Christian Schiele

(Bernhard Jacob) Christian (Friedrich) Schiele (1823-1869 ) of C. Schiele and Co and the North Moor Foundry Co, inventor and manufacturer

1823 Born in Frankfurt

1847 Patent. Christian Schiele late Frankfort-on the-Maine, but now of Manchester, mechanician, for certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for condensing steam.

1851 Lodging in Timperley: Christian Schiele (age 27 born Frankfurt), Machinist employing 22 Men.

1851 Married Joanna Kay

1851 New Patents: 'John Platt and Christian Schiele, both of Oldham, in the county of Lancaster, machinists, for certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for the preparation and manufacture of fibrous materials; which improvements, or parts thereof, are also applicable for the transmission of fluids and aeriform bodies. Sealed 22nd October — 6 months for inrolment.'

1855 of North Moor Foundry, he was selected to exhibit models illustrating his anti-friction curve, at the 1855 Paris Exhibition

1854 Patent notice 2892 by Christian Schiele, of North Moor Foundry, Oldham, Engineer, in respect of the invention of "improvements in preventing undue oscillation in engines, machinery, carriages, and other apparatus."

1858 Patent to Christian Schiele, and Frederick Schiele, both of Oldham, in the county of Lancaster, Engineers, Certain improvements in hydro-extractors or centrifugal drying machines, and in the method of lubricating their bearings, which method is also applicable to other bearings where lubrication is required

Patented a design of fan.

1860 'English Patents. — The following patents amongst others sealed during the week ending Sept. 8, 1860, are from Messrs. Hughes and Bloodworth's list :— Christian Schiele, of Lower Belbington [Bebbington]], for improvements in obtaining and applying motive power from ocean or other waves; dated March 3, 1860.'

1861 Living at 12 Chorlton Grove, Stretford, Barton upon Irwell: Christian Schiele (age 37 born Frankfurt on Maine), Mechanical Engineer. With his wife Jennet Schiele (age 28 born Bury) and their children Mary Schiele (age 8 born Oldham), Emelia Schiele (age 6 born Oldham), Anne Schiele (age 4 born Oldham), and Frederick Schiele (age 2 born Oldham).

1862 'ENGLISH PATENTS.....sealed .... Edward Ormerod, of Manchester, engineer, and Christian Schiele, the same place, engineer, for improvements in machinery or apparatus for cutting or dressing stones, which are also applicable for hammering, crushing or otherwise reducing metals and other materials.— Dated May 3, 1862

1863 'SCHIELE V. BRAKELL. Mr. Malins and Mr. Jessel moved for an injunction to restrain the defendants from receiving, retaining, or opening any letters or letter addressed to C. Schiele or Schiele and Co., C. Schiele and Co., Platt and Schiele, or otherwise addressed to the plaintiff Christian Schiele, or the plaintiff's said firm of C. Schiele and Co., and from availing themselves of these letters for their own benefit. The bill alleged that the plaintiffs had carried on business as engineers and ironfounders at North Moor, Oldham, from 1851 till the autumn of 1859, under the style of C. Schiele and Co. The plaintiffs were the only partners till the 5th November, 1856, when Mr-. F. Schiele joined them, when the firm became Christian Schiele and Co. On the 1st July, 1859, F. Schiele retired. The business chiefly consisted in the manufacture and sale of articles for which Christian Schiele had obtained patents. Sometime since the plaintiffs determined to confine their business to the sale of the patented machines, and to grant licences for the use thereof. In the latter part of 1859 the plaintiffs agreed with the defendants, to let them the premises, and to grant licences for the manufacture of parts of the patented machines. The bill alleged that the plaintiffs' names were well known in the trade, and they had extensive connections. On the 1st September, 1859, a formal deed containing the terms of the agreement was executed. The bill alleged that the plaintiffs had discovered that the defendants had received numerous letters intended for the plaintiffs, and had executed orders contained in such letters, which, it submitted, referred to the plaintiffs' patented machinery, for which no licencehad been granted. Under these circumstances the plaintiffs filed this bill.
Mr. Kenyon and Mr. Hetherington, for the defendants, contended that they were entitled to receive such of the letters as were addressed to the firm of Schiele and Company, in respect of that part of the business which they had purchased. They denied having made any improper use of the letters they had received. The Vice Chancellor said he thought the defendants had received some of the letters to which they had no right, one from India in particular, relating to Schiele's centrifugal pump. The plaintiff was entitled to the injunction as prayed in the 1st. and 4th. paragraphs of the bill.'

