Tag: car

Fordite: Treasures Found in Abandoned American Car Plants
Fordite, often known as “Ford stone,” is an artificial mineral made by layering and hardening automotive enamel paint. Detroit agate, also known as Motor City agate, is a kind of agate mined from the site of a defunct car plant in Detroit, Michigan, United States. “Fordite” was so named because it was first found in the 1940s at the Ford Motor Company’s car painting facility in Michigan. However, that automaker wasn’t the only one that produced it. Today, they are still considered an “ore,” and the raw Fordites continue to rise in value.
History and Formation of Fordite
When the Fordite is sliced open, it may reveal a variety of designs. (Credit: Robert Weldon/GIA)
Automobiles were once painted by hand or sprayed with a spray gun which was invented in 1888 in the United States. Therefore, the work site’s hallways, spray booths, and loading platforms were contaminated with oversprayed paint in those automotive factories.
Since automobiles were often painted in highly vivid colors in the 1960s and 1970s, the Fordites from those decades tend to have more vibrant, psychedelic hues. A cabochon of a very uncommon kind of Fordite, with big metal flakes, dating from 1972, sold for $400.
Among the sources of factories for Fordite are the Corvette Assembly Plant in Kentucky, the Ford Motor Company in Michigan, the Harley-Davidson motorcycle plants, and the Lincoln-Mercury painting plant in Canada. The Fordites from the latter plant even hold a specific name: “corvetteite”.
This practice continued from the 1930s all the way to the 1990s. And as the years accumulated, the factories were covered in a rainbow of paint hues.
Since the paint was subjected to high heat treatment hundreds, if not thousands of times, the accumulated layers of paint became harder over time.
This paint buildup got too thick over time and needed to be scraped away since it was getting in the way. Some creative souls in Henry Ford‘s Ford automotive factory then realized that this layer of paint could be sliced and polished to create a beautiful agate-like gemstone, cabochons, and beads, which could then be recycled and sold as eco-friendly jewelry.
The finished product was visually spectacular and distinctive, with swirls and patterns in vivid colors that emphasized the industry’s long and storied past in automobile production.
Fordite is a Time Capsule
The color of Fordite, and, by extension, the development of the automotive industry in the United States can be deduced from its distinctive color.
According to Fordite, for instance, most automobiles in the nation in the 1940s were painted in black or brown enamel—industrial paint that dries to a very hard, glossy finish—but by the 1960s, brighter lacquers were in favor.
Current automobiles are painted with electrostatic coatings that adsorb paint granules to the steel plate by Coulomb force, or “electrostatic force”, almost eliminating the need for unnecessary spraying.
Consequently, the formation of Fordite has halted since powder painting has been replaced by hand spraying.
(Credit: Chris Topher – Flickr)
That’s why we no longer see new Fordites around, and the raw ones that are still around continue to rise in value. There is actually a small market for Fordites today.
What Makes Fordite Valuable?
Fordite is prized for its one-of-a-kind, multicolored patterns that have developed through many years of paint overspray accumulation. This artificial ore is actually quite uncommon because the majority of car companies no longer produce it.
Fordite finds its most widespread use in the jewelry and automobile industries. Collectors and those with an interest in automobiles often buy them.
Experienced cutters can bring out striking layers of color and design in polished Fordite. Paint is a fairly light substance because of its composition. During the cutting and polishing procedures, safety equipment like a dust mask is required.
Similarly, several generations of Jackson Whites in Sloatsburg, New York fell victim to this same paint when contractors hired by the defunct Ford factory in Mahwah, New Jersey dumped poisonous vehicle paint waste dangerously close to the communities’ houses.
Where Can I Find Fordite?
Today, Fordite is a very uncommon man-made mineral. But you may be able to find some residual Fordite in a few classic automobile assembly plants in the Detroit region. However, internet vendors and gem and mineral exhibitions are the most typical places to find Fordites.
Fordite is a colorful tribute to the American workers whose creativity and resourcefulness transformed a byproduct of the auto industry into a piece of art. The workers at the American auto factories saw value where most others would see waste, much like how older vehicles have long been admired for their beautiful looks.
