A further development in fan design was brought by german american engineer philip h.
Ceiling fan inventor.
Diehl who invented the electric ceiling fan.
Punkah style ceiling fans are based on the earliest form of a fan which was first invented in india around 500 bc.
The concept of ceiling fan dates back to as early as the time of the roman empire where human powered palm frond ceiling fans were present.
Diehl january 29 1847 april 7 1913 was a german american mechanical engineer and inventor who held several u s.
The same year philip h.
These were cut from an indian palmyra leaf which forms its rather large blade moving slowly in a pendular manner.
While working at singer diehl invented an electric motor to improve the sewing machines.
Over the years diehl continued to modify his design and soon he gave the world a ceiling fan with a light unit.
Originally operated manually by a cord and nowadays powered electrically using a belt driven system these punkahs move air by going to and fro.
Started production of ceiling fans to the masses.
At the time diehl was working for the singer company.
It was this invention that lead to his ceiling fan in 1887 with the incorporation of his electric motor.
Using the electric motor of a singer sewing machine he fashioned out a ceiling fan by attaching blades to it.
By 1889 diehl s ceiling fan was patented and later diehl co.
His fan was created after he attached the blades to an adapted singer sewing machine motor and mounted the fan on the ceiling.
A similar type of fan was the punkah that originated in the early 17th century in india a palm frond or cloth covered frame hung from the ceiling that moved when a servant pulled a cord.