Amstelveen, May 30, 2005 – Robert W. Gundlach, who retired from Xerox in 1995, was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in the US on Saturday for his inventions that resulted in the modern photocopier. His inventions not only helped revolutionise the workplace but also ultimately unlocked the basic workings of the process used in products that turn out millions of colour and black-and-white copies and prints in homes, offices and print shops around the world.
Gundlach, 78, is among six living inventors cited by the Hall of Fame for accomplishments “that have bettered our quality of life and allowed us greater convenience and safety.” The Hall of Fame is giving posthumous recognition to eight additional inventors.
“As one of the first research scientists hired by the Haloid Company, now known as Xerox Corporation, Gundlach was responsible for finding ways to refine and improve xerography,” according to the Hall of Fame. “Through Gundlach’s work, photocopying became a practical reality.”
Over his lifetime, Gundlach has received 164 US patents, with 155 of those earned for his work at Xerox. He remains Xerox’s most prolific inventor. His inventions included many of the technologies that enabled xerographic products such as copiers and printers to become so wildly successful.
Gundlach joined the Haloid Company in 1952, about five years after the company had purchased the rights to commercialise xerography, Chester Carlson’s invention. It would be seven more years before the first product would come to market.
Among Gundlach’s inventions are the “development electrode,” which made it possible to copy solid areas; a method of cleaning the imaging drum that enabled Xerox for the first time to make plain-paper copiers that could fit on a desktop; and “tri-level highlight colour,” which was the basis for products that can copy both black and another colour simultaneously.
A gentle optimist who loves solving puzzles and understanding how things work, Gundlach continues to invent from his home near Rochester, N.Y. Most recently he has been working on a highly efficient heat pump that he believes can help alleviate global warming. The patented heat pump is designed for heating and cooling city homes on small lots using a fraction of the energy now required.
The not-for-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame is dedicated to honouring and fostering creativity and invention. Chester Carlson was previously inducted into the Hall of Fame. In addition to Gundlach, its class of 2005 includes Matthias Baldwin, inventor of the steam locomotive; Clarence Birdseye, inventor of frozen foods; Dean Kamen, inventor of the AutoSyringe; Garrett Morgan, inventor of the gas mask and traffic signal; and Les Paul, inventor of the solid-body electric guitar. For more information on the National Inventors Hall of Fame, visit www.invent.org
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