Machinery at the Sprague Electric Co by Ben Innes
Sprague Electric Co. by Ben Innes
This is a picture of the Sprague Electric Company by Ben Innes. This looks like it used to be one of their lab rooms from the looks of it. Sprague's decades old abandon workshop is in less disarray than my own now!
Frank Julian Sprague was an associate of Thomas Edison, and started work with him in 1883. Sprague taught Edison important lessons in mathematical methods. Before Sprague, Edison would mostly do trial-and-error style experimenting, or as he put it "fail your way to success." This was costly. Sprague showed how calculating ahead of time and using optimum parameters would save needless experimenting. Sprague corrected Edison's system of mains and feeders for the central station distribution.
Later in 1884 Sprague left to start his own company, Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company. Two notable inventions of his is the non-sparking constant-speed fixed brush electric motor and the control system for said motors. These motors would maintain a constant speed no matter the load attached to them. Edison himself endorsed the invention as the only practical motor at the time.
From there Sprague went on to invent electric cable cars, trolley-poles, electric elevators, multiple unit train controls, skyscraper elevators. And in 1920 devised a method for safely running two independent elevators (local and express) in a single shaft conserving floor space. His first multiple unit train car order was from the South Side Elevated Railroad in Chicago, known as the "L." And later similar systems to New York and Massachusetts.
Interesting note, Sprague was an ensign in the U.S. Navy until 1882, and was on the Navel Consulting Board during World War I.
Thanks, Ben Innes, you have captured a wonderful piece of electrical engineering history.
From history to deconstruction of electronics, I look forward to more from you.
Cabe
Frank J. Sprague
Early picture of Sprague's Electric Train for Chicago's "L"
