Elmer Ambrose Sperry (Sperry Elmer Ambrose)

(1860-1930)
October 12, 1860 in Kortlende (pc. New York). He graduated from public school in Kortlende and Cornell University. In 1879, he perfected the arc lamp, and in 1880 organized a company in Chicago 'Sperry Electric' for the production of lamps and generators DC. In 1888, invented the first mountain combine with electric drive. Constructed an electric and electric drive for the car with the collector, in 1894 on the basis of these developments created the company 'Sperry Electric Railway'. In the same year, Sperry sold the company of 'General Electric', and five years later founded the Washington (DC) electrochemical laboratory, where the improved method of recycling of waste metal tin. In 1918, invented a powerful arc lamp, which is then used in the armed forces and the navy.
The most famous Sperry brought his work on the application of the gyroscope to solve navigational problems. In 1910, Sperry was organized by 'Sperry dzhayroskoup' and headed it until 1929. Invented by gyrocompass, which in many applications replaced magnetic compass. Developed gyrostabilizers with electric, reducing rolling of the vessel and holding the plane flying in a horizontal position. Constructed giroupravlyaemye torpedoes, autopilot for automatic control of the courts and devices for detecting submarines.

Sperry was a founder of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the American Electrochemical Society. Sperry died in Brooklyn (New York) June 16, 1930.