Julius Pintsch

Who was Julius Pintsch?

Carl Friedrich Julius Pintsch was a German tinsmith, manufacturer and inventor who is primarily known for the invention of "Pintsch gas".

Pintsch achieved success in 1847 with the invention of a gas meter that would eventually be used worldwide. In 1851, he created a gas lamp that was suitable for use in railroad cars. These lamps were illuminated by Pintsch gas; a long-burning gas that would remain lit during the rough motion of train journeys. Pintsch gas was essentially purified, compressed naphtha that was regulated and reduced to 1/3 ounce per square inch of pressure to the burner. Pintsch gas was later replaced by an improved Blau gas or "blue gas" for railroad car usage.

Starting in 1863 he built a factory on Andreasstrasse in Berlin: this was followed by facilities in Dresden, Breslau, Frankfurt, Utrecht and Fürstenwalde. These plants designed and constructed a wide range of gas-related devices including gas meters, gas pressure regulators, and gas analyzers.

After his death in 1884, his sons Julius and Richard inherited the business and became successful in the manufacture of compressed Pintsch gas for use in beacons and unmanned lighthouses.