Frederick Harvey Rapley
Frederick Harvey Rapley (c1863-1928)
1928 Obituary [1]
FREDERICK HARVEY RAPLEY served a five years' apprenticeship at the St. Rollox works of the Caledonian Railway and afterwards joined Messrs. J. E. and M. Clark and Company, for whom he supervised a considerable amount of contract work for South America railways.
He visited Argentina and Chile to report on the progress of work, and inspected bridge work in the U.S.A.
He became mechanical engineer for the Fox Solid Pressed Steel Company (associated with the Leeds Forge Company) of Jaket, near Chicago, and chief mechanical engineer of the Pressed Steel Car Company of Pittsburgh, and later visited Europe as representative of the latter company.
Upon returning to America he became technical assistant to the President of the company, but afterwards joined the Schoin Steel Wheel Company, now the Newlay Wheel Company, of Leeds, for whom he laid out and equipped works and commenced manufacturing operations.
More recently Mr. Rapley turned his attention to sugar machinery, becoming chief engineer for Messrs. Lidgerwood of London and Coatbridge. He extended the firm's Coatbridge works, and reported on the reconstruction of works in Brazil.
After the War he became a director of Messrs. Whitakers (Engineers) of Leeds, who manufactured steam and electric navvies, pile-drivers, hoists and winches.
Mr. Rapley died on 27th August 1928, at the age of 65.
He became a Member of the Institution in 1888, and he was also an Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.