Gustav Friedrich Schmiedl
Gustav Friedrich Schmiedl (born April 14, 1905 in Vienna , † December 1, 1989 in Innsbruck ) was an Austrian inventor and entrepreneur who hardly appeared in public. With his developments in valve technology , however, he set standards across Europe. His achievements include the mixer tap, the single-hole mixer or sensor fittings , with which water consumption could be drastically reduced. For his achievements as a businessman and employer for hundreds of employees, he received the Badge of Honor of the City of Hall in 1984 . He died after a short illness at the age of 84.
Live and act
Gustav Friedrich Schmiedl was born on April 14, 1905 in Vienna, the illegitimate son of Anastasia Maier and butcher Josef Zajicek and initially carried his mother's name. On August 8, 1908, Gustav Maier was adopted by the private civil servant Gustav Schmiedl and was called Gustav Maier-Schmiedl from then on. Raised as an only child, he attended elementary school for four years, the lower secondary school for three years and then learned to be a car mechanic . It is unclear where he learned the fitter's trade or where he worked as a car mechanic after completing his apprenticeship.
In November 1930 Schmiedl came to Innsbruck, where he registered his headquarters from 1933. During this period, his surname was also changed, through the approval of the authority of the Governor of Vienna, and from then on it was only Schmiedl.
In February 1934 he married Mathilde Grüner (1907-1996), who was born in Graz, in the parish church of St. Jakob in Innsbruck. The marriage remained childless.
Inventor of sanitary standards
The occupation information for Gustav Schmiedl can be found in the registration file of the city of Innsbruck as “technical merchant”, “ fitter ” and “ representative ” or “ commercial agent ”. They suggest that he apparently carried out various activities during the difficult economic period of the 1930s. Possibly he also had to do with fittings , was confronted with their advantages and disadvantages as a fitter, businessman or representative and also heard the wishes of customers who were dissatisfied with the functionality of some models and who often hoped for more convenient handling.
Schmiedl thought about it, had specific considerations since 1936, devised mechanisms for regulating the water flow and tested their implementation by building “ prototypes ”. Through constant changes and improvements, he succeeded in developing the single-hole battery, which he applied for a patent in December 1937 . After a thorough examination and overcoming bureaucratic hurdles, it was issued to him by the Austrian branch of the German Reich Patent Office on August 15, 1939.
The publication of the patent no. 157,919 for a "mixing faucet, especially for washstands" took place on 10 February 1940, the middle of the war, when the demand for hydraulic fittings low and place the needed metals were reserved for other purposes. The inventor of the world novelty probably knew that best himself, because a few years later he was working “on an invention for the purpose of saving metal ( copper )”, which is why he made trips “to various clarifications about changing materials”. His work at that time, about which unfortunately nothing could be learned, was apparently so important for the war economy that in 1940, after being briefly called up as a flight detector for the Air Force, he initially worked for six weeks for a "special campaign", then as a "designer" until the end of the war " uk ”(indispensable) and therefore had to do no military or military service.
In the first few years after the end of the Second World War , Schmiedl created the prerequisites for finally being able to use his invention patent commercially.
Growth and success
In 1950, eleven employees began manufacturing sanitary fittings in the “Molling House” in Hall / Tyrol. The individual parts for this were initially obtained from a Viennese foundry until Schmiedl moved to a new, completely independent production building on Salzburger Strasse in Hall. The company building is still at this location today.
The time of the construction boom and the economic miracle promoted the upswing of the Schmiedl-Werke, the order books were full and the company expanded rapidly and quickly acquired "an excellent reputation at home and abroad". Not only was the functionality of Schmiedl's fittings highly valued, but their design was also recognized by international institutes.
The demand for Schmiedl products has continued and increased continuously since the company was founded, additional employees were hired, production increased, the export volume increased and in the mid-1960s a branch was opened in Vienna. Schmiedl products were "trend-setting for the standard of European fittings technology".
The man of honor Schmiedl
In 1984 , the company founder and inventor was awarded the Hall of Honor for the decades of creation of secure jobs and outstanding economic performance . In 1987 Gustav Schmiedl handed over his company to his long-term employee, Barbara Rädler. Two years later, on December 1, 1989, Gustav Schmiedl died after a brief illness in Innsbruck.
Inventions
Single hole fitting
In December 1937 Gustav Schmiedl applied for a patent for the single-hole battery. This was awarded on August 15, 1939 by the Austrian branch of the German Reich Patent Office. The "inventive" innovation of Schmiedl's construction consisted in the fact that "the connection pipes for hot and cold water and the drain valve rods are passed through a common clamping sleeve of the tap body, [...] the connection pipes have such a large diameter that they lie close to one another, can be passed through a square-edged clamping sleeve of the usual dimensions for single taps and are so long that they can be bent apart for the purpose of easier implementation of the connection, whereby the connection sleeves are designed to be removable ” .
Mixer tap
The publication of patent no. 157919 for a "mixer tap, especially for washbasins" took place on February 10, 1940.
Single lever mixer with quantity and temperature limitation
which contributed significantly to economical water consumption. The development in this area continued and led to in the following years
Sensor fittings
equipped with a patented, variable volume regulator, which drastically reduced water consumption.
Schmiedl Armaturen today
Schmiedl is the leading Austrian manufacturer of sanitary fittings for bathrooms, showers, kitchens and toilets. With its location in Hall, which still produces today, the company also shows what is possible in and from the Tyrol as a business location , contrary to Far Eastern mass production .
swell
- Innovative Tyrol - Technician * Inventor * Entrepreneur; Helmut Alexander (Author) - (Author's rights available )
- Tiroler Tageszeitung 85, April 14, 1970, p. 9; also: Tiroler Nachrichten 87, April 16, 1970; P. 4
- German Reich, Reichspatentamt - Austrian branch, patent no .: 157919 <
literature
- Helmut Alexander: Innovative Tirol Technician * Inventor * Entrepreneur , 2007, Ed. Association of Austrian Industry
- German Reich, Reichspatentamt - Austrian branch, patent specification No. 157919, class 83a, issued on February 10, 1940, company archive of "Gustav Schmiedl GesmbH & Co. KG", Hall
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Schmiedl, Gustav Friedrich |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian inventor and entrepreneur |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 14, 1905 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Vienna |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 1, 1989 |
| Place of death | innsbruck |