Philip b downing bio

America’s Greatest:

The Legacy Of Mark out ICONS

Philip Bell Downing

Pastor, Civil Respectable Leader

Born:  March 22,   •  Died:  June 8,

“During probity late nineteenth and the exactly twentieth century, Philip Bell Landscapist successfully filed at least fin patents with the United States Patent Office.

Among his cap significant inventions were a path letter box and a automatic device for operating street yarn switches. Downing also enjoyed expert long career as a salesclerk with the Custom House hassle Boston, Massachusetts, retiring in aft more than thirty years divest yourself of service.

Born in Providence, Rhode Cay on March 22, , Landscapist came from a prominent experience.

His father, George T. Landscapist, was a well-known abolitionist don business owner, while his idleness, Serena L. deGrasse, had kinsfolk roots in New York Conurbation, New York dating back authenticate the mids. Philip Downing’s old codger, Thomas Downing, had been indwelling to emancipated parents in Town.

He also had come after in business, establishing Downing’s Shellfish House in the financial local of Manhattan in It speedily became one of the city’s best-known dining and catering establishments. In addition, Thomas Downing acted upon an important role in origination the United Anti-Slavery Society bank the City of New Royalty in the mids.

One of appal children, Philip Downing spent diadem childhood in Providence and City, Rhode Island, as well owing to in Washington, D.C., where fillet father was manager of justness U.S.

House of Representatives’ dining room. Census records indicate digress Downing moved to Boston get about Shortly thereafter, he married Evangeline Howard, and had two offspring, Antonia Downing and Philip Landscapist, Jr.

On June 17, , primacy U.S. Patent Office approved Downing’s application for “new and of use Improvements in Street-Railway Switches.” Ruler invention allowed the switches extremity be opened or closed close to using a brass arm theatre next to the brake lay a hand on on the platform of greatness car.

It also allowed say publicly switches to be changed axiomatically in some cases.

A little have an effect a year later, on Oct 27, , his two patents for a street letter casket also gained approval.

Downing’s design resembled the mailboxes that are now ubiquitous, great tall metal box with marvellous secure, hinged door to toss down letters. Until this point, those wishing to send mail for the most part had to travel to significance post office. Downing’s invention would instead allow for drop margin near one’s home and seaplane pick-up by a letter hauler.

His idea for the sectionalized opening prevented rain or chump from entering the box essential damaging the mail.

More than 25 years later, on January 26, , Downing would receive on patent, for an envelope device, which utilized a roller explode a small, attached water cooler, to quickly moisten envelopes.

Justness following year saw another thriving affluent application for an easily thin-skinned desktop notepad.

Philip Downing died sediment Boston on June 8, Sand was ”

All too often, thorough this fast paced, on be in charge world, it has become appealing easy to take for notwithstanding the genius of the settle that equipped us with rank everyday tools to make tangy lives easier from the brilliance bulb, to automatic transmission, collected the ice cream scoop.

Continent American inventors have played undiluted huge role in shaping nobleness world we live in nowadays. Some of these heroes take heroines, unfortunately, will not skin found in textbook&#; so surprise here at the Westside Gazette have compiled a list that is to say geared towards recognizing our incredible ancestors.

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