Updated 26-XII-2018

A. Eugene Lemmers
This article was written by fellow lamp engineer and collector Edward J. Covington, and originally appeared on his own website of biographical sketches of persons involved in the lamp industry. Following his passing in February 2017, and with kind permission of his family, Ed's words have been preserved here in the hope of maintaining access to his writings for the benefit of subsequent generations.


Gene Lemmers

Biography
There is probably no person in the world who has contributed more to the development of a lamp type than the individual shown above, who was on the development scene since its inception. A. Eugene Lemmers started to work at the General Electric lamp headquarters at Nela Park, in East Cleveland, Ohio, in 1925, just a few years before the birth of the fluorescent lamp occurred. Lemmers continued to work at Nela Park for more than 66 years, and his contributions to the fluorescent lamp are unequalled by anyone. He garnered at least 78 U.S. patents in the areas of photographic, high intensity discharge and fluorescent lamps and, in addition, held at least 75 patents in countries other than the United States. The following values in parentheses indicate the number of patents granted in the various countries, or region: Canada (56); Europe (2); Brazil (1); France (4); Germany (8); Mexico (1); and Switzerland (3).

Gene Lemmers (July 7 1907 - June 2 1992), born Alfred Eugene Lemmers, was a native of Cleveland, Ohio and the only "hometown" member of the cooperative effort to develop the fluorescent lamp. He graduated from Glenville High School and attended Fenn College, the precursor of Cleveland State University.

In the early days of fluorescent lamp development Lemmers was involved in circuit and ballast design. He was also concerned with manufacturing techniques, as the requirements were vastly different from those of the incandescent lamp. Among his many accomplishments, Gene was a co-developer of the POWERGROOVE® lamp (with John O. Aicher), and he also developed the RAPID START® system of operation.

The POWERGROOVE® lamp had a high lumen output and this was achieved by effectively making the lamp length longer by creating indentations in the lamp envelope.

It is instructive to review one of the starting techniques of fluorescent lamps in order to appreciate the merits of the RAPID START development.

In the early days of development a lamp was started by applying a sufficient voltage. It was known that if the electrodes were heated prior to the application of voltage the required starting voltage was lower. This led to the development of a bimetal starter switch which, after starting, would cut out of the circuit. In this case, after a turn-on switch was thrown, there was a time delay before the lamp would light. The RAPID START method used a starting strip the length of the lamp and the application of a small continuous voltage on the electrode. The net result of this new design of a lamp system was immediate lamp lighting and longer lamp life.

The starting speed of the Rapid Start lamps was demonstrated by Gene Lemmers in the picture shown below1. The Rapid Start lamps are located at the top and the prestart lamps are at the bottom. The new lamps required newly designed ballasts. The cathode of the new lamp, also shown above, required less energy to preheat; in addition, a life increase was realized.


Gene Lemmers demonstrating the Rapid-Start Fluorescent (top) vs preheat-start (bottom)

Fluorescent lamp pioneers, from L to R: A. Eugene Lemmers, John O. Aicher, Richard N. Thayer, George E. Inman (Picture courtesy of Richard E. Lemmers)


