Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (26 February 1725 – 2 October 1804) was a French inventor who built the world's first full-size and working self-propelled mechanical land-vehicle, the "Fardier à vapeur" – effectively the world's first automobile.[1][a]
He was born in Void-Vacon, Lorraine, (now departement of Meuse), France. He trained as a military engineer. In 1765, he began experimenting with working models of steam-engine-powered vehicles for the French Army, intended for transporting cannons.
First self-propelled vehicle Edit
Start of the Fardier (modern replica)Detail of driving mechanism (fardier drives in reverse)
French Army captain Cugnot 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. A small version of his three-wheeled fardier à vapeur ("steam dray") was made and used in 1769 (a fardier was a massively built two-wheeled horse-drawn cart for transporting very heavy equipment, such as cannon barrels).
The original 1769 modelCugnot's 1770 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris
In 1770, a full-size version of the fardier à vapeur was built, specified to be able to carry four tons and cover two lieue (7.8 km, 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. One source states that it seated four passengers and moved at a speed of 3.6 kilometres per hour (2.25 mph).[3]
Engine part of Cugnot's 1770 fardier à vapeur, as preserved at the Musée des Arts et Métiers, Paris
The vehicle was reported to have been very unstable owing to poor weight distribution, a serious disadvantage for a vehicle intended to be able to traverse rough terrain and climb steep hills. In addition, boiler performance was also particularly poor, even by 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, variously described as being between Paris and Vincennes and at Meudon, the project was abandoned. This ended the French Army's first experiment with mechanical vehicles. Even so, in 1772, King Louis XV granted Cugnot a pension of 600 livres a year for his innovative work, and the experiment was judged interesting enough for the fardier to be kept at the arsenal. In 1800 it was transferred to the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, where it can still be seen today.
241 years later, in 2010, a copy of the "fardier de Cugnot" was built by students from ParisTech, in conjunction with Cugnot's native commune of Void-Vacon. This replica worked perfectly, demonstrating the validity of the concept and the veracity of the tests carried out in 1769.[4] The replica was exhibited at the 2010 Paris Motor Show before returning for exhibit in Void-Vacon.[5]
First automobile accidentEdit
The first known automobile accident
There are reports of a minor incident in 1771, when the second prototype vehicle is said to have accidentally knocked down a brick or stone wall, either that of a Paris garden or part of the Paris Arsenal walls, in perhaps the first known automobile accident.[6] The incident is unrecorded in contemporary accounts, first appearing in 1804, thirty-three years after the alleged accident. Nevertheless, the story persists that Cugnot was arrested and convicted of dangerous driving, another first for him if true.[7]
Later lifeEdit
Following the French Revolution, Cugnot's pension was withdrawn in 1789 and he went into exile in Brussels where he lived in poverty. Shortly before his death, Cugnot's pension was restored by Napoleon Bonaparte and he eventually returned to Paris where he died on 2 October 1804.
^It has alternatively been suggested that the earliest self-propelled vehicle was designed in about 1672 by Ferdinand Verbiest, a member of a Jesuit mission in China, but that it was too small to carry a driver and may have never been built or have worked.[2]
Citations
^"Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot | Facts, Invention, & Steam Car | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
^"1679–1681 – R P Verbiest's Steam Chariot". History of the Automobile: origin to 1900. Hergé. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
^L. A. Manwaring, The Observer's Book of Automobiles (12th ed.) 1966, Library of Congress catalog card # 62-9807. p. 7
^"Fardier de Cugnot – 1770 – France". tbauto.org. Tampa Bay Automobil Museum. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
^Notre fardier devant le monument Cugnot à Void-Vacon (Meuse), on the site of lefardierdecugnot.fr
nicolas, joseph, cugnot, february, 1725, october, 1804, french, inventor, built, world, first, full, size, working, self, propelled, mechanical, land, vehicle, fardier, vapeur, effectively, world, first, automobile, born, 1725, february, 1725void, vacon, lorra. Nicolas Joseph Cugnot 26 February 1725 2 October 1804 was a French inventor who built the world s first full size and working self propelled mechanical land vehicle the Fardier a vapeur effectively the world s first automobile 1 a Nicolas Joseph CugnotNicolas Joseph CugnotBorn 1725 02 26 26 February 1725Void Vacon Lorraine FranceDied2 October 1804 1804 10 02 aged 79 Paris FranceNationalityFrenchOccupationEngineerChildren2 childrenEngineering careerProjectsfardier a vapeur Contents 1 Background 2 First self propelled vehicle 3 First automobile accident 4 Later life 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksBackground EditHe was born in Void Vacon Lorraine now departement of Meuse France He trained as a military engineer In 1765 he began experimenting with working models of steam engine powered vehicles for the French Army intended for transporting cannons First self propelled vehicle Edit source source source source source source