Henry Pooley (1859-1937)
1859 Born Liscard, Cheshire, son of Henry Pooley (1829-1906) and his wife Dorothea[1]
Apprenticeship with Henry Pooley and Son
1881 Apprentice mechanical engineer
Worked for a year with Cochran and Co, engineers of Birkenhead, before returning to Pooleys.
1892 Birth of son, Henry
1897 Became a director of Pooleys
1898 Worked at Albion Foundry, Henry Pooley and Son, when became a member of I Mech E[2]
1937 November: died
1938 Obituary [3]
HENRY POOLEY had a lifelong experience in the design and construction of weighing machines, in connection with which he patented several improvements which he invented. He was the fifth successive Henry Pooley to be associated with Messrs. Henry Pooley and Son, weighing machine manufacturers.
The firm was founded in Liverpool prior to 1800, originally as a general engineering and ironfounding concern, but after the coming of railways the specialized manufacture of railway and other weighing apparatus was commenced. Mr. Pooley was born in 1859 and served a five years' apprenticeship in Liverpool with his father's firm, and also received one year's training with Messrs. Cochran and Company, of Birkenhead. He returned as assistant manager to his father in 1888 and was concerned with the constructional side for many years. On the removal of the works to the Albion Foundry, Kidsgrove, Staffs, in 1898, Mr. Pooley became works manager and a director of the firm, and held this position until 1904, when he went to Manchester to reorganize the recently acquired business of Messrs. Hodgson and Stead, weighing machine manufacturers.
About seven years later he went to Bristol, after the acquisition of the weighing machine business of Messrs. Bartlett and Company, and made Bristol his headquarters for the remainder of his life, retaining the position of West of England resident director of the company. Shortly before the War the firm, which had been incorporated as a limited liability company in 1900, was absorbed by Messrs. W. and T. Avery, Ltd., but Mr. Pooley retained his position as a local director.
Among the many improvements to weighing machines which he invented were changeable weight scales for weighing goods to one or more different standards (1895); improved weighing machinery for railway wagons and road vehicles (1899); and the automatic sector dial indicator, which he developed about the year 1908.
He retained his interest in weighing machinery until his death, which occurred on 26th November 1937. He was elected to Membership of the Institution in 1898.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1881 census
- ↑ Mechanical Engineer Records
- ↑ 1938 Institution of Mechanical Engineers: Obituaries