Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim [1] (sometimes Maxim [2] , English Hiram Stevens Maxim , February 5, 1840 - November 24, 1916 ) is a British inventor and gunsmith of American origin, the creator of one of the most famous machine guns - Maxim machine gun .
| Hiram Stevens Maxim | |
|---|---|
| English Hiram stevens maxim | |
 | |
| Date of Birth | February 5, 1840 |
| Place of Birth | Sangerville ( Maine ) |
| Date of death | November 24, 1916 (aged 76) |
| Place of death | London |
| Citizenship |  USA |
| Nationality |  Great Britain |
| Occupation | inventor |
| Children | Maxim, Hyrum Percy |
| Awards and prizes | US National Inventors Hall of Fame |
| miscellanea | invented the Maxim machine gun |
Content
Biography
Hiram Maxim was born on February 5, 1840 in the American city of Sangerville ( Maine , USA). Maxim's father, a descendant of the Huguenots who had once emigrated from France , had a small farm. In 1846, Maxim's father decided to leave agriculture and move to the city. Here he became a wood turner , and then acquired a small mill. In the city of Hiram I was able to get books. His books on geography and astronomy were especially attracted. The turning craft, which he became acquainted with in his father’s workshop, determined the first steps of his independent career. For fourteen years, Hiram was sent to the training of a village crew master [3] .
Inventive activity
After graduating from elementary school, he worked at factories in Fitchburg, Boston and New York as a draftsman and foreman. At this time, Maxim invents various devices: machines for producing light gas , feeding steam boilers with water, and other inventions. In 1864, Maxim settled in Fichburg, with his uncle Lavi Stevens, who owned a solid mechanical workshop, where Maxim got a job. At Stevens Maxim designs an advanced regulator for gas burners and an automatic fire extinguisher. Having broken up with his uncle, Maxim entered the workshop of physical devices of Oliver Drake, from whom he acquired great knowledge in precision mechanics. Thanks to Drayku Maxim gained a reputation as a talented and knowledgeable engineer . After moving to New York, Maxim met Schuyler there, the founder and president of America's first electric lighting company. Schuyler invited the young engineer to become the chief manager of the new enterprise. This period of Maxim's activity was devoted almost exclusively to electrical engineering. He was engaged in the improvement of dynamos , electric motors and batteries; he took patents for a new type of switch , various systems of meters, wires, electrical devices for ignition and. etc. [3] . After studying electrical engineering, Maxim in 1877, together with Williamson et al. Founded a company engaged in electric lighting, and in 1881, he exhibited several models of dynamos and incandescent lamps at an exhibition in Paris. This period includes several disputes between Maxim and Edison over patents for incandescent lamps .
Immigration to England
In 1881 he emigrated to England and began to develop weapons, including the famous machine gun. In addition to the machine gun: Maxim was engaged in the invention of underwater mines and torpedoes, he also developed the project of an air torpedo. Of greatest importance are his work on improving explosives. In this area, the name of Maxim is associated with the introduction of smokeless gunpowder , the use of which produced a revolution in small arms and artillery [3] . In 1888, together with Nordenfelt, he founded a factory for the production of rapid-firing guns and machine guns. In 1896, this factory was bought by Vickers . In 1899 he became a naturalized subject of Great Britain. In 1901, Queen Victoria knighted Maxim for outstanding inventions.
In addition to very successful weapon models, the inventor created a number of completely peaceful products, in particular, a mousetrap [4] and “Peace Tube” - a menthol inhaler for asthma [5] . In the last years of his life, he was also engaged in the development of aircraft.
Maxim died on November 24, 1916 in London (the Stretem district). Buried in West Norwood Cemetery. The son of the inventor, Hiram Percy Maxim , became the founder of the Amateur Radio League .
Machine gun
Maxim took up arms development after moving to England in 1881. Later, in an interview, Maxim said that he once met an American friend in Vienna in 1882, and he said: “Throw away your chemistry and electricity. If you want to earn a ton of money, think of something that will allow these Europeans to cut their throats even better ... ” [6] . In 1884 he created the first model of his famous machine gun " Maxim ". In his own words, his idea of using recoil energy to reload weapons was born due to the strong recoil when firing a gun, tested in childhood.
Aircraft Construction
In the last years of his life, he was engaged in the development of aircraft. He built a giant four-wing with a steam engine, which was supposed to take off from the railway track. The machine had 5 supporting planes and was equipped with two 150 liter steam engines . with working on two two-bladed propellers with a diameter of 5.4 meters. The height of the apparatus was 10.6 meters, the span of the bearing planes was 31.5 meters, and the total surface was 522 square meters. Weight - 2.5 tons [3] . During tests in 1894 in Bexley, the aircraft managed to achieve takeoff speed, but immediately after taking off from the ground, it crashed onto the wing [7] . Measuring instruments showed a lifting force of 3,500 kg, 1,000 kg more than the weight of the machine. Restore the device and continue research Maxim did not. The reason for the failure of the Maxim apparatus was the lack of lateral control [8] .
Notes
- ↑ Maxim, Hiram Stevens - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia .
- ↑ Uspensky L.V. From a word to a surname and back // You and your name. Stories about names. - L .: Children's literature, 1972.
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Zabarinsky P. Hirem Maxim // Technique of Youth: Journal. - 1934. - August ( No. 8 ). - S. 54-57 .
- ↑ Hiram Maxim | American inventor (English) , Encyclopedia Britannica . Date of treatment July 13, 2017.
- ↑ Sir Hiram Maxim's 'Pipe of Peace', London, England, 1909-1910 . www.sciencemuseum.org.uk. Date of treatment July 13, 2017.
- ↑ Daniel Macaroff. Seller of death: Man and machine gun . Popular mechanics . Fashion Press (2007). Date of treatment May 28, 2010. Archived February 9, 2012.
- ↑ Death Of Sir Hiram Maxim. A Famous Inventor, Automatic Guns And Aeronautics, The Times (November 25, 1916).
- ↑ Beril, Becker. Dreams and Realities of the Conquest of the Skies. - New York: Atheneum, 1967. - P. 124–125.