Herbert Lansing Merrick (April 16, 1873 – May 2, 1938) was an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He invented the first
beltweigher
A beltweigher or belt weigher, more commonly known as a belt scale, is a piece of industrial control equipment used to measure the mass and flow rate of bulk material traveling over a conveyor belt. Invented by Herbert Merrick in the early 1900' ...
s, which automatically weigh bulk materials as they are passed along a
conveyor belt
A conveyor belt is the carrying medium of a belt conveyor system (often shortened to a belt conveyor). A belt conveyor system consists of two or more pulleys (sometimes referred to as drums), with a closed loop of carrying medium—the conveyor b ...
without stoppage.
Early life and education
Merrick was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 16, 1873, to Anna Marie Pinkham and Charles Merrick, a businessman in New York City. Herbert Merrick had two brothers, Henry P. and Arthur, who died in infancy.
He attended
Bergen County
Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology is a Private university, private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely de ...]
in 1892 with a Mechanical Engineering degree. After graduation he would work as an engineer and draftsman at various companies before starting his own manufacturing company.
Career
Intrigued by the need for simple conveyor scales that can accurately record weight, Merrick sought to invent a device that could fulfill that demand. In 1907, he designed an experimental conveyor scale called the 'Conveyor Weightometer' for Fraser & Chalmers, Ltd., who introduced the new device at a mining machinery exhibition in London the next year. After examinations and tests by British government officials, the Weightometer was issued a certificate of allowance for use as a legal weighing instrument in trade.
Later in 1908, Merrick would rent a shop in Passaic, NJ, and immediately begin work on manufacturing the first Weightometers. Due to increased demand, Merrick expanded his factory in 1911 and incorporated his new business under the name Merrick Scale Manufacturing Company.
Merrick's company is still in operation today under the name Merrick Industries, Inc., located in Florida, USA.
Personal life
In 1898, Merrick married Katherine Selleck. They had one daughter together named Alice. A member of the
Republican Party, Merrick was active in politics.
He was also a member of the First Reformed Church of Passaic and director of the People's Bank and Trust Company. He was an avid sailor and owned the 'Kathal,' a
cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...
named after his wife and daughter.
On May 2, 1938, Herbert Merrick passed away at his home after a long illness. He was 65 years old.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrick, Herbert
1873 births
1938 deaths
American engineers