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Simon Ingersoll
1818 - 1894

The introduction of the first steam-powered rock drill in 1871 by Simon Ingersoll marked the beginning of significant changes for the construction industry.

Ingersoll was an inventor and a founding father of today's Ingersoll-Rand Company, a company which today continues in a leading role of rock drill technology development. When Simon first introduced his new drill, the industry soon discovered that it could significantly increase the productivity of workers excavating rock who were previously using cumbersome machines averaging a depth of only eight to ten feet of hole per day. Ingersoll's version was tripod-mounted, required less manpower, and proved to be considerably faster with a longer equipment life.

Even today, all rock drills incorporate Simon Ingersoll's innovation and can be found on virtually every major construction or excavation site around the world.

As a further tribute to Simon Ingersoll's leadership and technological contributions, he was elected into the Mining Hall of Fame in 1992.

http://www.ingersollrand.com/

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