Magyar Hírek, 1986 (39. évfolyam, 1-26. szám)

1986-07-17 / 14. szám

PORTRAITS OF HUNGARIAN

In earlier issues Magyar Hírek published portraits of outstanding Hungarian scientists and inventors, who contributed to the progress of science and technology, thus marking the occasion in August this year, when a conference of Hungarian scientists and engineers "Hungarians for the Scientific and Technical Progress of the World" will be held in Budapest under the aegis of the Hungarian Forum. Answering the request of numerous readers, the portraits now appear in English as well.

SAMUEL

MIKOVINY

(1700-1750)

Mathematician, engineer, cartographer. head of the institute for training mining engineers at Selmecbánya. He acquired international renown for designing and constructing machinery and equipment for draining mine shafts and supplying water for ore crushing works as well as for inventions that advanced metallurgy.

JÁNOS ANDRÁS SEGNER

(1704-1777)

Mathematician and natural, scientist. His name was made immortal primarily by the water-wheel he invented. It became the theoratical and practical starting point of the construction of turbines.

JÓZSEF KÁROLY HELL

(1713-1789)

A pioneer of the mechanization of mines. His machine based on the principle of the water-column, put into operation in 1749. was the forerunner of modern mining machines. He designed another machine for the Amalia shaft of Selmecbánya in 1753: he solved the problem of lifting water with a pump powered by compressed air. That was the first equipment in the world, which used compressed air for that purpose.

MIKSA HELL

(1720-1792)

Mathematician, astronomer. He observed the pass of Venus between the Sun and the Earth in 1769 at Vardö, Norway, and succeeded in defining more precisely the median distance between the Sun and the Earth.

FARKAS

KEMPELEN

(1734-1804)

ANDRÁS

MECHWART

(1834-1907)

GYÖRGY

JENDRASSIK

(1898-1954)

Architect, engine designer, inventor, natural scientist. He constructed a talking machine, which reproduced the human voice mechanically, and became the founder of experimental phonetics. He was also a pioneer in the training of the blind, and further developed the steam engine. Oddly enough, he became world famous not for his important inventions. but his chess playing “machine”, about which Edgar Allan Poe wrote a novel, and which was very likelyoperated by a man with amputated legs who was concealed in

ÁNYOS JEDLIK

(1800-1895)

Natural scientist, professor of physics at Budapest University, definer of the dynamo-electric principle and inventor of the unipolar dynamo. His electro-static machine capable of generating almost one million volt, and shown at the 1873 Vienna World Fair was a forerunner of the impulse generators used in the early phase of nuclear research.

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KÁROLY

ZIPERNOWSKY (1853-1942)—

MIKSA DÉRI (1864—1938) —

OTTÓ BLÁTHY (1860-1939)

Inventors of the transformer. As engineers of the Budapest Ganz Works, they invented the transformer in the modern sense late in 1884. and patented it the next year. They were the first to solve the system of energy transfer and distribution as it is still used. The induction electric meter another invention by Bláthy, was also of world importance.

Engineer, one of the chief executives of the Budapest Ganz Works, inventor of the modem rolling mill, which made possible the fine milling of gereals.

Mechanical engineer, further developer of the Diesel engine for railway haulage, and inventor of the first gas turbine, which was suitable for practical use.

KÁLMÁN

KANDÓ

(1869-1931)

Mechanical engineer, pioneer of the electrification of railways. He was the first to employ high voltage alternative current for driving railway engines, he designed and built the first long-distance, high voltage, alternative current major railway system of the world on the Valtellina line in Italy. The alternative phase engines developed by Kandó made possible the direct use of standard 50 frequency industrial power in railway haulage.

DONAT BANKI (1859-1922) — JÁNOS CSONKA (1852-1939)

Inventors of the carburettor. Bánki was a mechanical engineer, and engine designer at the Ganz Works, and a professor of the Budapest Technical University. Csonka was also a mechanical engineer, and head of the workshop of the Technical University. They jointly developed and perfected the internal combustion engine. The invention of the carburettor was the outstanding success of their cooperation.

JÓZSEF

GALAMB

(1881-1955)

A mechanical engineer, associate of Henry Ford, designed the Model T Ford car.

DÁVID

SCHWARZ

(1850-1897)

Inventor of the rigid frame dirigible. His 47,5 m long 17.5 m diameter cylindrical, aluminium plate covered dirigible complete with conical nose and end structure made its first flight in 1897 in Berlin. Count Zeppelin, Was one of the guests of the trial flight. He bid 15.000 marks for the plans and documentation of the craft, which the widow of the inventor, who had died in the meantime, accepted.

OSZKÁR ASBÓTH

(1891-1960)

An aircraft designer, and helicopter pioneer. The helicopter he designed ascended perpendicularly on 9 September 1928, and was capable of hovering in a given place at great height as well as of level flying.

TÓDOR KÁRMÁN

(1881-1963)

Mechanical engineer, a pioneer of aerodynamics, discoverer of the Karman line of turbulence, the Karman analogy and other phenomena of aerodynamics. He also worked out the scientific bases of supersonic flying and of rocket technology.

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