Types of Fordite
Types of Fordite, according to Fordite.com.
There are four types of Fordite today:
- Type 1: Characterized by consistent gray banding of primer layers in between distinct color layers (Color on Color).
- Type 2: Opaques and metallics make up Type 2. Lacking variety. Miniature quantities and limited-edition colors (Distinct Colors).
- Type 3: Drippy and/or striped, with several overlapping layers of solid colors and metallic accents define this type. Patterns of lace and orbits appear on the surface, and there is some channeling on occasion (Distinct Colors).
- Type 4: Opaques and metallics of Type 4 have color layers that flow into one another and may have pitting from air bubbles that developed while the layers solidified (Distinct Colors).
Photography by Elaine Sweeney. See the original Image on Flickr.
Photography by Elaine Sweeney. See the original Image on Flickr.
Fordite at a Glance
What is Fordite?
Fordite, also known as Detroit Agate or Motor Agate, is an artificial substance made out of enamel paint layers that collected over decades on the tracks, racks, and floors of paint booths in automobile plants.
How is Fordite formed?
Layers of paint overspray would accumulate on the walls and floors of paint booths at auto assembly plants, eventually transforming into Fordite. As more paint was sprayed on top, the previous coats would dry and solidify. This method would result in thick layers of multicolored, patterned material that could be gathered and fashioned into a wide range of objects.
What makes Fordite special?
The distinctive and vibrant patterns of Fordite are the product of years of paint overspray accumulation. Since the majority of automakers no longer produce it, it is an uncommon item.
References
Featured Image: Photography by Elaine Sweeney. Original Image – Flickr
Relics: A History of the World Told in 133 Objects – By Jamie Grove, Max Grove, Mini Museum · 2021- Google Books
The Ford Industries; Facts about the Ford Motor Company and Its Subsidiaries – By Ford Motor Company · 1927- Google Books
April 21, 2023
Bertha Benz: The Woman Who Revolutionized Transportation
She fixed the car with a hairpin and a garter and got gas from pharmacies. Bertha Benz, Karl Benz’s wife, drove the first cross-country car trip with their newly developed automobile in 1888. It was quite the ordeal, what with the nighttime fog and everything. Also, there was the risk of law enforcement, for the simple reason that what Bertha Benz was doing was dangerous and strictly illegal.
When writing his memoirs in the autumn of 1885, Karl Benz was already certain that his motor vehicle was more than just an abstract concept with no real-world significance. The “Satan’s vehicle,” as its detractors dubbed it, traveled for kilometers with ease at speeds of up to 12.5 miles (20 km) per hour. To protect his idea, Benz filed for a patent. The patent was received by him on January 29, 1886.
The Benz Patent-Motorwagen Number 3 of 1886, used by Bertha Benz for the highly publicized first long distance road trip, 106 km (66 mi), by automobile. Image: Wikimedia.
The 2.5-horsepower @ 500 rpm engine of the Model III.
Almost overnight, the “horseless carriage” gained widespread attention. There was little question that this motorized velocipede would quickly amass a large fan base. However, the detractors’ opinions were more widely heard. They called the gasoline automobile a joke and insisted that the road should be reserved for horses.
There were just no takers for the three-wheeled motor vehicle. The expected growth in the economy never happened. At this point, Karl Benz was ready to throw in the towel for good: “Now I realized that I was at the bottom, at the very bottom, and had to knock like a beggar at the doors of humanity and its culture.”
Bertha Benz, his wife, had had enough of waiting around. She was confident in the future of the “self-propelled vehicle” and set out to show its viability to everyone, even her cynical husband. But he was unaware of Bertha’s intentions. He was too timid to take such a risk, and there was no way Karl would have approved it. Early in the morning of August 1, 1888, Bertha and her two boys, Richard and Eugen, together with the automobile, vanished.
Time to leave
Bertha Benz in 1870.
