Vernon Charles Norman Wood
Vernon Charles Norman Wood (1896-1939)
1939 Obituary [1]
"VERNON CHARLES NORMAN WOOD was managing director of Muir Machine Tools, Ltd., Manchester, with which firm he was associated for the greater part of his life.
He was born in Manchester in 1896, and received his education at Manchester Grammar School, and at Salford Technical School and Rutherford College, Newcastle upon Tyne. In 1912 he commenced a five years' apprenticeship with Messrs. William Muir and Company, Ltd., afterwards the Muir Machine Tool Co; and having completed his training in the Sherborne Street workshops, he entered the drawing office. From 1917 to 1920 he was engaged as plant engineer and draughtsman to Messrs. R. and W. Hawthorn, Leslie and Company, Ltd., shipbuilders and engineers, St. Peter's Works, Newcastle upon Tyne, after which he returned to Messrs. Muir's as works manager.
Except for a brief period during 1927-8, when he became chief engineer to Messrs. W. and H. Pownall, Ltd., hosiery manufacturers, of Manchester, he remained with Messrs. Muir for the rest of his life. He was appointed joint managing director of Messrs. Muir in 1928, and managing director a year later. He carried out many improvements in the design of the principal types of machine tools made by the firm, and was joint patentee of the automatic stroke-changing mechanism for slotting machines, which enables the stroke to be altered while the machine is running. This is effected by fitting an adjustable eccentric to control the stroke, the eccentric being controlled by a worm which can be rotated by power while the machine is running. Mr. Wood was also closely associated with the development of gear hobbing machines. He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1933. His death occurred at Rhos on Sea on 26th August 1939."