Axel Charles Wickman (1894-1970), founder of A. C. Wickman machine tool dealer and later maker.
1894 Born Axel Charles von Wickhamm in Hammersmith.
1912 Educated at Brighton Technical College.
1915 City and Guilds certificate in Electrical engineering.
Worked for Albert Lambourn as machine draughtsman at the Old Mill Works, Brighton; became inspector of gauges after the firm took over the manufacture of gauges.
1916 Worked at Old Mill Works, Brighton. Joined I Mech E as graduate member[1]
1917 Change of name to Axel Charles Wickman; machine draughtsman of Hove, Sussex.
1919 Applied for patent on screw gauge; of Avenue Road, Leamington Spa.
1922 Married Helena White in Warwick.[2]
c.1923 Worked for Alfred Herbert Ltd of Coventry; developed universal gauge measuring machine to allow workshop gauges to be checked for accuracy against an accepted standard[3]
c.1924 Formation of his own company, A. C. Wickman Ltd, to make gauges.
Post-WWII: Edgar De Normanville interested him in the concept of epicyclic gearing for overdrive in cars; they formed Auto Transmissions Ltd[4]
1945 Entered USA from Canada
1949 Registered as alien in USA[5]
1964 Inventor of a power transmission system for gas turbines which was patented by Auto Transmissions Ltd.
1970 Died in Florida[6]