Albert Ball

Background

He was born on May 7, 1835 at Boylston, Massachussets, the youngest child of Manasseh Sawyer and Clarissa (Andrews) Ball.

Education

His education began at five years of age when he was sent to the district school and ended in his sixteenth year with one term in high school.

Career

He immediately began an apprenticeship in the machinist's trade in Worcester, Massachussets, serving his time with several organizations, the last being Pond, a machine-tool manufacturer. Here Ball had charge of making planers, and in 1863 devised his first invention, that of a combined repeating and single-loading rifle. He also perfected a polishing machine capable of polishing flat surfaces. His rifle patent was bought immediately by Lamson, a manufacturer of Windsor, who also prevailed upon Ball to go with him. Here he superintended the manufacture of his rifle and also devised and patented the first cartridge-greasing machine which afterward came into general use in American and European arsenals.

Ball continued with Lamson until 1868, devoting the last two years privately to devising and patenting a diamond-drill channeling-machine for quarrying stone, especially marble. Upon being reprimanded for this, Ball resigned and went to Claremont, where he interested James Upham in the manufacture of his new device. As soon as Ball prepared the working drawings, the manufacture was begun in Upham's machine works. The first machine was completed in August 1868, and when tried in the quarries of the Sutherland Falls Marble Company in September proved an immediate success. Five years later Upham and Ball with others organized the Sullivan Machine Company and Ball was made chief mechanical engineer, in which capacity he served for the succeeding fifty years, retiring in 1914. It was during this time that his full power as an inventor was attained, his genius being responsible for the development of many important improvements in mining and quarrying machinery. Among these inventions are diamond core-drills for mineral prospecting; direct-acting steel channeling-machines for quarrying; rock-drills; airdriven coal-picking machines; and continuous cutting-chain coal-mining machines. After his retirement he turned his attention to the interesting avocation of violin making and made many instruments of beautiful design and wonderful tone, and developed special machinery for executing unique wood patterns.

Achievements

• Ball's diamond core-drill, capable of boring a mile deep, brought him lasting fame, particularly as a result of its initial use in opening up the rich gold-fields of the South African Transvaal. Ball also perfected a cloth-measuring machine; wood-pulp grinding machines; corn crackers and crushers; presses for making asphalt paving-blocks; and many other ingenious devices, totaling in the neighborhood of 135 patents.

Connections

Ball married Nancy Mary Shaw at Worcester, Massachussets, on May 7, 1857, to whom were born two sons, one of whom survived him at the time of his death at Claremont at the age of ninety-two.

Father:

Manasseh Sawyer

Mother:

Clarissa (Andrews) Ball

Wife:

Nancy Mary Shaw

References

• A Popular History of American Invention: V.2