John Wesley Hyatt (November 28, 1837 – May 10, 1920) was an American inventor. He is known for simplifying the production of celluloid.

Hyatt, a Perkin Medal recipient, is included in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He had nearly 238 patents to his credit, including improvements to sugar cane mills and water filtration devices.

Biography

Hyatt was born in Starkey, New York, and began working as a printer when he was 16. Later, he invented a simpler celluloid production process, receiving several hundred patents. Among the most well-known of his inventions was that of a substitute for ivory to produce billiard balls. An award of $10,000 had been instituted by Michael Phelan in 1863 due to the cost of ivory and concerns on its shortage.

Aided by his brother Isaiah,

In 1870, Hyatt formed the Albany Dental Plate Company to produce, among other things, billiard balls, false teeth, and piano keys. in 1974.

John Wesley Hyatt founded the Hyatt Roller Bearing Company in 1892 in Harrison, New Jersey. The company's customers included General Motors and the Ford Motor Company. In 1895 he hired Alfred P. Sloan, son of a major investor in the company, as a draftsman. In 1905 he made Sloan president. The company was sold to General Motors in 1916, and Sloan went on to become president of GM.

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  • Biography on plastiquarian.com
  • Injection moulding