Richard H. Ranger

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Richard Howland Ranger, far right, at the RCA in 1921

Richard Howland Ranger (born June 13, 1889 in Indianapolis , Indiana ; † January 10, 1962 ) was an American electrical engineer , music engineer and inventor who won an Oscar for technical merits in 1956/1957 for the development of a synchronous recording and playback system was awarded for quarter inch magnetic tapes.

biography

Ranger was the son of John Hilliard and Emily Anthen Gillet Ranger. During World War I , he served in the communications force of the United States Army Signal Corps , where he made it to major. During this time he was working in France and for a short time was the head of a laboratory at Fort Monmouth . In 1918 he wrote a monograph for the military under the title Artillery Lines of Communication . After the end of the war, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1919 to 1923 , where he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. During this time he also published a book for radio enthusiasts called The Radio Pathfinder .

In 1924, Ranger, who worked as an engineer at Radio Corporation of America (RCA), developed a forerunner of today's fax machines. A photo of then President Calvin Coolidge was sent from New York to London in November 1924, making it the first photo reproduced by a transoceanic radio fax. Commercial use of this invention was another two years in coming.

Ranger founded a company in Newark , New Jersey in 1930 under the name Rangertone, Inc. His Rangertone electric mixer, a pitch stop for the lowest octave of a large organ pedal, installed for example in the concert hall of the Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College , was one of his inventions that were actually sold. In 1932 he invented an NBC carillon machine, the "Chimeless Chime", a three-note synthesizer that replaced the use of real bells for the well-known GEC signature of the NBS radio. In addition, he combined his electrically operated carillon with external loudspeakers, which had a similar effect to church bells. Further inventions in this area followed.

During World War II , Ranger served as a colonel in the US Army Signal Corps. He has served as the head of radar and communications in the radio and radar test labs in Orlando , Florida . He was later sent to Europe, where he became part of Operation Overcast , a secret military project of the USA which, after the defeat of Nazi Germany at the end of World War II, recruited German scientists and technicians in order to secure their military technical skills and knowledge. During this period, between 1944 and 1946, Ranger wrote treatises on electrical components, communications, television, and most importantly, magnetic tape recordings. His work mainly led to the further development of tape recorders . Ranger developed a product based on German technology, in this case mainly from the electronics company AEG , and demonstrated his invention to potential users, including members of the Institute for Radio Engineers, the National Broadcasting Company, the Radio Corporation of America, the American Institute of Electrical engineers and also individuals, such as the singer Bing Crosby .

Ranger refined his process further, which resulted in improved synchronization of sound and images in films. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Ranger an Oscar for technical in 1956/1957 for his development of the tape recorder and the synchronization of film and sound ("For the development of a synchronous recording and reproducing system for quarter-inch magnetic tape") Merits (class III).

Richard H. Ranger was inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame in 1997.

Private

In 1923, Ranger married Laura Lewis of Montclair, New Jersey. After his death in 1961, Ranger's company was sold to a young employee. The company was renamed Rangertone Research and privatized.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g David Morton: Richard Howland Ranger and Rangertone, Inc. sS keyboardmuseum.com (English)
  2. ↑ a b c The "Rangertone Organ". Richard H. Ranger, USA, 1932 see 120years.net (English)
  3. ↑ Bill Harris: A History of The NBC Chimes sS old-time.com (English)
  4. ↑ Winners Only by Category: Scientific and Technical Award sS andtheoscargoesto.com (English)
  5. ↑ Richard H. Ranger - Wireless Photoradiogram Pioneer sS afax.com (English)
personal data
SURNAME Ranger, Richard H.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ranger, Richard Howland
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American electrical engineer, engineer, and inventor
DATE OF BIRTH June 13, 1889
PLACE OF BIRTH Indianapolis , Indiana , United States
DATE OF DEATH January 10, 1962