John Dixon Gibbs
John Dixon Gibbs (1834–1912) was a British engineer and financier who, together with Lucien Gaulard, is often credited as the co-inventor of the AC step-down transformer. The transformer was first demonstrated in 1883 at London's Royal Aquarium.[1] At the time the term "transformer" had not yet been invented, so instead it was referred to as a "secondary generator".[2] Although he is usually credited equally with Gaulard, Gibb's role in the invention appears to have been more that of a financial backer and businessman.[3][4]
Although the underlying physics of the transformer, mainly
Information on an exhibition of Gibbs and Gaulard's transformer in Turin, Italy in 1884 was published in 1885 and caught the attention of
John Dixon Gibbs had his work patented under German patent no. 28947, a patent also recognized in Great Britain. The patent was disputed by Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti. Following patent litigation, Gibbs and Gaulard lost the patent. Gibbs appealed the suit, taking the case all the way to the House of Lords, where he again lost. He was financially ruined in the process.[7]
References
- ^ Borns: The electrical exhibition at the London Aquarium, Electrical newspaper paragraph 4, 1883, Pages 221-225
- ^ Borns: Illumination by means of secondary generators, Electrical newspaper Number 5, 1884, pages 77-78.
- ^ "The History of the Transformer". Edison Tech Center. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^ ISBN 1559706554.
- ISBN 978-0691057767.
- ^ "Electric Lighting at the Inventions Exhibition". Engineering (London). 39: 454–60. 1 May 1885.
- ISBN 978-3-527-50431-2.
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