Albert Kingsbury
| Albert Kingsbury | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
December 23, 1863 Morris, IL |
| Died | July 28, 1943 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Engineer and inventor |
| Awards | Elliott Cresson Medal (1923) |
Albert Kingsbury (23 December 1863 – 28 July 1943) was an American engineer, inventor and entrepreneur. He was responsible for over fifty patents obtained between the years 1902 to 1930. Kingsbury is most famous for his hydrodynamic thrust bearing which uses a thin film of oil to support weights of up to 220 tons. This bearing extended the service life of many types of machinery during the early 20th century. It was primarily outfitted on Navy ships during World War I and World War II.
Albert Kingsbury was born in Morris, Illinois and graduated from Cuyahoga Falls High School, OH in 1880. Kingsbury would eventually father five daughters. In addition to his interest in tribology and bearings, Kingsbury enjoyed the world of arts, history, and letters. He devoted much time to the study of foreign languages. Kingsbury died in 1943, and was buried at the Quaker Cemetery, Spring Mills, Pennsylvania.
In 1884, Kingsbury attended the University of Akron to study Scientific-Latin courses. He dropped out and worked as a machine apprentice in Cuyahoga Falls. Kingsbury credited this as an important experience that led him to advance his career in engineering. Kingsbury resumed his formal education at Ohio State University, but he again dropped out to work as a machinist with the Warner and Swasey Company in Cleveland.
Kingsbury received his mechanical engineering degree from Cornell University in 1887. It was at Cornell that he met Professor Robert Henry Thurston. Professor Thurston was instrumental in shaping Kingsbury’s interest in bearings and tribology. Working under Professor Thurston, Kingsbury conducted tests on bearing materials for the Pennsylvania Railroad. His craftsmanship, honed by his experience in machine shops, allowed Kingsbury to fit half-bushings to the journal by scraping. His hand fitting produced the small tolerances that promoted film lubrication. These bearings, when ran showed no measurable signs of wear, and was Kingsbury’s prompt to the creation of the thrust bearings which now bear his name.
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