Bertha Benz, then 39 years old, became the first person to drive an automobile for a long distance on August 5, 1888, when she and her sons Richard, then 13, and Eugen, then 15, traveled from Mannheim to Pforzheim in a Model III without informing her husband or obtaining permission from the authorities.
They had quietly left on the very first cross-country car journey in the history of the automobile. An unexpected window of opportunity had presented itself. Sister Bertha Benz of Pforzheim, Germany, had just given birth. Bertha Benz was keen on paying her a visit. When you could just get in your self-propelled car and head on the road, there was no use in taking the train. Immediately, her boys set off on the reckless journey that would make Bertha Benz famous. As she later reflected on her life, “I was probably the first woman driver in the world.”
When they finally got the vehicle onto the road at night, they still had around 60 miles (100 km) to go. The beginning was rocky. The automobile wouldn’t start until the third try. Sighing with relief, the trio settled into the driver’s seat and sped out into the semidarkness, giddy with anticipation. That was the furthest distance any automobile had ever traveled in the history of cars. It was possible that they just wouldn’t make the 66-mile (106-km) trip. The car was not expected to last on such a long-distance trip.
Bertha Benz Memorial Route Monument (Image: Travelingboy)
Also, there was the risk of law enforcement being able to prevent them since what they were undertaking was illegal. The authorities had maintained a close eye on Karl Benz to ensure that he adhered to the terms of his driving permits and only tested his motorcars on designated roads and at certain hours.
The vehicle was restricted from leaving the city limits of Mannheim. For good reason too, since many incidents might have been avoided if the horses hadn’t been so afraid of this clattering, smelling monster of a car. The factory gate was guarded 24 hours a day by the police to prevent any unauthorized exits.
Prior to this landmark journey, motorized drives were often trial runs of a few miles that ended back where they started. This adventurous journey, taken in one direction over wagon tracks, spanned a total distance of around 106 kilometers (66 mi).
The world’s first gas station
At 1888, Bertha Benz and her sons Eugen and Richard were driving through Germany from Mannheim to Pforzheim when they stopped in Wiesloch to refuel the car at the pharmacy. (Image: Mercedes-Benz Group Media)
After just a short distance, though, the first difficulties began to surface. White clouds of steam were billowing out of the copper water tank above the cylinder. There was an immediate demand for cooling water. Bertha Benz and her boys located a well and refilled their water supplies. Then, not far from Wiesloch, they had emptied the gas tank.
Apparently, Karl Benz hadn’t realized how enduring his car would be. The residents of Wiesloch circled the car out of curiosity. One kid approached Bertha Benz and said, “Are you part of the vanguard of a circus?” A greengrocer cried out, “Holy sandbag!” “There’s a woman above!” One of them asked if they had lost their horses.
Despite all the comments, mom and the boys kept their cool. They were perplexed at the empty tank. Then they came up with a fantastic plan. The car’s fuel, Ligroin, was also offered as a cleaning product in drugstores. As a result, they pushed the vehicle to the Wiesloch drugstore. The proprietor was taken aback, but he sold the adventurers all of his Ligroin nevertheless, making him the world’s first gas station attendant.
Mother and sons, taking turns driving, traveled several miles between water sources and drugstores. And every time they tried to use it, they had problems with the technical aspects. However, every issue had been resolved. The automobile stopped working shortly after Weingarten due to a congested fuel supply. Bertha Benz quickly removed her hat pin, inserted it into the clogged hose, and the obstruction was removed. The “horseless carriage” had another breakdown near Söllingen. The short circuit was produced by a cable that had worn through. Instead of just letting the insulation fall apart, Bertha Benz replaced it by using her garter.
Dirty with oil but proud about it
The route Bertha Benz took on her legendary trip. (Image: Mercedes-Benz Group Media)
The next unforeseen difficulty arose not far behind Wilferdingen. The combustion engine car’s meager 2.5 horsepower rendered it unable to scale the steep inclines. This hill was ironically called “See You For.” To get the car up the hill, they pooled their efforts and then raced down it at breakneck speed since the brakes weren’t made for such speed. As Bertha Benz acknowledged, they were lucky to escape any harm.
