Tinius Olsen
Encyclopedia
Tinius Olsen was a Norwegian
born, American engineer
and inventor. He was the founder of the Tinius Olsen Engineering Testing Machine Company. He was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal
of The Franklin Institute in 1891.
, in the county of Buskerud
, Norway
. He was one of eight children of Ole Thorstensen (1821–1865) and Helene Marie Hansdatter (1818–1909). His father and grandfather were makers of wooden gun stocks. Olsen graduated from the Royal Norwegian Navy
technical school at Horten
in 1866.
In 1880, Olsen submitted an application for a patent a new and improved testing machine and patent was granted on June 1, 1880. Called the Little Giant it was presented to industrial expositions in Cincinnati and Atlanta during 1881 winning gold medals at both shows. In 1891, Tinius Olsen was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal
by the Franklin Institute
for his testing machine invention.
The Little Giant was a vertical model. Olsen's machine could accurately perform Tension, Transversality
, and Compressive stress tests with just one instrument, housed in a single frame. The device was relatively cheap, compact, and simple to operate. Force were applied to a test specimen from both above and below. Upper and lower loading cross heads contained grips which held the specimen and crushed it, or pulled it apart as the operator turned a handle attached to a system of gears. In 1880, Olsen started the Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Company to produce his new invention.
Olsen was awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1907. Olsen retired from the company in 1929 and died during 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Olsen remembered his origin with gifts to his home land including awards to Horten technical school, the Kongsberg church and a retirement home in Helsingborg
, his wife's home town in Sweden
. Since 1928 his bust by local sculptor Trygve Thorberg has stood in Magasinparken city park in Kongsberg. Tinius Olsens school in Kongsberg was established on August 17, 1959.
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
born, American engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and inventor. He was the founder of the Tinius Olsen Engineering Testing Machine Company. He was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal
Elliott Cresson Medal
The Elliott Cresson Medal, also known as the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, was the highest award given by the Franklin Institute. The award was established by Elliott Cresson, life member of the Franklin Institute, with $1,000 granted in 1848...
of The Franklin Institute in 1891.
Background
Tinius Olsen was born in KongsbergKongsberg
is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....
, in the county of Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He was one of eight children of Ole Thorstensen (1821–1865) and Helene Marie Hansdatter (1818–1909). His father and grandfather were makers of wooden gun stocks. Olsen graduated from the Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy is the branch of the Norwegian Defence Force responsible for naval operations. , the RNoN consists of approximately 3,700 personnel and 70 vessels, including 5 heavy frigates, 6 submarines, 14 patrol boats, 4 minesweepers, 4 minehunters, 1 mine detection vessel, 4 support...
technical school at Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
in 1866.
Career
Olsen immigrated to the United States during 1869. Starting in August 1869, Tinius was a designer for William Sellers & Co. He was later employed by the firm of Riehlé Brothers, scale and testing-machine manufacturers in Philadelphia. Tinius Olsen, the firm’s superintendent, was the principal designer of Riehl’s testing machines during the 1870s.In 1880, Olsen submitted an application for a patent a new and improved testing machine and patent was granted on June 1, 1880. Called the Little Giant it was presented to industrial expositions in Cincinnati and Atlanta during 1881 winning gold medals at both shows. In 1891, Tinius Olsen was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal
Elliott Cresson Medal
The Elliott Cresson Medal, also known as the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, was the highest award given by the Franklin Institute. The award was established by Elliott Cresson, life member of the Franklin Institute, with $1,000 granted in 1848...
by the Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is a museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest centers of science education and development in the United States, dating to 1824. The Institute also houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial.-History:On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughn Merrick and...
for his testing machine invention.
The Little Giant was a vertical model. Olsen's machine could accurately perform Tension, Transversality
Transversality
In mathematics, transversality is a notion that describes how spaces can intersect; transversality can be seen as the "opposite" of tangency, and plays a role in general position. It formalizes the idea of a generic intersection in differential topology...
, and Compressive stress tests with just one instrument, housed in a single frame. The device was relatively cheap, compact, and simple to operate. Force were applied to a test specimen from both above and below. Upper and lower loading cross heads contained grips which held the specimen and crushed it, or pulled it apart as the operator turned a handle attached to a system of gears. In 1880, Olsen started the Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Company to produce his new invention.
Olsen was awarded the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1907. Olsen retired from the company in 1929 and died during 1933 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Olsen remembered his origin with gifts to his home land including awards to Horten technical school, the Kongsberg church and a retirement home in Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
, his wife's home town in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Since 1928 his bust by local sculptor Trygve Thorberg has stood in Magasinparken city park in Kongsberg. Tinius Olsens school in Kongsberg was established on August 17, 1959.
Selected Listing of Patents
- Improvement In Testing Machines – United States Patent # 213,586. Issue date: Mar 1879
- Testing Machine – United States Patent # 228,214. Issue Date: June 1, 1880
- Recording Testing-Machine – United States Patent # 445,476. Issue date: Jan 27, 1891
Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Co
The company founded in 1880 by Tinius Olsen, remains a specialist manufacturer and supplier of static tension and/or compression materials testing machines. Tinius Olsen Testing Machine Company designs and manufactures testing machines for determining the mechanical properties of metals, plastics and composites.Tinius Olsens School
Tinius Olsens School (Fagskolen Tinius Olsen) is a combined technical vocational college and secondary school in Kongsberg. The school offers courses covering industrial and trade related subjects, as well as a foundation for the study of advanced technology. A section of Tinius Olsens school offers various advanced subjects, as well as arranging courses on request from the industry in Kongsberg.External links
- Abstract of Tinius Olsen Testing Machine
- Tinius Olsen Material Testing Machine Company
- Fagskolen Tinius Olsen. Kongsberg, Norway Norwegian
Other sources
- Lovoll, Odd SverreOdd S. Lovoll-Background:Odd Sverre Lovoll was born in Sande, in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. He immigrated to the United States in 1946 and is a naturalized United States citizen. Lovoll received his education both in Norway and in the United States, passing university exams at the University of Bergen in 1961 and...
The Promise of America (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press; 1999) - Bjork, Kenneth Saga in Steel and Concrete Norwegian Engineers in America (Northfield, MN: Norwegian-American Historical Association. 1947)