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Frederick mckinley jones net worth

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How has he transformed the scene?

Today, long-distance transportation of perishables is commonplace. But in the 1930s, transport of products requiring climate controlled conditions was still a risky enterprise. Options were limited: ice was itself perishable, electronic refrigeration units required layovers at power sources, and early attempts at road-worthy cooling units had been foiled by the damaging effects of vibration.

It was Minnesota-based engineer Frederick McKinley Jones who finally "broke the ice" with his invention and 1940 patent of the first practical transport refrigeration unit for trucks. His portable air-cooling device featured a gasoline motor built to handle the jolts of over-the-road travel. Early refinements focused on making the units lighter and smaller, and changing from an undercarriage mounting to the over-the-cab mounting still in use on trucks today.

"The King of Cool"

Tom Berg, (in) Heavy Duty Trucking, March 2009

Jones' technological breakthrough redefined the global marketplace, with cultural reverberations felt from the world's largest

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Frederick McKinley Jones

Frederick Jones invented the first successful system for mobile refrigeration. His invention eliminated the far less effective use of ice and salt to preserve foods for transport, greatly extending the distance over which food could be successfully delivered.

In the summer of 1938, local merchant Joseph Numero made an offhanded promise to a trucking company to build a refrigerated truck that would not fail when subjected to the normal bumps and vibrations that occur during shipping. Jones, working for Numero, designed a durable, small unit with a compressor mounted under the trailer that was powered by a four-cylinder engine. Used in trucks, railroad cars, ships and planes, Jones' technology revolutionized the distribution of food and other perishables. It made fresh produce available anywhere in the country year-round, changing Americans' eating habits.

Jones and Numero went on to found Thermo King Corp. to produce the mobile refrigeration device. Thermo King became an international corporation and had over $1 billion in annual sales when it was acqu

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Frederick McKinley Jones

American inventor and entrepreneur (1893–1961)

Frederick McKinley Jones (May 17, 1893 – February 21, 1961) was an American inventor, entrepreneur, engineer, winner of the National Medal of Technology, and an inductee of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.[1] Jones innovated mobile refrigeration technology. Jones received 61 patents, including 40 for refrigeration technology,[2] and also revolutionized the cinema industry by creating a superior sound system for projectors at the time.[3] Jones co-founded Thermo King and also served as a sergeant in World War I.[1][4] Due to his contributions to refrigeration technology, he is called the "Father of Refrigerated Transportation",[3] and the "King of Cool".[5][6]

Early life

Jones was born in Covington, Kentucky, on May 17, 1893, to an Irish father and African-American mother.[7][8] Little is known about his mother who left his life when he was a child.[9] His father, John Jones, w

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