Nationality Czech Salary 24550 Role Inventor Resting place Vysehrad cemetery | Occupation Engineer, entrepreneur Name Frantisek Krizik Known for Arc lamp | |
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Born July 8, 1847 Planice, Bohemia Died January 22, 1941, Stadlec, Czech Republic | ||
Franti ek k i k
František Křižík (July 8, 1847, Plánice, Bohemia – January 22, 1941, Stádlec; [fraɲcɪʃɛk ˈkr̝̊ɪʒiːk]) was a Czech inventor, electrical engineer, and entrepreneur. Křižík was born into a poor family in Plánice, located at the time within the Austrian Empire. In spite of this, Křižík managed in 1866 to study engineering at the Technical University of Prague ČVUT.
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In 1878 Křižík invented a remotely operated signalling device to protect against collision between trains. Křižík's cores are magnetic solenoids cores shaped so as to insure an approximately uniform pull in different positions in the solenoid.
His first experiments in Plzeň resulted in invention in 1880 of the automatic electric arc lamp, the so-called "Plzen Lamp" which was displayed at the International Exposition of Electricity in Paris in 1881. This lamp, with self-adjusting brushes, won the gold medal from among 50 similar devices. Later he successfully defended his patent against Werner Siemens claim to have created it first. The restored and fully functional patented arc lamp with automated electrode adjustment can be viewed at the Museum of Pilsen.
In 1884 Křižík set up his own company building tramway lines, street cars, power stations, and electric equipment.
A Prague subway station was named after František Křižík – Křižíkova.
Electric railway Tábor – Bechyně
František Křižík built the first electric railway in the Austro-Hungarian empire in 1903. The track gauge was 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge. The maximum speed was 50 km/h (31 mph).
Railroad Stations: Tábor – Horky u Tábora – Slapy – Libějice – Malšice – Čenkov u Malšic – Třebelice – Všechlapy – Bechyňská Smoleč – Sudoměřice u Bechyně – Bežerovice – Bechyně zastávka – Bechyně
Legacy
The main belt asteroid 5719 Křižík was named in his honor.
