William Henry Fauber
William Henry Fauber was an American manufacturer and aero inventor who lived in France from 1905–1911. In his early career he made bicycles, then automobiles, getting into aeronautics after arriving in France.
An evolving airplane design might be traceable in the course of his international patents from 1906–1910. Some of his patents were filed from 95 Boulevard de la Seine, Nanterre, France.
He also patented a "hydroplane boat", not an aircraft but a boat designed to lift up somewhat while traveling speedily through the water.
(See "American has an aero inventor in France", which also makes a big deal out of Fauber securing a patent from the strict Germans.)[1]
Fauber testified to congress in 1919 regarding the government's expenditures on airplanes and airplane patents specifically. (See 1917 Army Aviation Bill.) Fauber observed that the government had simply appropriated his patents during wartime; but had paid the Manufacturers' Aircraft Association $5,000,000 to use Wright-Martin and Curtiss patents.[2] He charged that the law bolstered "an aircraft trust to substantially control the aircraft business of the country" (420). Of the MAA he said, "...it appears to me that two companies have substantially arranged to control the business, merely admitting a few other companies to make the association look like an association that is free to any manufacturers" (423).
In 1925 Fauber gave further testimony to congress regarding the airplane cross-licensing arrangement made during wartime.[3] Regarding his entry into aeronautics he said:
In 1905 I quit business, intending to take a vacation, and while in Europe—as a matter of fact I went to Europe to sell some patents. After completing the sale of those patents I was in Paris and happened to see a balloon contest and, having been interested in aviation I decided to stay in France for a time, became France was at the time the foremost country in Aviation.
I joined the Aero Club de France, and spent five years there following aviation, doing some experimental work in aviation, but more particularly in developing the hydroplane. And the hydroplane is a very important part of aviation, because a hydroairplane is only an airplane mounted on a hydroplane.
Patents whose inventor or applicant is William Henry Fauber
- Patent FR-1906-363017 (English title: Aeroplane, Filing date: 1906-02-06)
- Patent GB-1906-4204 (English title: Apparatus for Aerial Navigation, Supplementary to patent: Patent FR-1906-363017, Filing date: 1906-02-20)
- Patent DE-1906-202333 (English title: Drachenflieger, Supplementary to patent: Patent FR-1906-363017, Filing date: 1906-02-25)
- Patent AT-1907-30944 (English title: Drachenflieger, Supplementary to patent: Patent FR-1906-363017, Filing date: 1906-07-16)
- Patent IT-1907-86985 (English title: Airplane, Supplementary to patent: Patent FR-1906-363017, Filing date: 1907-01-28)
- Patent CA-1907-107139 (English title: Aeroplane, Supplementary to patent: Patent FR-1906-363017, Filing date: 1907-03-07)
- Patent FR-1907-381246 (English title: Hydroplane, Filing date: 1907-08-24)
- Patent FR-1908-385245 (Filing date: 1907-11-14)
- Patent FR-1908-386084 (English title: Hydroplane, Filing date: 1908-01-10)
- Patent US-1910-971030 (English title: Aeroplane, Filing date: 1908-10-24)
- Patent GB-1908-24344 (English title: Improvements in Aeroplanes, Filing date: 1908-11-12)
References
| Names | William Henry Fauber; William Henri Fauber |
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| Birth date | |
| Death date | |
| Countries | US, FR |
| Locations | Indiani; Chicago, Illinois; Nanterre, France; Brooklyn; New York |
| Occupations | manufacturer |
| Tech areas | Drachenflieger, Airplane, Marine, Hydroplane, Design |
| Affiliations | Aéro-Club de France, Fauber Manufacturing Company |
| Wikidata id |
