Frank Hornby - Biography

British inventor of the constructional toy, born in Liverpool, Merseyside, NW England, UK. Although he had no formal training in mechanics or engineering, he enjoyed making mechanical toys for his sons in his spare time. To reduce the time needed to make individual parts, he devised and patented (1901) perforated strips as ‘Mechanics Made Easy’ which were marketed as Meccano from 1907. At its peak, the Meccano system consisted of over 300 pieces and inspired many young people to take up technical careers. He began production of the clockwork model railway, Hornby Trains (1920), and within five years was producing engines with electric motors. He also founded Dinky Toys (1931), initially making six miniature figures of railway station workers, then various toys as line-side effects, resulting in the production of a large range of model cars. He became Unionist MP for Everton in 1931.

Frank Hornby
Born	15 May 1863 Liverpool, England
Died	21 September 1936 Liverpool, England
Occupation	Toy inventor, Businessman, Politician
Spouse	Clara Walker Godefroy
Parents	John Oswald Hornby, Martha Hornby (née Thomlinson)
Children	Roland, Douglas, Patricia

Frank Hornby (15 May 1863 – 21 September 1936) was an English inventor, businessman and politician. He was a visionary in toy development and manufacture and produced three of the most popular lines of toys in the twentieth century: Meccano, Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys.

Biography

Although Hornby was responsible for the invention and production of Meccano, one of the world's most famous toys based on engineering principles, he had no formal engineering training.

Hornby was born on 15 May 1863 in Liverpool, England and was the son of John Oswald Hornby, a provision merchant and his wife Martha Hornby (née Thomlinson). When his father died in 1887, his father's business was closed and Hornby became a bookkeeper for David Hugh Elliot who ran a meat importing business in Liverpool.

After experimenting with new ideas in his home workshop, Hornby began making toys for his sons in 1899 with pieces he cut from sheet metal. The breakthrough came when Hornby realised that if he could make separate, interchangeable parts that could be bolted together, any model could be built from the same components.

By the end of 1900 Hornby had built a set of parts he considered worth marketing. During 1901 Hornby began looking for companies to manufacture his product, but it was poorly finished and did not attract much attention.

Mechanics Made Easy

Hornby now called his construction toy "Mechanics Made Easy" and after receiving a positive endorsement from professor Henry Selby Hele-Shaw, then Head of the Engineering Department at Liverpool University, Hornby managed to secure contracts with outside manufacturers to supply the parts for his construction sets.

By 1907 Hornby's part suppliers could not meet the demand. This prompted Hornby to quit his job with Elliot and find suitable premises to begin manufacturing his own parts. He secured a three year lease on a workshop in Duke Street, Liverpool, and with the help of a loan granted to Hornby and Elliot for machinery and wages, they were manufacturing their own parts by June 1907.

Meccano

In September 1907, Hornby registered his famous "Meccano" trade mark and used this name on all new sets.

Meccano was exported to many countries and in 1912, Hornby and his son, Roland, formed Meccano (France) Ltd in Paris to manufacture Meccano.

Other initiatives

In addition to Meccano, Hornby developed and manufactured a number of other model kits and toys, including:

1909 – "Hornby System of Mechanical Demonstration", an educational set. 1938 – Hornby Dublo model railway system (introduced after Hornby's death).

In 1916, Hornby launched a monthly publication, Meccano Magazine, which remained in circulation for over sixty years, and in 1930 he formed the Meccano Guild, an amalgamation of Meccano clubs from all over the world.

Final years

By the 1930s, Hornby had become a millionaire.

Hornby died of a chronic heart condition complicated by diabetes in Liverpool on 21 September 1936.

Hornby's legacy lives on today with thousands of enthusiasts all over the world still building Meccano models and running Hornby Train sets.