JOSEF RUSSEL inventor of screw propeller

[aukepalmhof]

Not a ship depict but interesting for the ship on stamp collectors.

Austrian Inventions - Ship's Propeller - Josef Ressel

From the “Österreichische Erfindungen “ (Austrian Inventions) series, Austrian Post presents a great inventor who changed maritime technology for ever. Sadly, Josef Ressel was not able to profit from the international success of his ship’s propeller during his lifetime.

Josef Ressel was born on 29th June 1793 in Chrudim in Bohemia. From 1812 onwards he studied technological subjects such as mechanics and hydraulics at the University of Vienna. However, when the “Polytechnische Institut”, later to become Vienna University of Technology, opened in 1815, he could not afford to continue his studies. Luckily a friend helped him win a scholarship and he was able to graduate from the Forestry Academy in Mariabrunn. From 1817 onwards he worked as a forester in Carniola, Ljubljana and finally in Trieste, where, as the Marine Forestry Officer, he managed the forests belonging to the imperial navy. He found his work unsatisfying and so began experimenting with all kinds of inventions. For example, he developed a process to extract colourants, new methods for processing wood, a pneumatic dispatch system between Vienna and Trieste and a new ball-bearing – in total he was granted ten patents or so-called privileges.

However, he was particularly interested in developing a screw propeller for steam ships, which could then replace the previously used paddle steamers and even sailing ships. In 1827 he was awarded a “privilege” for his ship’s propeller, and had already started to test it by building a ship called the CIVETTA. After finally overcoming a number of difficulties, the first test voyage was made in 1829 and was primarily successful, although a pipe in the steam engine burst and the authorities refused to sanction further test voyages. Although his propeller had worked impeccably, Ressel’s competitors presented the test voyage in a very different light. As a result, Ressel lost his financial backing and had to try to market his invention himself. Acting in good faith himself, he ceded his plans to a French company, which proceeded to profit from them without passing any of the success and profit on to him. The propeller soon became standard throughout the world, but Ressel received no recognition for it. When the British government offered a prize of 20,000 pounds to the “true inventor” of the propeller, Ressel submitted his documents, but received no response. It was claimed that his submission had gone astray, and the prize was shared between four British applicants.

Josef Ressel died on 9th October 1857 during a business trip to Ljubljana. Even if some question whether he was the sole inventor of the ship’s propeller – there were other similar inventions developed around that time – his influence on international shipping cannot be denied. In 1863 a monument was dedicated to him in the Resselpark in Vienna’s Karlsplatz, celebrating his invention.

Austria 2016 0.80 Euro sg?, scott?
http://wopa-stamps.com/index.php?contro ... e&id=25173