Curtis, Charles Gordon

Curtis, Charles Gordon

(born April 20, 1860, Boston, Mass., U.S.—died March 10, 1953, Central Islip, N.Y.) U.S. inventor. An associate of Thomas Alva Edison, Curtis patented the Curtis steam turbine in 1896. Its principles are still used in large ocean liners and other naval vessels; General Electric Co. has used it worldwide in its power installations. Curtis is also credited with inventing the first U.S. gas turbine, held many patents for diesel-engine improvements, and helped develop propulsion mechanisms for naval torpedoes.