¶ The Genesis of Cruise Control
Do you use cruise control? I'm Colton from Ripley's.com and this is your Weird Minute. Cruise control and engines dates back to James Watt's steam engine in the 1700s, which used a governor to regulate the throttle under varying loads. Cars gained a form of cruise control by 1900, but this system was rudimentary and didn't work well. Modern cruise control wasn't developed until 1948 by an inventor named Ralph Teeter. Believe it or not, Teeter was blind.
¶ Ralph Teeter's Broader Engineering Legacy
Born in 1890, he lost his sight in an accident at five years old, but despite his injury, he went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering in 1912. Calling his speed control device the Speedostat, he came up with the idea while riding in the car with his lawyer. possessing an acute sense of touch, Teeter was bothered by his attorney constantly pumping the throttle. The engineer didn't just change the automotive world, but was also instrumental to engine manufacturing in World War II.
By feeling the rhythm and balance of an engine, he was able to successfully address balance issues in steam turbine rotors used in torpedo boat destroyers. His expertise would go on to be implemented in the dynamic balancing of large components forthwith.
The Air Force director would even go on to thank him for making piston rings and declare him a soldier of production. For more strange stories, visit Ripley's.com, rate the Weird Minute if you haven't already, and tune in tomorrow for another Minute of Odd.