Inventor Name
Funke, Rudolph
Repository
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N4
CANADA
Reference: 613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 (toll free in Canada and the US)
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca
Physical Description
2.18 m of textual records. 16 photographs b&w.;
Summary
Rudolf Funke, inventor and industrialist, was born in Duesseldorf, Germany, and embarked on a business career after graduating from the Hindenburgh Schule, a classical Gymnasium. With the encouragement of his father, he became interested in the design and production of dental burs. The first dental burs had been made by hand. Rudolf Funke's father, August, envisaged using machines to manufacture dental burs and encouraged his son to exploit this opportunity. Rudolf Funke and his brother, Otto, founded their company (Gebrueder Funke Aktiengesellschaft, which later became Jota Werke Gebrueder Funke Aktiengesellschaft) to manufacture dental burs in 1909. By 1911, the company had the required machinery and other equipment it needed to manufacture dental burs and commenced production. Soon after, other countries became interested in its approach to the manufacture of dental burs, and the Funke brothers sold licenses to Ranson and Rudolph of Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A., and to Dental Manufacturing of London, England, as well as provided these companies with the necessary equipment to manufacture dental burs. Soon after the end of the First World War, Jota Werke automated its operation. Furthermore, it improved the quality of the burs it manufactured by developing specialty machines for the production of dental burs. Furthermore, during the First World War, Jota Werke had explored the idea of using tungsten carbide in the development of dental burs. Soon after the end of the war, Jota Werke developed the machinery required to manufacture tungsten carbide dental burs. It also manufactured the diamond wheels for cutting the delicate blades in the tungsten carbide material. Furthermore, it worked on the manufacture of high speed engines required for the manufacture and use of these drills. By 1939, Jota Werke had attained world-wide renown for the quality of dental burs it produced. During the Second World War, the "Jota" factory was completely destroyed by Allied bombing raids. Reconstruction already began during the war and was greatly accelerated after the end of the Second World War. Rudolf Funke became convinced, however, that he and his family could improve their fortunes in a new environment. He therefore accepted the invitation of the Canadian government and George Beavers to take a position with Beavers Dental. Accompanied by two of his former most able and trusted collaborators, Ernst Jakob and Wilhelm Handwerker, Rudolf Funke arrived in Morrisburg, Ontario, in the late summer of 1947. Here, he and his colleagues began immediately with the development of the machinery required to produce high quality dental burs. This was the tungsten carbide dental bur. It was also their work which led to the production by Beavers of the "Jet" dental drill. Rudolf Funke's immediate family followed him to Morrisburg in 1948. At first, all the children, Edgar, Ly-Anne and Mary-Louise worked at Beavers Dental. Soon after, however, each began to pursue his or her individual career. Edgar Funke, who studied engineering and became a computer specialist, took a position with the National Research Council. Ly-Anne became a librarian and Mary-Louise worked as a curator and teacher in the field of Fine Arts. Fonds, consisting primarily of correspondence, gives evidence of the business career of Rudolf Funke from the World War II years to his work with Beavers Dental. It also gives insight into the relationship between Rudolf Funke and his wife, Ruth, from their early courtship years to old age. It documents the relationship between different members of the Rudolf Funke family and shows how this relationship altered in time and under changing circumstances. Arranged to reflect Rudolf Funke's business career, relationships within the immediate Funke family, as well as the relationship between the Funke family and their friends and more distant relatives. The fonds also contains photographs of views of Beaver Dental products factory, Morrisburg, Ontario, 1957 and 1967; various portraits including George Beavers, Rudolf Funke, Hans Ostermann, Bill Handweker, and Ernst Jacob; Beavers Dental products staff group photos.