Rudolf Ley

Rudolf Ley (born October 13, 1839 in Freiburg in Silesia ; † July 13, 1901 in Arnstadt ) was a German inventor and entrepreneur .

Life

Rudolf Ley was born on October 13, 1839 in Freiburg in Silesia (Polish: Swiebodzice ). After finishing school he learned the locksmith trade there. During his wandering years, Rudolf Ley came to Arnstadt in 1857 and started work for the then sewing machine manufacturer Eduard Schmidt. After an absence of several weeks from Arnstadt, he returned here and joined the Schmidt factory as a works manager.

With effect from January 1, 1868, Rudolf Ley acquired the factory for his own account and initially operated the production of sewing machines. In the years 1879 to 1885 he constructed sewing machines with adjustable frames, which were protected by domestic and foreign patents (DRP 11186 of February 14, 1880, US Patent 256338 of April 11, 1882). Business success came with the development of machines for the industrialization of shoe manufacturing. The “machine for nailing shoes without lasts”, protected by the German Reich Patent No. 36280, was the first German wooden nailing machine (shoe peg machine, shoe nailing machine) and surpassed all American systems existing up to that time.

Ley's shoe stake machines were exported worldwide under the brand name Thuringia . The types differ according to the type of drive and performance (up to 700 nails / minute). There were machines for simple repair shoemaking as well as machines for the mass production of footwear. The working principle developed by Rudolf Ley could be maintained for around 70 years with constant further development of the machines until production was discontinued.

By 1895 Ley already had 75 employees. When his son Alfred Ley entered in 1883, who had studied electrical engineering, the company was expanded to include the electrical engineering department. A power station was built and expanded steadily until 1896. In addition to the company's own factory, other companies and households in the city of Arnstadt could also be supplied with electricity.

Rudolf Ley received Arnstadt's citizenship on August 11, 1877. In addition to his work as an inventor and manufacturer, he was z. B. Curator of the trade school and member and chairman of the citizens' association. Several fires in Arnstadt could only be extinguished with the help of the fire extinguishing technology ( steam spray ) from the Ley factory.

Rudolf Ley was married to Minna Rochser on April 25, 1869. The marriage had seven children. Rudolf Ley died on July 13, 1901 at the age of 61 in Arnstadt.

The company existed until 1947. From 1905, the Rud. Ley built the automobiles of the Loreley and Ley brands designed by Alfred Ley .

literature

A piece of history , Thuringian General of July 14, 2001
Thuringian of the day , Thuringian General of July 13, 2012

Internet

personal data
SURNAME	Ley, Rudolf
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German inventor and entrepreneur
DATE OF BIRTH	October 13, 1839
PLACE OF BIRTH	Freiburg in Silesia
DATE OF DEATH	July 13, 1901
Place of death	Arnstadt