1863 'OPENING LETTERS. —In Vice Chancellor Stuart's Court , on Saturday, a motion was made for an injunction to restrain the defendants, Messrs. Christopher Brakell, William Hoehl, and William Gunther, who carry on business as engineers in copartnership, at the North Moor Foundry, Oldham, from receiving, retaining, or opening any letters or letter addressed "C. Schiele" or "Schiele end Co." "C. Schiele and Co." "Platt and Schiele," or otherwise addressed to the plaintiff, Christian Schiele, or the plaintiff's firm of "C. Schiele and Co." In giving judgement, the Vice Chancellor said that the plaintiffs, Christian Schiele and Frederick Hessemer were interested in certain patents. As to some of these patents, they had granted exclusive licences to the defendants, none of whom had the name of Schiele or Platt. Notwitstanding, the defendants had persisted in opening letters addressed to "Christian Schiele," "Schiele and Co." and "Platt and Schiele," North Moor Foundry, Oldham. These letters had not upon them the name of any of the defendants. The defendants, therefore, prima facie, had no right to open the letters so addressed to the plaintiffs. That was a proposition so plain that he should have thought it could scarcely be contended against. But it was said that because in some of the plaintiffs' patents the defendants had an interest, the latter had a right to open the Plaintiff's lcaers addressed to the North Moor Foundry, in order to see whether those letters referred to such patents. But that also was a proposition which was not maintainable. The defendants might have had such a right if it had been given to them by the plaintiffs, but such was not the case. But, further, the defendants had tried to make use of the letters addressed to the plaintiffs for their own advantage. He thought, therefore, there ought to be an injunction as stated above, and 'to restrain the defendants from making use of theplaintiffs' letters to their own advantage.'

1863 Patent No. 1681. ' And Christian Schiele, of No. 20, Milton-street, in the city of Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, Engineer, has given the like notice in respect of the invention of "improvements in turbines." As set forth in his petition, recorded in the said office on the 7th day of July, 1863'.

1865 Bankrupt.

1866 Published a book he had written "Advice to his Brother Inventors in England"; this was published in Frankfurt. In the book he advised other inventors of what the risks of wasting money on patents and suggested that someone with less than £80 assets would be well advised not to patent their invention, instead keep it secret and also establish evidence to demonstrate prior use in case anyone else tried to patent it.

1869 Died in Frankfurt

Additional Biographical Information

This is largely drawn from information in an MPhil thesis by John Cooper Anderson

Schiele moved to Granby Row in Manchester, setting up as an "engineer and brass founder". In 1851 he moved to Oldham and established the North Moor Foundry. On 1st November 1851 he married Joanna Kay, daughter of John William Kay of Bury. He remained in Oldham for 8 years, during which four of his six children were born.

He lived in Bebbington, Cheshire from 1858 to 1860, he returned to Manchester in 1861 where he founded C.Schiele and Co in Booth Street, which specialised in the manufacture of water turbines, the first of which was installed at Scout Mill, Mossley in 1863. However in 1865, Schiele and his family moved to Frankfurt where in the same year he set up a company to make fans.

Schiele obtained 17 letters patent. His first, No. 11,717 of 1847, was for a steam condenser. This comprised a vessel with two compartments partly filled with water, immersed in a tank of water. Steam from an engine, entering one compartment depressed the water level which, acting on a flap valve, expelled colder water from the second compartment through a pipe having numerous small holes. The water thus trickled back into the first compartment, condensing the steam. In effect this arrangement was a refinement of the water injection method of condensing steam.

In 1856 Schiele patented a hobbing machine for cutting gears. The teeth were machined by a profiled cutter in a worm and wheel arrangement. The gear was indexed by a series of change wheels which determined the tooth pitch.

In 1855 he obtained patent No. 1693 for a "rotary steam engine". The specification describes a turbine in which jets of steam impinge on curved blades on a runner. The turbine is reversible, having another runner on the same shaft, with blades of opposite curvature on them. A diverted valve directs the steam to one runner or the other. A drawing shows that the blades have a cusped profile, rather like a Pelton wheel.

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