Patents (with co-inventors being listed in parentheses)
  1. US 2,085,530 - 06/29/1937 - Electric Arc Lamp - (G. E. Inman)
  2. US 2,085,531 - 06/29/1937 - Electric Arc Lamp - (G. E. Inman)
  3. US 2,093,892 - 09/21/1937 - Enclosed Electric Arc Lamp
  4. US 2,121,637 - 06/21/1938 - Electrode for Electric Discharge Devices - (H. M. Fernberger)
  5. US 2,121,638 - 06/21/1938 - Electric Discharge Device
  6. US 2,123,056 - 07/05/1938 - Starting Circuit for Electric Discharge Devices
  7. US 2,130,304 - 09/13/1938 - Enclosed Electric Arc Lamp
  8. US 2,178,428 - 10/31/1939 - Flash Lamp
  9. US 2,180,988 - 11/21/1939 - Electrode for Electric Discharge Devices - (G. M. Carpenter)
  10. US 2,237,184 - 04/01/1941 - Alloy
  11. US 2,238,777 - 04/15/1941 - Protection of Metal Vapor Lamp Bulbs and the Like for Alkali Metal Attack - (R. W. Goodin)
  12. US 2,276,850 - 03/17/1942 - Germicidal Lamp in Air Conditioning Apparatus
  13. US 2,306,628 - 12/29/1942 - Discharge Lamp with Partition
  14. US 2,316,344 - 04/13/1943 - Flash Lamp
  15. US 2,329,124 - 09/07/1943 - Gaseous Electrical Discharge Lamp
  16. US 2,329,125 - 09/07/1943 - Metal Vapor Discharge Lamp
  17. US 2,329,126 - 09/07/1943 - Electric Discharge Device and Electrode therefor
  18. US 2,339,178 - 01/11/1944 - Fluorescent Tube Coating
  19. US 2,341,990 - 02/15/1944 - Electric Discharge Device - (G. E. Inman, R. N. Thayer)
  20. US 2,342,550 - 02/22/1944 - Method of Activating Cathodes
  21. US 2,351,270 - 06/13/1944 - Electric Discharge Device and Method of Operation
  22. US 2,351,616 - 06/20/1944 - Electric Discharge Device - (W. J. Karash)
  23. US 2,363,070 - 11/21/1944 - Electric Discharge Device
  24. US 2,366,270 - 01/02/1945 - Fluorescent Tube Coating
  25. US 2,370,475 - 02/27/1945 - Method and Apparatus for Testing Sealed Envelopes
  26. US 2,392,095 - 01/01/1946 - Light Filter
  27. US 2,403,184 - 07/02/1946 - Electric Discharge Lamp
  28. US 2,429,415 - 10/21/1947 - Circuit for Electric Discharge Devices
  29. US 2,438,564 - 03/30/1948 - Multiple Discharge Lamp Circuit
  30. US 2,445,678 - 07/20/1948 - Electric Discharge Device
  31. US 2,445,679 - 07,20/1948 - Modulable Electric Discharge Lamp
  32. US 2,459,567 - 01/18/1949 - Positive Column Lamp
  33. US 2,479,173 - 08/16/1949 - Circuit and Starter for Electric Discharge Devices
  34. US 2,482,421 - 09/20/1949 - Flat Tube Electrical Device
  35. US 2,491,867 - 12/20/1949 - Modulable Electric Discharge Lamp
  36. US 2,504,548 - 04/18/1950 - Starting and Operating Circuit for Electric Discharge Devices
  37. US 2,504,549 - 04/18/1950 - Starting and Operating Circuit for Electric Discharge Devices - (R. L. Keiffer)
  38. US 2,508,118 - 05/16/1950 - Starting Strip for Electric Discharge Devices
  39. US 2,512,280 - 06/20/1950 - Electric Discharge Device Construction
  40. US 2,627,046 - 01/27/1953 - Electric Discharge Device
  41. US 2,644,107 - 06/30/1953 - Preheat Neutralizing Circuit for Fluorescent Lamps - (R. L. Keiffer)
  42. US 2,673,942 - 03/30/1954 - Starting Circuit for Electric Lamps
  43. US 2,683,836 - 07/13/1954 - Electric Discharge Device Construction
  44. US 2,689,315 - 09/14/1954 - Preheat Neutralizing Circuit for Fluorescent Lamps
