Ruhmkorff, Heinrich Daniel

Heinrich Daniel Ruhmkorff, (born Jan. 15, 1803, Hannover, Hanover—died Dec. 20, 1877, Paris, France), German mechanic who invented the Ruhmkorff coil, a type of induction coil that could produce sparks more than 1 foot (30 centimetres) in length.

After apprenticeship to a German mechanic, Ruhmkorff worked in England with Joseph Brahmah, inventor of the hydraulic press. In 1855 he opened his own shop in Paris, which became widely known for the production of high-quality electrical apparatus. There he built a number of improved induction coils, including one that was awarded a 50,000-franc prize in 1858 by Emperor Napoleon III. Ruhmkorff’s coils consisted of a primary winding and a secondary winding in which a high voltage was produced. The coils were used for the operation of Geissler and Crookes tubes as well as for detonating devices. Ruhmkorff’s doubly wound induction coil later evolved into the alternating-current transformer.