Oily, dusty, and perspiring, the three explorers arrived in Pforzheim’s central square after midnight. Bertha Benz sent the unknowing Karl a telegram that said, “Happily arrived in Pforzheim.” His anger at the “plot of the three family members” was too much for him to process at once. As Karl’s memoirs reveal, “after the initial shock,” he felt “a secret pride.”
Despite popular belief, Bertha Benz’s first long-distance car journey did not get the massive amount of media attention that she hoped for. But it spurred Karl Benz on to greater things and is now seen as a crucial step on the road to commercial success for his revolutionary motorcars. A few weeks later, Karl Benz unveiled the automobile at the Motor and Working Machines Exhibition in Munich, where it won the prestigious “Great Golden Medal.”
25 Benz automobiles were sold between 1886 and 1894, with the majority going to the countries of France, England, and the United States. By 1899, Benz & Cie had grown to employ over 430 people and was making four-wheeled automobiles in large quantities.
Bertha Benz memorial route in Nußloch. (Image: 4028mdk09-CC BY-SA 3.0)
December 21, 2022
Fordlandia: How Henry Ford’s Utopia Turned into a Dystopia
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Ford Model T: The Legend of a Car That Changed the World
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December 19, 2022
Invention of the Car and its History
The transportation industry was radically altered with the invention of the first automobile. The history of the automobile has gone through several transformations, from early attempts at human-powered transportation to fully autonomous and networked electric cars. An important development throughout the industrial revolution, this breakthrough has had far-reaching social and economic effects.
Never before have so many people, on both an individual and a societal level, come to embrace and even idolize a technological object. Manufacturers nowadays are developing smaller vehicles with cutting-edge safety features and engines (electric, solar, hydrogen, etc.).
The First Car in History
Joseph Cugnot’s “fardier à vapeur” was the first automobile in history.
Carriages were the means of transportation before the invention of the first automobile. Carriages were either sleds or carts with wheels and were drawn by a person or a pack animal. As early as the early 18th century, scientists and engineers attempted to fit a steam engine inside a car, but it wasn’t until the late 18th century that they saw any real success. In 1770, Frenchman Joseph Cugnot created the first car in history.
The military engineer Cugnot decided to mechanize the artillery cart (“fardier”) by replacing the horse with a third wheel powered by a steam engine. The aim was to use the cart to transport heavy parts like cannon barrels. These trials were not definitive, but they did serve to highlight the potential of high-pressure steam as driving power.
In 1769, Joseph Cugnot first created a small-scale version of his project which he called “fardier à vapeur.” In 1770, he constructed a full-scale version of the fardier à vapeur, with the intended capabilities of carrying four tons and traveling 4.8 miles (7.8 km) in one hour. The car weighed 2.5 tons and was controlled by a pair of handles.
The fardier had to stop every 15 minutes to refill the machine with wood. The steam engine was too cumbersome and inefficient to be really useful, therefore Joseph Cugnot’s efforts ultimately failed along with those of his French, American, and British successors.
Engineers focused on bettering the train instead, setting aside the automobile until the development of the internal combustion engine, which was lighter, more efficient, and less bulky.
First Car with an Internal Combustion Engine
1885, the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the first car with an internal combustion engine. (Photo by Nick.Pr, CC BY)
The first car in history powered by an internal combustion engine, a three-wheeled vehicle, was built in 1885, and its creation is credited to German inventor Carl Benz. The car was called Benz Patent-Motorwagen (“patent motorcar”) and it was also the first mass-produced car in history. In 1886, it was shown to the public after receiving a patent for it.
In the latter months of mid-1888, the Patent-Motorwagen became the world’s first commercially available car. Patent-Motorwagen was sold for $4,750 in today’s money. This first Motorwagen used the Benz 954 cc (58.2 cu in) single-cylinder four-stroke engine, and produced 0.75 hp (0.55 kW).
