Herbert Merrick | |
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Born | Herbert Lansing Merrick April 16, 1873 Brooklyn, New York, US |
Died | May 2, 1938 (aged 65) Passaic, New Jersey, US |
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Herbert Lansing Merrick (April 16, 1873 – May 2, 1938) was an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur. He invented the first[1][2][3][4][5] beltweighers, which automatically weigh bulk materials as they are passed along a conveyor belt without stoppage.[6]
Merrick was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 16, 1873, to Charles Merrick and Anna Merrick.[7] One of three brothers, Merrick attended Bergen County public schools before graduating from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1892 with a Mechanical Engineering degree.[6] After graduation he would work as an engineer and draftsman at various companies before starting his own manufacturing company.[2]
In 1908, Merrick established the Merrick Scale Manufacturing Company [1] following the invention of his weighing systems.[3][4][5] Over the coming years, he would find success as one of the first manufacturers of conveyor scales, and become a key figure in growing the conveyor weighing industry.[1]
Merrick was married to Katherine Selleck, they had one daughter together. Merrick was a member of the First Reformed Church of Passaic and director of the People's Bank and Trust Company. He also was an avid sailor and owned a boat named after his wife and daughter.[2] On May 2, 1938, Herbert Merrick passed away after a long illness. He was 65 years old.[8]