  45. US 2,694,786 - 11/16/1954 - Preheat Neutralizing Circuit for Fluorescent Lamps
  46. US 2,694,787 - 11/16/1954 - Starting Circuit for Electric Lamps
  47. US 2,714,653 - 08/02/1955 - Street Lighting Apparatus
  48. US 2,716,739 - 08/30/1955 - Lamp Base and Holders for Double Ended Electric-Discharge Lamps (none)
  49. US 2,774,918 - 12/18/1956 - Electric Discharge Device
  50. US 2,795,692 - 06/11/1957 - Fluorescent Lamp Fixture and Circuit
  51. US 2,805,354 - 09/03/1957 - Modulable Lamp Construction - (A. Kovach)
  52. US 2,904,715 - 09/15/1959 - Modulable Discharge Lamp
  53. US 2,915,664 - 12/01/1959 - Tubular Electric Lamp
  54. US 2,916,645 - 12/08/1959 - Tubular Electric Envelopes - (B. Shaw, J. Salo)
  55. US 2,961,565 - 11/22/1960 - Low Pressure Discharge Lamp
  56. US 2,965,789 - 12/20/1960 - Vapor Pressure Control in Discharge Lamps (none)
  57. US 2,950,410 - 08/23/1960 - Multiple Groove Discharge Lamp - (J. O. Aicher)
  58. US 2,961,565 - 11/22/1960 - Low-Pressure Discharge Lamp
  59. US 2,965,789 - 12/20/1960 - Vapor Pressure Control in Discharge Lamps (none)
  60. US 2,973,447 - 02/28/1961 - Grooved Lamp Vapor Pressure Control - (J. O. Aicher)
  61. US 3,069,581 - 12/18/1962 - Low Pressure Discharge Lamp
  62. US 3,096,464 - 07/02/1963 - Starting and Operating Circuit for Discharge Lamps
  63. US 3,098,945 - 07/23/1963 - Configurated Lamp
  64. US 3,817,296 - 06/18/1974 - Method of Making an Electrode Having a Filament with Extending Legs
  65. US 3,919,579 - 11/11/1975 - Multiple Filament Electrodes for Electric Discharge Lamps
  66. US 4,185,233 - 01/22/1980 - High Efficiency Ballast System for Gaseous Discharge Lamp - (D. H. Riesland, E. E. Hammer)
  67. US 4,316,121 - 02/16/1982 - Integrally Ballasted Fluorescent Lamp Unit - (E. E. Hammer)
  68. US 4,321,502 - 03/23/1982 - U-Shaped Discharge Lamp with Starting Strip - (E. E. Hammer)
  69. US 4,399,391 - 08/16/1983 - Circuit for Starting and Operating Fluorescent Lamps - (E. E. Hammer, D. L. Swanson)
  70. US RE 31,970 - 08/13/1985 - High Efficiency Ballast System for Gaseous Discharge Lamps
  71. US 4,425,530 - 01/10/1984 - Time Delay Lamp Ballast Circuit (E. E. Hammer)
  72. US 4,513,225 - 04/23/1985 - Fluorescent Lamp Series System (E. E. Hammer)
  73. US 4,562,381 - 12/31/1985 - Starting Circuit for Multiple Fluorescent Lamps - (E. E. Hammer)
  74. US 4,644,227 - 02/17/1987 - Three Lamp Ballast - (E. E. Hammer, D. L. Swanson)
  75. US 4,654,774 - 03/31/1987 - Low Ripple, High Power Factor A-C to D-C Power Supply
  76. US 4,698,549 - 10/06/1987 - D. C. Lamp Discharge Gas Pumping Control - (E. E. Hammer)
  77. US 4,900,986 - 02/13/1990 - Ballast Circuit for Starting Fluorescent Lamps - (E. E. Hammer)
  78. US 4,914,354 - 04/03/1990 - Reactor-Type Ballast Circuit - (E. E. Hammer)


Bibliography
  1. "Lighting", General Electric Review, Vol.56, Jan 1953, pp.48-49.
  2. "Lamps for a Brighter America - A History of the General Electric Lamp Business", P.W. Keating, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1954.
  3. "Death Notice, Lemmers, Eugene", The Plain Dealer, Jun 4 1992, p.2C.
  4. "Obituary, "A. Eugene Lemmers, Inventor at Nela Park", The Plain Dealer, Jun 4 1992, p.3C.