source source source source source source Start of the Fardier modern replica source source source source source source source source source source source source Detail of driving mechanism fardier drives in reverse French Army captain Cugnot 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 A small version of his three wheeled fardier a vapeur steam dray was made and used in 1769 a fardier was a massively built two wheeled horse drawn cart for transporting very heavy equipment such as cannon barrels The original 1769 model Cugnot s 1770 fardier a vapeur as preserved at the Musee des Arts et Metiers ParisIn 1770 a full size version of the fardier a vapeur was built specified to be able to carry four tons and cover two lieue 7 8 km 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 One source states that it seated four passengers and moved at a speed of 3 6 kilometres per hour 2 25 mph 3 Engine part of Cugnot s 1770 fardier a vapeur as preserved at the Musee des Arts et Metiers ParisThe vehicle was reported to have been very unstable owing to poor weight distribution a serious disadvantage for a vehicle intended to be able to traverse rough terrain and climb steep hills In addition boiler performance was also particularly poor even by 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 variously described as being between Paris and Vincennes and at Meudon the project was abandoned This ended the French Army s first experiment with mechanical vehicles Even so in 1772 King Louis XV granted Cugnot a pension of 600 livres a year for his innovative work and the experiment was judged interesting enough for the fardier to be kept at the arsenal In 1800 it was transferred to the Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers where it can still be seen today 241 years later in 2010 a copy of the fardier de Cugnot was built by students from ParisTech in conjunction with Cugnot s native commune of Void Vacon This replica worked perfectly demonstrating the validity of the concept and the veracity of the tests carried out in 1769 4 The replica was exhibited at the 2010 Paris Motor Show before returning for exhibit in Void Vacon 5 First automobile accident Edit The first known automobile accidentThere are reports of a minor incident in 1771 when the second prototype vehicle is said to have accidentally knocked down a brick or stone wall either that of a Paris garden or part of the Paris Arsenal walls in perhaps the first known automobile accident 6 The incident is unrecorded in contemporary accounts first appearing in 1804 thirty three years after the alleged accident Nevertheless the story persists that Cugnot was arrested and convicted of dangerous driving another first for him if true 7 Later life EditFollowing the French Revolution Cugnot s pension was withdrawn in 1789 and he went into exile in Brussels where he lived in poverty Shortly before his death Cugnot s pension was restored by Napoleon Bonaparte and he eventually returned to Paris where he died on 2 October 1804 See also EditHistory of steam road vehiclesReferences EditNotes It has alternatively been suggested that the earliest self propelled vehicle was designed in about 1672 by Ferdinand Verbiest a member of a Jesuit mission in China but that it was too small to carry a driver and may have never been built or have worked 2 Citations Nicolas Joseph Cugnot Facts Invention amp Steam Car Britannica www britannica com Retrieved 9 September 2022 1679 1681 R P Verbiest s Steam Chariot History of the Automobile origin to 1900 Herge Retrieved 8 May 2009 L A Manwaring The Observer s Book of Automobiles 12th ed 1966 Library of Congress catalog card 62 9807 p 7 Fardier de Cugnot 1770 France tbauto org Tampa Bay Automobil Museum Retrieved 7 December 2017 Notre fardier devant le monument Cugnot a Void Vacon Meuse on the site of lefardierdecugnot fr Mastinu amp Ploechl 2014 p 1584 Nicolas Joseph Cugnot The Motor Museum in Miniature Retrieved 7 December 2017 Bibliography Mastinu Gianpiero Ploechl Manfred eds 2014 Road and Off Road Vehicle System Dynamics Handbook CRC Press ISBN 978 1 4200 0490 8 Further reading EditMax J B Rauck Cugnot 1769 1969 der Urahn unseres Autos fuhr vor 200 Jahren Munchen Munchener Zeitungsverlag 196 Bruno Jacomy Annie Claude Martin Le Chariot a feu de M Cugnot Paris 1992 Nathan Musee national des techniques ISBN 2 09 204538 5 Louis Andre Le Premier accident automobile de l histoire in La Revue du Musee des arts et metiers 1993 Numero 2 p 44 46External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nicolas Joseph Cugnot The fardier exhibit at the Musee National des Arts et Metiers Catalogue entry with specifications Archived 27 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine in French Detail images of exhibit Archived 27 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine Additional reference sources Archived 13 October 2005 at the Wayback Machine in French Cugnot on 3wheelers com Link to downloadable video at DB Museum showing a reconstruction of the fardier in action B amp W Replica at the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum Hybrid Vehicle org The Steamers Archived 25 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Le fardier de Cugnot page in French about Cugnot and his invention hosted at an Ile de France regional government web site and credited to the Societe des ingenieurs de l automobile Society of Automotive Engineers Biography of Cugnot from World of Invention Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nicolas Joseph Cugnot amp oldid 1169584980, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
