Charles Dinsmoor

Charles Dinsmoor
Born 19 September 1834
Genesee County, New York
Died 12 April 1904
Resting place Warren, Pennsylvania
Nationality American
Occupation lawyer
Known for lawyer
Political party Democrat
Spouse(s) Elizabeth C. Morrison, m. 1861
Children Imogen G
Loten A.
Harry
Frederick
Parent(s) George F. Dinsmoor
Catharine (Harper) Dinsmoor
"Dinsmoor Vehicle", patent 351,749 of 1886
modern-day continuous track vehicle

Charles Dinsmoor (September 19, 1834 – April 11, 1904) was an American inventor and lawyer.[1]

Early life

Dinsmoor's ancestors came from Ireland, however are from Scottish descent.[2] Dinsmoor was born at Alabama Center in Alabama, New York on September 19, 1834.[3] Dinsmoor's family genealogy can be traced back to the first person in his family history to arrive in America, John Dinsmoor.[3] John came to America in 1719[3] from Londonderry, Ireland and is the fifth generation ancestor to the subject of this sketch.[2] He originally settled in Windham, New Hampshire.[3]

Among the ancestors of Dinsmoor are Samuel Dinsmoor,[3] who was a governor of New Hampshire and a member of Congress in 1811 and 1812, was a son of John Dinsmoor. Samuel Dinsmoor, Jr. was also a governor of New Hampshire. Robert Dinsmoor, brother to Samuel Dinsmoor Sr., was a well known Scottish poet of New England that called himself the "Rustic Bard."[3] William B. Dinsmoor was the president of the Adams Express Company. Colonel Silas Dinsmoor was famous as an Indian agent. A son of Samuel Jr. was George (born 1794 in Keene, New Hampshire), the father of this sketch.[4]

Dinsmoor received a minimal education in the local common schools of Elk township in Warren County, Pennsylvania when he was growing up.[3] Much of his time was spent helping support the large family living in meager circumstances.[1] At sixteen Dinsmoor left home and became a successful student at the academies at Warren, Smethport, and Coudersport, Pennsylvania. He was also a student at Randolph, New York.[3] Dinsmoor was in the printing business for about eleven years in the same cities.[3] The printing was associated with teaching and attending school. During the last three of this time he was editor of the "Warren Ledger" at Warren, Pennsylvania.[1]

Mid life

When Dinsmoor was twenty-two he attended Randolph Academy for a year. Here studied law for six months at the offices of Weeden & Henderson. Dinsmoor then continued his law studies under B. W. Lacy in 1858. He was admitted to the bar of Warren County, Pennsylvania[5] September 18, 1859.[1]

Dinsmoor was appointed assistant United States marshal in 1860. One of Dinsmoor’s duties was taking the 1860 census for the northern half of Warren county. Dinsmoor was elected justice of the peace for Warren County in 1861 and was successively reelected for fifteen years.[3] He also practiced law during time. In 1876 he voluntarily retired from the office.[1]

Dinsmoor has been elected to many positions in government, from being a town clerk to a chief burgess. In 1878 he was elected to the office of school director and held that position for many years.[6] Dinsmoor contributed much to bring about high quality standards for the schools of Warren. He was for several years the treasurer of Struthers Library Association and a member of its Board of Control.[1]

Dinsmoor was a lawyer in the Supreme Court of the state of Pennsylvania and the United States Circuit and District Courts.[3] Dinsmoor has been associated with the order of Odd Fellows from 1868 for many years and was grand master of Warren Lodge No. 339.[1]

Later life

Dinsmoor practiced law without a partner for many years. Later he became associated with James Cable and formed the partnership Dinsmoor & Cable. Later when Cable died the firm's name changed to Dinsmoor & Peterson. After Peterson died Dinsmoor conducted business by himself for several years until his health failed. The last five years of his life he had failing health until he died April 11, 1904.[3]

Notability

History records that Dinsmoor invented the endless chain tractor in 1886,[7] a forerunner of the continuous track vehicle.[8] He received patent No. 351,749 on November 2, 1886. "Dinsmoor's vehicle" was first manufactured commercially by Holt Manufacturing Company of Stockton, California in 1906.[9]

Dinsmoor Glacier of Antarctica is named after the subject of this article.[10]

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Schenck
  2. 1 2 "Dinsmoor, Charles biography". Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Warren Evening Mirror The Death Record, April 12, 1904 (Tue); p. 1, c. 2 / p. 8 c. 3
  4. ↑ Richmond, p. 107-109
  5. ↑ Cooper, p. 327-328
  6. ↑ Warren Ledger newspaper article School Director, Friday January 6, 1893. Page 4, column 4
  7. ↑ "Detroit in its world setting; a 250-year chronology, 1701-1951". Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  8. ↑ Scientific American, The object of the invention here illustrated is to obviate, as far as possible, the jolt, friction, and difficulty of propulsion inherent in that class of vehicles having for their running gear wheels and axles, to dispense with springs, and to obtain a smooth and easy movement of the vehicle. The endless tracks are composed mainly of anti-friction rollers, united by links to form an endless chain, as shown in Fig. 2. The side pieces of the body of the vehicle are oblong in form, are held parallel with each other by suitable framework, and are flanged to form guides for the wheels of the endless tracks, so that all danger of lateral displacement of the tracks is obviated. The guards surrounding the wheels are made up of links of sheet metal, shaped as clearly shown in the perspective view, and hinged together to for a continuous chain to enclose the wheels. As the vehicle is drawn along the ground, the contact of the endless guards with the ground will cause the body to be drawn along the endless tracks, as it were, upon the oblong side pieces, the latter running upon the rollers. The tracks at the same time pass around the side pieces, over which they run with but little friction, thereby producing easy running, and, owing to the broad surface in contact with the ground, easy riding. This invention has been patented by Mr. Charles Dinsmoor of Warren, Pa.
  9. ↑ Kane, p. 47 The first endless chain tractor was invented by Charles Dinsmoor of Warren, Pa., who obtained patent No. 351,749 November 2, 1886, on a "vehicle." The endless chain tractor, or track-type tractor, did not become a commercial and practical reality until Benjamin Holt of the Holt Manufacturing Company of Stockton, Calif., produced such a tractor in 1906 and proceeded to build and sell them in quantities.
  10. ↑ Stewart, p. 260

Sources

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