depression
, Michel withdrew from the company to work on new inventions. After leaving the Skil company, Michel invested his share of the money inventing and developing Larmloc, the first keypad-based lock. Sadly, this invention failed to pan out, and only one working prototype was ever made.
This inventor remains largely forgotten in American history, but is still remembered by his family. His daughters still live in Chicago
and Burlington, Iowa
.
Circular saw
The circular saw is a machine using a toothed metal cutting disc or blade. The term is also loosely used for the blade itself. The blade is a tool for cutting wood or other materials and may be hand-held or table-mounted. It can also be used to make narrow slots...
. Watching sugar farmers cut through thick cane stalks with machete
Machete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
s, he believed that there was a better way.
Michel mounted a mixer motor onto a standard machete, as well as a worm wheel gearbox and a 2 inch circular blade. This invention, while actually working fairly effectively (if slowly), required an external generator, making it quite impractical.
In creating this device, Michel effectively invented the worm-drive motor.
Michel then tried again, using a piece of wood with a notch carved into it. In the notch, he mounted the same mechanism as the mechanical reaper, but with a 6 inch blade. This was the first electric circular saw.
After a New Orleans newspaper ran an article about Michel's invention, he was approached by Joseph W. Sullivan. The two became business partners and moved to Chicago. In 1924, they were granted a patent for the Michel Electric Hand Saw
Hand saw
In woodworking and carpentry, hand saws, also known as "panel saws", "fish saws", are used to cut pieces of wood into different shapes. This is usually done in order to join the pieces together and create a wooden object. They usually operate by having a series of sharp points of some substance...
. Attracting immediate interest from contractors despite numerous mechanical problems, the two began production of the saw. The name was changed to 'Skil' in 1926, after Sullivan's wife commented on the skill necessary to use one.
Just before the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Michel withdrew from the company to work on new inventions. After leaving the Skil company, Michel invested his share of the money inventing and developing Larmloc, the first keypad-based lock. Sadly, this invention failed to pan out, and only one working prototype was ever made.
This inventor remains largely forgotten in American history, but is still remembered by his family. His daughters still live in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Burlington, Iowa
Burlington, Iowa
Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,663 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in the 2000 census. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area including West Burlington, Iowa and Middletown, Iowa and...
.