History
The US patent for the O-ring was filed in 1937 by a then 72-year-old Danish-born machinist, Niels Christensen. He came to the USA in 1891 and soon after that patented an air brake system for streetcars (trams). Despite his legal efforts, his intellectual property rights were passed from company to company until they ended up at Westinghouse. During World War II, the US government commandeered the O-ring patent as a critical war-related item and gave the right to manufacture to other organizations. Christensen received a lump sum payment of US$75,000 for his efforts. Litigation resulted in a $100,000 payment to his heirs in 1971, 19 years after his death.
There is also a Swedish patent for the O-ring, that is dated May 12, 1896. It was the inventor J. O. Lundberg who received patent for the invention.
Read more about this topic: O-ring
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