Career
In 1908, Parker filed his first patent, a mechanism that regulated the speed of a generator to create a constant output of electricity. Throughout his entire career, he filed 160 additional patents. The primary patent giving Parker his entrepreneurial beginnings was filed in 1914 for his pneumatic braking system.[5]
On March 13, 1917, Parker Appliance Company was founded, referencing the office address of 1115 Schofield Bldg of the Schofield Building in Downtown Cleveland.[6] His first production facility was located at 2420 Superior Viaduct in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland.[7][8]
Early struggles caused him to have to stop and start the business. In 1924 the business was closed and reopened at the address of 10320 Berea Rd in Cleveland. In 1927, having invented and patented a tubing fitting that would not leak under high pressure, Parker convinced young aviator Charles Lindbergh, who was preparing to attempt a non-stop New York-to-Paris flight, to use Parker products in the fuel system of his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis. Lindbergh's successful flight resulted in a major boost in Parker's business fortunes.[9]
In 1935, Parker relocated the company into the much larger building at 17325 Euclid Ave in Cleveland. By then, Parker's products had gained widespread acceptance in aircraft, marine and industrial applications and the future of his business was assured.