John A. Miller (born August John Mueller in 1872, Homewood, Illinois - died June 24, 1941, Houston, Texas) was a roller coaster designer and builder. He held over 100 patents, many of which were for roller coaster safety devices (e.g. the safety chain dog), that remain key components of present-day roller coasters. He designed over 60 coasters in his lifetime.
For a time in his early career, he worked for La Marcus Adna Thompson and then as a con...
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John A. Miller (born August John Mueller in 1872, Homewood, Illinois - died June 24, 1941, Houston, Texas) was a roller coaster designer and builder. He held over 100 patents, many of which were for roller coaster safety devices (e.g. the safety chain dog), that remain key components of present-day roller coasters. He designed over 60 coasters in his lifetime.
For a time in his early career, he worked for La Marcus Adna Thompson and then as a consultant to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. He also worked with noted designers Frederick Ingersoll and Fred and Josiah Pearce.
Miller in 1910 designed a device that prevented cars from rolling backward down the lift hill in the event the pull chain would break. It attached to the track and clicked onto the rungs of the chain. Known as the safety chain dog, or safety ratchet, it evolved into the device on the underside of cars that makes that distinctive clinkety-clank sound of wooden coasters.
Miller's most important contribution to coaster...
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