Percy Spencer
Encyclopedia
Percy LeBaron Spencer was an American
engineer
and inventor. He became known as the inventor of the microwave oven
.
Spencer was born in Howland
, Maine
. His father died in 1897, and his mother left him a short time later. He lived with his aunt and uncle after that. He never graduated from grammar school, but went to work in a mill as an apprentice at age 12, before joining the U.S. Navy in 1912 to learn wireless telegraphy
. He joined the Raytheon Company in the 1920s.
In 1941, magnetrons, which were used to generate the microwave
radio signals that are the core mechanism of radar
, were being made at the rate of 17 per day at Raytheon. While working there, Spencer developed a more efficient way to manufacture them, by punching out and soldering together magnetron parts, rather than using machined parts. His improvements were among those that increased magnetron production to 2,600 per day. For his work he was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award by the US Navy.
In 1945, while standing in front of an operating magnetron, a chocolate bar in his pocket melted. He then tested popcorn in front of the magnetron (surely turning up the power and standing out of the beam), and it quickly popped all over the room. Development of the microwave oven
grew out of these observations, and by 1947 a commercial oven was being sold by Raytheon. (Note: He received US patent 2,495,429 out of his invention of the microwave oven
.)
He became Senior Vice President and a senior member of the Board of Directors
at Raytheon. He received 300 patent
s during his career at Raytheon; a building there is named after him. Spencer was married and had three children, James, John, and George.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
engineer
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and inventor. He became known as the inventor of the microwave oven
Microwave oven
A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating, using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food...
.
Spencer was born in Howland
Howland, Maine
Howland is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States, which was settled in 1818. The city was named for John Howland, one of the passengers on the Mayflower.The population was 1,362 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. His father died in 1897, and his mother left him a short time later. He lived with his aunt and uncle after that. He never graduated from grammar school, but went to work in a mill as an apprentice at age 12, before joining the U.S. Navy in 1912 to learn wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy is a historical term used today to apply to early radio telegraph communications techniques and practices, particularly those used during the first three decades of radio before the term radio came into use....
. He joined the Raytheon Company in the 1920s.
In 1941, magnetrons, which were used to generate the microwave
Microwave
Microwaves, a subset of radio waves, have wavelengths ranging from as long as one meter to as short as one millimeter, or equivalently, with frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. This broad definition includes both UHF and EHF , and various sources use different boundaries...
radio signals that are the core mechanism of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, were being made at the rate of 17 per day at Raytheon. While working there, Spencer developed a more efficient way to manufacture them, by punching out and soldering together magnetron parts, rather than using machined parts. His improvements were among those that increased magnetron production to 2,600 per day. For his work he was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award by the US Navy.
In 1945, while standing in front of an operating magnetron, a chocolate bar in his pocket melted. He then tested popcorn in front of the magnetron (surely turning up the power and standing out of the beam), and it quickly popped all over the room. Development of the microwave oven
Microwave oven
A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating, using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food...
grew out of these observations, and by 1947 a commercial oven was being sold by Raytheon. (Note: He received US patent 2,495,429 out of his invention of the microwave oven
Microwave oven
A microwave oven is a kitchen appliance that heats food by dielectric heating, using microwave radiation to heat polarized molecules within the food...
.)
He became Senior Vice President and a senior member of the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
at Raytheon. He received 300 patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s during his career at Raytheon; a building there is named after him. Spencer was married and had three children, James, John, and George.
External links
- "Gramps - How an orphan from Maine became the Edison of the modern age", by Rod Spencer
- http://www.inventionatplay.org/inventors_spe.html
- http://www.invent.org/hall_of_fame/136.html
- http://www.gallawa.com/microtech/history.html
- "Percy Spencer and His Itch to Know", By Don Murray, Reader's Digest, August 1958