A. W. Richardson

1890. Small planing machine (see text)

August 1899.

A. W. Richardson (c1840-1911) of Skew Bridge Works, Patricroft, Manchester.

c1840 Born in Virginia, USA

Came at an early age to the UK

1878 Advertising a 5in. foot lathe for sale. Address 11, Devonshire-street, Chorlton-on-Medlock.

1878 Advert: 'FOR SALE, First-class One Horse-power VERTICAL BOILER, with all fittings: equal to new - can be seen at work: must be removed to make room for larger — A W Richardson, tool maker, Devonshire-street, Chorlton-upon-Mediock.'

1889 The Richardson high-speed engine for dynamo driving.

1890 'SMALL PLANING MACHINE.
On the opposite page we illustrate a handy little planing machine built by Mr. A. W. Richardson, electric light engineer, Stretford-road, Manchester, and which should prove useful in many shops where small articles have to be machined. The machine can plane 3 ft. by 14 in. by 14 in., and is self-acting in all its cuts. The table runs on flatways and is kept in place by V’s as shown, its weight of course being too small to prevent it lifting were these absent. It is driven by a rack, the driving wheel being of large diameter. The driving pulleys are kept well out of the way by being placed below the level of the table and reversing is effected in the usual way. Arrangements are made for catching the waste oil at the ends of the slides.'

1893 'Mr. A. W. Richardson, of Skew Bridge, Worsley-road, Patricroft, is supplying four 100-ampere arc lights to the Zoological Gardens, Bellevue. These lamps burn fluted carbons, and are supplied with current from a compound-wound dynamo, which drives two of them in series. The lamps, as will be seen, are exceptionally powerful.'

1893 Small combined engine and dynamo described and illustrated

1895 Description of Richardson's uplighting arc lamp

1902 'THE HOME-MADE MOTOR-CAR.
Hawker's Successful Claim.
To-day, at the Altrincham County Court, before His Honour Judge Rowlands, K.C., a hawker named Edward Fletcher, of Goose Green, Altrincham, sought to recover £10 from A. W. Richardson, of Patricroft, for damage to his horse and cart and stock-in-trade through defendant's motor-car colliding with it. Mr. Leonard Harris appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Bowden for the defendant. Fletcher said that on the 18th of September he was going along the Manchester Road, Knutsford, in the direction of Altrincham, when he saw defendant's motor-car, which was a home-made one, coming in the opposite direction. It was on its wrong side, and going at considerable speed. It also made great deal of noise, and could not be seen for the smoke which was issuing from its chimney. He called to them to stop, but no notice was taken, and the car collided with the shafts of his cart, breaking them, and injuring the horse's back. The vegetables in the cart were also crushed. He himself was thrown out, but was uninjured. Witnesses were called who corroborated Fletcher's evidence. James Jones and Mrs. Richardson were called for the defence, and emphatically denied that they were going at high speed. It could not at any great speed. As a matter of fact they were only going four or five miles hour. It did make a slight noise, but there was no smoke, and Mrs. Richardson said that what the witnesses for the plaintiff said about the smoke and noise was incorrect. At this juncture his Honour stopped the case, and said that he thought a special jury would have stopped the case long ago. He gave judgment for the plaintiff for £6 8s. A counter-claim which had been made was withdrawn.'

1911. Richardson died, aged 71.

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1911 Obituary

THE death is announced of Mr. A. W. Richardson, of Skew Bridge Works, Patricroft, as having taken place on the 23rd ult. Mr. Richardson, who was at the time of his death, in his 71st year, was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He migrated at an early age to this country, and had a varied experience in marine, locomotive, and stationary engine work. Subsequently, he founded a small engineering business in London, afterwards going to Manchester, where he served some time with Crossley Bros., Limited, at the time when this firm was commencing the manufacture of gas engine. Thereafter, he again started on his own account as a machine tool maker, and achieved no small measure of success. In 1881 he turned his attention to arc lighting and dynamo construction, and, in collaboration with the late Mr. Charles Lever, introduced the Lever arc lamp. Later on he produced the Richardson arc lamp for the making of which he designed special machinery. He was early in the field when motor cars came in, and designed and constructed a steam car. Of late years he had given much attention to boiler feed pumps, especially those intended for use with traction and other automobile engines.

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