Biographical entry Leavitt, Frank McDowell (1856 - 1928)

Born
3 March 1856
Athens, Ohio, United States of America
Died
6 August 1928
Scarsdale, New York, United States of America
Occupation
Engineer and Inventor

Summary

Frank McDowell Leavitt was an inventor and engineer. While employed as chief engineer at E.W. Bliss and Co engineering (New Jersey) he designed what was to be known as the Bliss-Leavitt torpedo. Mark 7 of this design (1912) was used in the US Navy for 33 years. He was a highly prolific and versatile designer, taking out over 300 patents between 1875 and 1921, including a widely successful process for manufacturing tin cans.

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Details

Chronology

c. 1893
Career event - Patent granted for his tin-can manufacturing design
1904
Career event - Began working for E.W. Bliss & Co., a civilian contracting company, Brooklyn
1904
Career event - Released Bliss-Leavitt Torpedo Mk 1
1912
Career event - Released the Bliss-Leavitt Torpedo Mk7

Related entries

Published resources

Books

  • Gray, Edwyn, Nineteenth Century Torpedoes and Their Inventors, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2004. Details

Letters Patents

  • Leavitt, F. M., Generation of power from compressed air, United States Patent Office, 787. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Propulsion of torpedoes & c by compressed air, United States Patent Office, 787. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Gyroscopic apparatus for steering torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 1154. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Automobile torpedo, United States Patent Office, 1466. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Gyroscopic apparatus for steering torpedoes or other uses, United States Patent Office, 1697. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Steering mechanism for torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 1907. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Gyroscopic control apparatus, United States Patent Office, 2026. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Automobile torpedo, United States Patent Office, 2551. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Starting-valve for automobile torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 2257. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Gyroscope spinning device, United States Patent Office, 2264. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Steering apparatus for automobile torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 2551. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Ignition device for automobile torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 2390. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Ignition device for automobile torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 2978. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Starting valve for automobile torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 2978. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Gyroscopic steering-gear for torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 3139. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Control mechanism for steering apparatus, United States Patent Office, 3216. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Gyroscopic steering-gear, United States Patent Office, 3461. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Steering mechanism for torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 3461. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Air-heater for automobile torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 3713. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Exploder for automobile torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 3748. Details
  • Leavitt, F. M., Steering mechanism for torpedoes, United States Patent Office, 5953. Details

Sources used to compile this entry: Gray, Edwyn, Nineteenth Century Torpedoes and Their Inventors, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2004.

Prepared by: Rebecca Rigby