1521) "Fardier de Cugnot", France: 250th Anniversary of the "Fardier a Vapeur" (1770-2020): "La Poste" (French Post) has issued a postage stamp of 1.16 Euro dedicated to the French inventor who built the world's first full-size, self-propelled mechanical land vehicle, the "Fardier a vapeur": Date of Stamp issue: 19.10.2020:
La Poste France (French Post) has brought out a Commemorative Stamp of 1.16 Euro on the 250th Anniversary of the "Fardier a Vapeur" (1770-2020) and is dedicated to the French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot's invention - the world's first full-size, self-propelled mechanical land vehicle - which was the world's first ever "automobile".
About Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (26.02.1725 - 02.10.1804):
Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot was a French inventor who built the world's first full-size and working self-propelled mechanical land vehicle - the "Fardier a vapeur" - which was effectively, the world's first automobile.
Cugnot trained as a military engineer and in 1765, he began experimenting with working models of steam-powered vehicles for the French Army, which were intended for transporting cannon.
He was one of the first to successfully employ a device for converting the reciprocating motion of a steam piston into a rotary motion by means of a ratchet arrangement.
In 1769, A small version of his three-wheeled "fardier a vapeur" ("steam dray") was made and used (a "fardier" was a massively built two-horse-drawn cart for transporting very heavy equipment, such as cannon barrels).
In 1770, a full-size version of the "fardier a vapeur" was built, specified to be able to carry four tons and cover two "lieues" (about 7.8 kilometres or 4.8 miles) in one hour - a performance it never achieved in practice.
The vehicle weighed about 2.5 tonnes tare and had two wheels at the rear and one in the front where the horses would normally have been. The front wheel supported a steam boiler and driving mechanism. The power unit was articulated to the "trailer", and was steered from there by means of a double handle arrangement. It could take upto/seat four passengers and moved at a speed on 2.25 miles per hour or 3.6 kilometres per hour.
An unstable vehicle - Project abandoned:
The vehicle was very unstable owing to its poor weight distribution, which was a serious disadvantage for a vehicle meant to traverse rough terrain and climb steep hills.
Also, the boiler performance was very poor, even to the standards of the day. The vehicle's fire needed to be relit and its steam raised again, every quarter of an hour or so, which considerably reduced its overall speed and distance.
After running a small number of trials, the Project was abandoned, and along with it ended the French Army's first experiment with mechanised vehicles.
In 1772, King Louis XV granted Cugnot a pension of 600 Livres a year for his innovative work. The Fardier continued to be kept in the French arsenal.
In 1789, following the French Revolution, Cugnot's pension was withdrawn, and he lived in exile in Brussels in poverty. Shortly before he passed away, his pension was restored by Napoleon Bonaparte and he eventually returned to Paris, where he passed away on 02.10.1804.
In 1800, the originally built Fardier was transferred to the "Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers", where it is still exhibited today.
A later experiment in 2010 proved that the Fardier was built on a viable concept:
Interestingly, in 2010, 241 years later, a copy of the "Fardier de Cugnot" was built by pupils at the "Arts et Metiers ParisTech", a French "Grande ecole" and the city of Void-Vacon.
The replica worked perfectly, proving that the concept was viable and substantiating the result and veracity of the 1769 experiment results.
The replica was exhibited at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and is now exhibited in Cugnot's native village of Void-Vacon.
The Commemorative Stamp issued by La Poste, France:
20) The Micro-Currency called - "EUSCKO" , France circulates in the French Basque Country and is the largest such currency in circulation today in the world, fully backed by the Euro; ii) It is one of 44 such micro-currencies circulating in French cities; iii) Paris is on the vetge of introducing a micro-currency.
21) Guerlain, France: A set of two stamps in the denominations of 0.97 and 1.94 Euros issued by La Poste, France: Date of Stamp Set issue: 13.01.2020
23) "Treasures of Notre Dame Cathedral" - Reconstruction over a period of five years (2019-2024): La Poste (French Post) is issuinga series of stamps under its Stamp Series every year till completion of the project: Date of Souvenir Sheet issue: 15.04.2020
Santosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very informative"
Thank you, Khanna sahab.
DeleteVikram Bhatnagar has commented:
ReplyDelete"A petit looking vehicle; typically French! Great idea and invention though! 👏"
It didn't work out though at the material time and was sent to s museum In 2015, a group of engineering students reworked the model based on the original design and found that the project was feasible. Both units are in museums now. Most great inventors or artists always got their due recognition much after their time.
DeleteVikram Bhatnagar has further commented:
Delete"Based on a steam engine concept I had (in 1968) fashioned a working model of an engine which ran on Meccano rails! The engine was made out of a Tobacco (tambakhu) tin and the piston out of washers stuck on a steel rod (Meccano again)! The contraption actually worked!"
This is really amazing, Vikram. I know the kind of Mechano train you are talking about. Last time I was in Lucknow, my sister handed me my old Mechano goods train with rails, which my aunt had brought for me from London in 1966. I still have not been able to figure out how to get it running again. Now I know who to trust with it.😀
DeleteVinod Khurana has commented:
ReplyDelete"Impressive post."
Thank you, Vinodji.
Delete