Sidney Halbert Cope
Sidney Halbert Cope (1878-1938)
1938 Obituary [1]
SIDNEY HALBERT COPE, whose death occurred on 2nd April 1938, only a fortnight after his election to Membership of the Institution, was managing director of Messrs. Ralph Martindale and Company, Ltd.
He was born in Birmingham in 1878 and received his technical education at Birmingham Central Technical College. In 1896 he became a tool room fitter at Messrs. Tangye's works at Smethwick and was subsequently employed as a tool maker and gauge maker by several important firms in the district, including Messrs. J. Archdale and Company, Ltd., and B.S.A., Ltd.
He joined the Raleigh Cycle Company, Ltd., in 1910, as foreman of the machine shop and two years later he became works foreman, in charge of all operations, to Messrs. Warne, Wright and Rowland, Ltd., of Birmingham. In 1914 Mr. Cope invented the dual rim fitting for motor cars and took out a patent for it jointly with the [[Warland Dual Rim Co|Warland Dual Rim Company, Ltd.], which was established to develop the invention. One of these rims is now in the Science Museum, South Kensington.
Mr. Cope, who held the position of works manager to the company, also designed and patented the twin wheel which was used extensively on aeroplane tenders during the War. In 1922 he joined Messrs. Martindale as works manager, and was appointed managing director three years later. He was responsible for the entire reorganization and rebuilding of the factory, the installation of a modern tool room, and the design and construction of mechanical equipment for carrying heated tools through the quenching process. In addition he designed and built an eccentric rolling equipment to produce tapered materials.