Background
He was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
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Frederick Grinnell
Edit ProfileEducation
In 1855, he graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Career
Earlier in his career, he was draftsman, construction engineer, and manager for various railroad manufacturers. He designed and oversaw construction of more than 100 locomotives. In 1869 he purchased a controlling interest in a company that manufactured fire-extinguishing apparatus.
Grinnell licensed a sprinkler device patented by Henry South. Parmalee, then worked to improve the invention, and in 1881 patented the automatic sprinkler that bears his name.
He continued to improve the device and in 1890 invented the glass disc sprinkler, essentially the same as that in use today. Such sprinklers are called le Grinnell in France.
He secured some 40 distinct patents for improvements on his sprinklers and invented a dry pipe valve and automatic fire-alarm system as well. In 1892, Grinnell organized the in Providence, Rhode Island, an amalgamation of several smaller companies, which became the foremost organization in its field of manufacture.
Grinnell died in 1905 in his home town of New Bedford.
In 1919, was renamed Grinnell Company In 1969, Grinnell Company was purchased by International Telephone And Telegraph (International Telephone & Telegraph) and became International Telephone And Telegraph Grinnell. A few years later, International Telephone And Telegraph Grinnell sold its United States industrial activities to Tyco International.
Grinnell remains today a trade mark inside the Tyco group.
In 2001, Grinnell Fire Protection was merged with the Simplex Time Recorder Company to form SimplexGrinnell, which is the largest fire protection company in the world. International Telephone And Telegraph Grinnell supporting products are still sold today by Anvil International in the United States and PSS in Germany.
Grinnell was a director of several banks and manufacturing companies. He was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 1984.
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Born
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Died
1905 (aged 69) -
Nationality
United States