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Barney Roos
Delmar Gerle "Barney" Roos (11 October 1888 – 13 February 1960) was an American automotive engineer who served as Studebaker's head of engineering from 1926 to 1936, specialising in straight-eight engines. He later worked for the British Rootes Group in the design of Humber, Hillman and Sunbeam Talbot cars. Before World War II, he returned to the United States, where he co-designed the Willys MB, the original Jeep.
Delmar Roos was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York. He attended Manual Training High School, Brooklyn, New York City, then studied for degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering at Cornell University. He gained distinction as a photographer — a picture he took of a three-horse fire-engine team was syndicated throughout the world — and as an athlete (winning the intercollegiate and national fencing championships). He has been described as tall, well built and handsome, and a brilliant conversationalist on art, drama, economics, politics and science.[citation needed]
After graduating from Cornell in 1911, he joined General Electric and worked under Sanford Alexander Moss on steam, gas turbine and centrifugal compressor development.[citation needed] In 1913 he went to Locomobile as assistant research engineer. In 1919, he was assistant to Pierce-Arrow's David Fergusson and succeeded him as chief engineer in 1921 before rejoining Locomobile as chief engineer in 1922. After an intermediate stint with Marmon in 1925, he succeeded Guy P. Henry as Studebaker's chief engineer in 1926.
Barney Roos joined Studebaker just as that company's Detroit operation was being transferred to South Bend, Indiana. He oversaw the relocation of the entire engineering department and personnel into a new building. He redesigned the Standard Six and Big Six engines and made other changes to the 1927 model range.
Roos had considerable experience with eight-cylinder engines, having designed the Locomobile Junior Eight and the Marmon Little Eight. Neither was outstanding but the extensive basis of experimentation gave rise to the Studebaker straight-eights, beginning with the President Eight, announced in January 1928.
While at Studebaker, Roos and Stanwood Sparrow collaborated with the Cleveland Graphite Bronze Company to develop a "thin wall" bearing for use in automobile engines. Thin wall bearings, made from steel coated with a low-friction material, had earlier been used in aircraft engines.
Roos developed an independent front suspension system using a transverse leaf spring and upper and lower links. He called this "planar" suspension. The system was introduced on Studebaker cars in 1935.
After working on a one-year temporary assignment for the Rootes Group in England 1938, Roos was ready to come back to the United States.
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Barney Roos
Delmar Gerle "Barney" Roos (11 October 1888 – 13 February 1960) was an American automotive engineer who served as Studebaker's head of engineering from 1926 to 1936, specialising in straight-eight engines. He later worked for the British Rootes Group in the design of Humber, Hillman and Sunbeam Talbot cars. Before World War II, he returned to the United States, where he co-designed the Willys MB, the original Jeep.
Delmar Roos was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York. He attended Manual Training High School, Brooklyn, New York City, then studied for degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering at Cornell University. He gained distinction as a photographer — a picture he took of a three-horse fire-engine team was syndicated throughout the world — and as an athlete (winning the intercollegiate and national fencing championships). He has been described as tall, well built and handsome, and a brilliant conversationalist on art, drama, economics, politics and science.[citation needed]
After graduating from Cornell in 1911, he joined General Electric and worked under Sanford Alexander Moss on steam, gas turbine and centrifugal compressor development.[citation needed] In 1913 he went to Locomobile as assistant research engineer. In 1919, he was assistant to Pierce-Arrow's David Fergusson and succeeded him as chief engineer in 1921 before rejoining Locomobile as chief engineer in 1922. After an intermediate stint with Marmon in 1925, he succeeded Guy P. Henry as Studebaker's chief engineer in 1926.
Barney Roos joined Studebaker just as that company's Detroit operation was being transferred to South Bend, Indiana. He oversaw the relocation of the entire engineering department and personnel into a new building. He redesigned the Standard Six and Big Six engines and made other changes to the 1927 model range.
Roos had considerable experience with eight-cylinder engines, having designed the Locomobile Junior Eight and the Marmon Little Eight. Neither was outstanding but the extensive basis of experimentation gave rise to the Studebaker straight-eights, beginning with the President Eight, announced in January 1928.
While at Studebaker, Roos and Stanwood Sparrow collaborated with the Cleveland Graphite Bronze Company to develop a "thin wall" bearing for use in automobile engines. Thin wall bearings, made from steel coated with a low-friction material, had earlier been used in aircraft engines.
Roos developed an independent front suspension system using a transverse leaf spring and upper and lower links. He called this "planar" suspension. The system was introduced on Studebaker cars in 1935.
After working on a one-year temporary assignment for the Rootes Group in England 1938, Roos was ready to come back to the United States.