Working on my steering the other day, I got to wondering why it is that tie rods, steering arms and spindles are self explanatory, but what about Pitman arms, does nothing for pits in the road? Turns out the Pitman arm was invented by George Pitman, a railroad engineer in the USA back in the 1800s. Another one I was curious about awhile ago is the ubiquitous Schrader valve, also invented and patented in the USA in 1893 by August Schrader. Still in business today. Must have been nice having that patent. Then there is Ackerman. Invented in Germany not by the namesake but by Georg Lankensperger way back in 1817, somehow it was named after his agent, Rudolph Ackerman. Got more?
Oscar Zerk invented the zerk fitting. Before someone repeats an old myth, the monkey wrench was not invented by Charles Moncky or the boxer, Jack Johnson
I hate Schrader valves. I bought an inner tube for my mountain bike that came with a Schrader valve of course now I have to buy a special adapter to inflate the damn thing and I need a special psi gauge.
FYI. Mariska Hargitay (Olivia Benson on LAw and Order SVU is her daughter. Car related? No but babe related.
Panhard bars were first used on Panhard automobiles. Often called track bars instead. Somewhere back in the deep recesses of my mind, since filled with cement is the memory of the origins of Watts link.
W.N. Woodruff invented the Woodruff Key, a way to mate parts to rotating shafts. A starter mechanism was invented by Vincent Bendix in 1910
Ok guys heres one I didn't know and it effects every gasoline car on the planet! On September 5, 1885, the first gasoline pump was manufactured by Sylvanus Bowser of Fort Wayne, Indiana and delivered to Jake Gumper, also of Fort Wayne. The gasoline pump tank had marble valves and wooden plungers and had a capacity of one barrel.
Elmer Brake, inventor of the Brake shoe. Originally worn on the feet, before the invention of the motor car.
Be it known that I, RALPH M. LOVEJOY, citizen of the United States, residing at Meredith, county of Belknap, State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Shock-Absorbers. Application filed November 10, 1913
The watts link was invented by James Watt. He invented it to use with his other invention, the steam engine.