AIR CAR HALL OF FAME
Leo Vaughn "Archie" Jones
Archie Jones built an air compressor that he thought was a lot more efficient than engineers believed possible.
L.A. Times, Christmas 1938
- Invention Summary
- What the Inventor Claimed
- What the Publicity Stated
- Inventor Biographical
- Patents
- Work Experience
- Family Background
- Personality
- Legal Problems?
- Articles & Graphics
Invention Summary
What the Inventor Claimed
"Revolutionary" efficiency of air compressor due to few parts and very little heat loss; final development assisted by Howell N. Tyson, a recognized compressor expert and Caltech instructor.
What the Publicity Stated
newspaper articles
Inventor Biographical
Patents
None known.
Work Experience
house painter, mechanic
Family Background
Archie's father Willard a.k.a. William W. Jones was a house painter and contractor. Archie's mother was Mary Olivia Musselman. Archie had brothers Paul, Carl and Roy.
Archie was born on July 7, 1903 in Smithfield, Jefferson County, Ohio. He was living in Jefferson County, Ohio in 1910. The family had roots in Muskingum County, Ohio. By 1920 the family had moved to Phoenix, Arizona.
Archie married Jessie Cantry who was divorced from Walter Lamb, a World War I veteran. Jessie was born in Idaho and was living with Walter Lamb in Los Angeles, California in 1930, but part of that year at least, Walter was in a veterans hospital in LA. Jessie was working as a bookkeeper and Walter was unemployed. At this time, Archie Jones was working in Oakland, California as a machinery salesman. Jessie and Walter were divorced by 1940 and Walter was still unemployed, living in Laguna Beach, California, and receiving an income, so probably a disabled veteran. In 1940, Archie's parents were living in Long Beach, California. His father owned a grocery store by this time.
Archie was in the Navy during World War II and worked as a Chief Motor Machinist's Mate according to his military headstone.
By 1940, Archie and Jessie were married and living in Los Angeles with Jessie's 15-year-old daughter Betty Louise. Archie was listed as a self-employed inventor. This was just a year or two after his compressor invention was publicized.
Archie had completed 2 years of high school and Jessie had completed one year.
Archie died on August 14, 1976.
Personality
Archie generously credited Howell N. Tyson of Caltech, his mother, his brother, and his father for making financial sacrifices which made his 18-year invention process possible.
Legal Problems?
None known.
Articles & Graphics
More information on the inventor and the invention, if available:
