John Ramsbottom (11 September 1814 — 20 May 1897) was an English mechanical engineer who created many inventions for railways, including the piston ring, the Ramsbottom safety valve,[1] the displacement lubricator, and the water trough.
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Born in Todmorden, on the Lancashire side of the border, Ramsbottom was the son of a steam cotton mill owner. He learned about steam engines, rebuilding his father's and also invented the weft fork that enabled looms to be run at high speed.
In 1839 Ramsbottom joined Sharp, Roberts and Company of Manchester who made both industrial stationary engines and steam locomotives, and learned of the latter. He was recommended by Charles Beyer in 1842 to become locomotive superintendent of the Manchester and Birmingham Railway (M&BR). In 1846 the M&BR merged and became the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), and Ramsbottom became District Superintendent North Eastern Division.
In 1852 he invented the split piston ring, which provided a tight seal of the piston against the cylinder with low friction.
In 1857 Ramsbottom became locomotive superintendent of the Northern Division (lines north of Rugby), based at Crewe.
Ramsbottom became a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1866. He was also president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in 1870 and 1871.
Ramsbottom retired in 1871, becoming in 1883 a consulting engineer and a director of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR). He was also a director of Beyer-Peacock.
| Business positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Francis Trevithick |
Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Western Railway 1857–1871 |
Succeeded by F. W. Webb |
| Professional and academic associations | ||
| Preceded by William George Armstrong |
President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers 1870–1871 |
Succeeded by Carl Wilhelm Siemens |