The CareCom team has moved to a new office location, and we are ecstatic to share some of its history. CareCom is now situated in ‘Laboratory Ellehammer’ – the workshop of inventor and flight pioneer, Jacob Ellehammer! Yes, he too was called Jacob…
Jacob Christian Hansen Ellehammer was born on June 14, 1871 in Bakkebølle. A watchmaker by trade, Ellehammer worked extensively as an inventor. Today, Ellehammer is remembered most for his contributions to powered flight.
Ellehammer submitted 59 patents, with inventions ranging from amusement machines for Tivoli Park to fire extinguishers and alternative energy applications. He eventually engineered and built the first air-cooled radial engine, a three-cylinder engine. In 1904, he patented the ”Elleham Motorcycle” complete with this 3-cylinder engine, selling over 1,000 commercial units.
In spite of the Wright Brothers’ feat of flight in 1903, Ellehammer is considered in some circles to be the first European to fly an airplane, after hovering at 48 cm on September 12, 1906. He adapted his radial engine, which was installed in his “triplane” and subsequently Ellehammer is recorded making a few short free-flight “air leaps”.
In 1908, he won 5000 DM in a flight competition in Kiel, Germany where he flew 50 meters. Later, he also developed a “coaxial” helicopter which successfully created lift but did not achieve translational flight. While Ellehammer did not achieve the feat of “controlled flight”, he is credited as one of the pioneers of powered flight.
His company still exists as Ellehammer A/S – manufacturing namely amusement rides for the famed Tivoli Park in Copenhagen. Many of Ellehammer’s inventions can still be seen today at the Technical Museum of Denmark.
In 1919-1920 Ellehammer commissioned construction on our location, Kildegårdsvej 20, 2900 Hellerup, known as ‘Laboratory Ellehammer’, where he worked on his various inventions until his death on May 20, 1946 in Gentofte, Denmark.
We at CareCom feel privileged to have taken over a small part of Danish history, and are inspired to keep an innovative and forward thinking, as once a part of this building, albeit in a different industry.
Ellehammer is pictured above on the left, overseeing as his fire pump design was tested on our location!
Come and visit us at Kildegårdsvej 20!
