Rupert Haig Webb
( -1937)
1937 Obituary [1]
RUPERT HAIG WEBB was born at Woodford, Essex, in 1886, and received his technical education at the East London Technical College. He served his apprenticeship from 1900 to 1906 in the general engineering works of Messrs. Hunter and English, Ltd., at Bow, after which he joined Messrs. Barlow's Patent Lift Company, London, as assistant to the chief draughtsman. In 1908 he was appointed leading draughtsman to Messrs. Arnold Goodwin and Sons, Ltd., at Southwark Bridge, and three years later he went to India as mechanical engineer at the Byculla Iron Works of Messrs. Richardson and Cruddas, Bombay. Owing to ill-health he had to leave, and joined Messrs. Walker, Sons and Company, Ltd., as estates engineer.
Subsequently Mr. Webb obtained a commission in the Royal Field Artillery, and returned to England. He served in France for three years and was wounded; during the latter part of the War and the years immediately after, he was employed in the ballistic research department of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. In 1922 he was appointed sales manager and chief of the technical staff to Messrs. Baker, Perkins, Ltd., of Peterborough, and was responsible for the design and marketing of mixing machinery for the manufacture of cellulose acetate and viscose artificial silk, also rubber-masticating machinery, and machinery for manufacturing cordite.
After holding this position for ten years, Mr. Webb went into business on his own account as a consulting engineer, in Kingsway, London. During the next five years he brought out several inventions, perhaps the most interesting of which was a moulding machine for all mouldable products, the operation being based on centrifugal action.
Mr. Webb was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1932. His death occurred at Kenton, Middlesex, on 26th October 1937.