Theophilus Van Kannel (1841 – December 24, 1919) was an American inventor, known for inventing the

revolving door A revolving door typically consists of three or four doors that hang on a central shaft and rotate around a vertical axis within a cylindrical enclosure. Revolving doors are energy efficient as they, acting as an airlock, prevent drafts, thus de ...

, patented on August 7, 1888.Theophilus Van Kannel
NNDB (Notable Names Database).Hall of Fame / Inventor Profile: Theophilus Van Kannel
,

National Inventors Hall of Fame The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) is an American not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, which recognizes individual engineers and inventors who hold a U.S. patent of significant technology. Besides the Hall of Fame, it also oper ...

Biography

He was born in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, Pennsylvania, USA. Van Kannel, who was recognized for his invention with the

John Scott Medal John Scott Award, created in 1816 as the John Scott Legacy Medal and Premium, is presented to men and women whose inventions improved the "comfort, welfare, and happiness of human kind" in a significant way. "...the John Scott Medal Fund, establish ...

by the

Franklin Institute The Franklin Institute is a science museum and the center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memori ...

in 1889, founded the ''Van Kannel Revolving Door Company'', which eventually was bought out by the International Steel Company in 1907. International Steel Company is the parent company of International Revolving Door Company. He invented and owned

Witching Waves Witching Waves is an historical flat ride that was installed at several amusement parks worldwide. The first was at Luna Park on Coney Island, New York, United States, in 1907,Jeffrey StantonConey Island — Independent Rides 1997. where it was on ...

, an

amusement ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

introduced at

Luna Park Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks. They are named after, and partly based on, the first Luna Park, which opened in 1903 during the heyday of large Coney Island parks. Luna parks are small-s ...

, Coney Island, in 1907.Jeffrey Stanton
Coney Island — Independent Rides
1997. Van Kannel died in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

of heart failure and was buried in West Park Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio.

References

1841 births 1919 deaths American inventors American people of Swiss descent People from Philadelphia Burials in Ohio Engineers from Pennsylvania {{US-inventor-stub