Frank Hornby Facts
Frank Hornby Facts
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| Interesting Frank Hornby Facts: |
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| Hornby was born in Liverpool, England and was the son of a merchant. |
| Hornby left school at the age of 16 and worked as a cashier in his father's business. |
| When his father died in 1899 the family business closed and Hornby became a bookkeeper in a meat importing business. |
| He had a home workshop and in 1899 be began creating toys for the amusement of his two sons. |
| The breakthrough which would change his fortunes came when he realized that he could make interchangeable parts that bolted together. |
| The key was that regular holes in the pieces would not only allow them to be bolted together but would also act as bearings for axles and shafts. |
| This innovation made the construction of complex devices much simpler. |
| In January 1901 he patented his invention as "Improvements in Toy or Educational Devices for Children and Young People". |
| His employer saw the potential in the toys and they became partners in the company. |
| With the financial assistance of his partner the "Mechanics Made Easy" sets went on sale in 1902. |
| By 1906 improvements had been made and the toys began to turn a profit. |
| In September 1907 Hornby trademarked the sets as "Meccano" and on 30 May 1908 his company, Meccano Ltd, was formed. |
| By 1912 the company was international and opened factories in Paris and Berlin. |
| In 1927 the Hornby added Clockwork lithographed tinplate O scale train sets and in 1934 die-cast model cars and trucks known as Dinky Toys were added. |
| By the 1930's Hornby was a millionaire and from 1931 to 1934 he was a Conservative MP for the Everton district. |
| He died in Liverpool of a chronic heart condition. |
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