Frederick Bakewell
Encyclopedia
Frederick Collier Bakewell (29 September 1800 – 26 September 1869) was an English
physicist who improved on the concept of the facsimile machine
introduced by Alexander Bain
in 1842 and demonstrated a working laboratory version at the 1851 World's Fair
in London.
, West Yorkshire
, he eventually moved to Hampstead
, Middlesex
where he lived until his death. Bakewell was married to Henrietta Darbyshire with whom he had a son Robert.
Bakewell's "image telegraph" had many of the features of modern facsimile machines, and replaced the pendulums of Bain's system with synchronized rotating cylinders.
The system involved writing or drawing on a piece of metal foil with a special insulating ink; the foil was then wrapped around a cylinder which slowly rotated, driven by a clock mechanism. A metal stylus driven by a screw thread traveled across the surface of the cylinder as it turned, tracing out a path over the foil. Each time the stylus crossed the insulating ink, the current
through the foil to the stylus was interrupted. At the receiver, a similar pendulum-driven stylus marked chemically treated paper with an electric current as the receiving cylinder rotated.
The chief problems with Bakewell's machine were how to keep the two cylinders synchronized and to make sure that the transmitting and receiving styli started at the same point on the cylinder at the same time. Despite these problems, Bakewell's machine was capable of transmitting handwriting and simple line drawings along telegraph wires. However, the system never became commercial. Later, in 1861, the system was improved by an Italian priest, Giovanni Caselli
who was able to use it to send handwritten messages as well as photographs on his pantelegraph
. He introduced the first commercial telefax service between Paris and Lyon some 11 years before the invention of workable telephone
s.
and natural phenomena.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
physicist who improved on the concept of the facsimile machine
Fax
Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...
introduced by Alexander Bain
Alexander Bain (inventor)
Alexander Bain was a Scottish inventor and engineer who was first to invent and patent the electric clock. Bain installed the railway telegraph lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow.-Early life:...
in 1842 and demonstrated a working laboratory version at the 1851 World's Fair
The Great Exhibition
The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or The Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, from 1 May to 15 October...
in London.
Biography
Born in WakefieldWakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, he eventually moved to Hampstead
Hampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
where he lived until his death. Bakewell was married to Henrietta Darbyshire with whom he had a son Robert.
Image telegraph
The system involved writing or drawing on a piece of metal foil with a special insulating ink; the foil was then wrapped around a cylinder which slowly rotated, driven by a clock mechanism. A metal stylus driven by a screw thread traveled across the surface of the cylinder as it turned, tracing out a path over the foil. Each time the stylus crossed the insulating ink, the current
Electric current
Electric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
through the foil to the stylus was interrupted. At the receiver, a similar pendulum-driven stylus marked chemically treated paper with an electric current as the receiving cylinder rotated.
The chief problems with Bakewell's machine were how to keep the two cylinders synchronized and to make sure that the transmitting and receiving styli started at the same point on the cylinder at the same time. Despite these problems, Bakewell's machine was capable of transmitting handwriting and simple line drawings along telegraph wires. However, the system never became commercial. Later, in 1861, the system was improved by an Italian priest, Giovanni Caselli
Giovanni Caselli
Giovanni Caselli was an Italian physicist. He is the inventor of the pantelegraph , the predecessor of the modern fax machine...
who was able to use it to send handwritten messages as well as photographs on his pantelegraph
Pantelegraph
The pantelegraph was an early form of facsimile machine transmitting over normal telegraph lines developed by Giovanni Caselli, used commercially in the 1860s, that was the first such device to enter practical service, It could transmit handwriting, signatures, or drawings within an area of up to...
. He introduced the first commercial telefax service between Paris and Lyon some 11 years before the invention of workable telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
s.
Other work
In addition to his work on facsimile transmission, he held patents for many other innovations. Bakewell also wrote texts on physicsPhysics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and natural phenomena.
His books
- Philosophical conversations – 1833
- Electric science; its history, phenomena, and applications – 1853