At its debut in Mannheim, Germany, Karl Benz drove the car at a peak speed of 10 mph (16 km/h). The car’s internal combustion engine helped establish Karl Benz as the father of modern cars. He built 25 units of Patent-Motorwagen in total.
First Auto Show
A 1910 poster of the Paris Motor Show. (Image, CC0)
In 1898, Paris’s Grand Palais hosted the world’s first motor show, known as the “Paris Motor Show.” Even after 125 years, it remains a major event in the automotive industry. The retrospective exhibition at the tenth edition of the show in 1907 was even more magnificent and comprehensive, with artifacts ranging from the Cugnot cart, a real “prehistoric” legend from 1770, to a De Dion-Bouton tricycle from 1885, a German Daimler draisine from 1887, and a De Dion-Bouton steam omnibus from 1896.
There were still Brasier and Renault automobiles on exhibit, along with electric vehicles, but sadly absent was Etienne Lenoir’s gas-powered vehicle, which was said to have been utilized in Paris in the early 1860s and inspired Jules Verne.
First Car to Break 100 km/h
La Jamais Contente reached 105.9 km/h (65.8 mph) in 1899. (Image, CC0)
While the issue of motorization had yet to be resolved, the first accomplishment of the automobile concerning the vehicle’s global conception did not change much over the next few decades in terms of transmission, steering, or bodywork. While some may have seen the near dead end of the electric automobile coming, it wasn’t proven until the century’s conclusion when competition between different forms of propulsion finally pushed an electric car above 62 miles per hour (100 km/h).
On April 29, 1899, Belgian engineer Camille Jenatzy finally crossed this psychological boundary of a “speed in three digits” in his La Jamais Contente (“The Never Contented”). It was the first car that broke the 100 km/h barrier (62 mph) and reached 105.9 km/h (65.8 mph).
The First Affordable Car
Ford Model T runabout, probably 1913–1914. (Photo, Pierre Poschadel, CC BY SA)
Henry Ford’s goal was to mass-produce an automobile that was easy to build, reliable, and affordable. He was successful in his gamble by introducing assembly line production, which had a profound impact on the automobile industry across the world.
When Henry Ford unveiled his vision for the Model T in 1908, Ford Motor Company was already five years old. He aimed for a simple car design that would allow the vehicle to be assembled quickly and a solid build quality that would demonstrate its reliability. Both of which contributed to the Model T’s minimal maintenance costs.
After-sale service was first introduced by Ford with the introduction of the Model T. Ford established a network of carefully selected agents by 1908, when other automakers still ignored regular maintenance as a cost of doing business. This increased the brand’s awareness.
Ford’s Highland Park plant, located outside of Detroit, produced 3,900 vehicles daily in 1914. Furthermore, between the years of 1908 and 1927, 16.5 million Model Ts were sold. In the early 1920s, the Model T was the world’s most popular car, with production facilities in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Denmark, South Africa, and Japan.
The Model T lacked modern conveniences such as a wiper (since the windshield was optional), a radio, and even a driver-facing door. The accelerator was on the steering wheel. In 1972, the Volkswagen Beetle became the best-selling automobile of all time, surpassing the Ford Model T.
The Automobile Becomes an Industry
Adolf Hitler ordered the production of the Volkswagen to ease the transportation burden on the general population. The ultimate design of the automobile that would become the best-selling vehicle of all time may be seen in this 1935 V-series prototype. (VW)
Already in 1900, more than 9,500 automobiles were manufactured in the United States, France, and Germany. Henry Ford came up with the Model T eight years later and had millions of them mass-produced using his assembly lines. He is the one responsible for the birth of fast, personal transportation for everyone. At the turn of the 20th century, Ford standardized manufacturing throughout the automotive industry and beyond.
Several million Volkswagen “Beetles,” Renault 4CVs, and Citroen 2CVs were mass market successes at the end of World War II, making vehicle ownership more accessible to the average European. Because of the dramatic growth in the number of cars on the road and their average speed, legislation mandating the use of driving licenses and establishing highway codes became necessary.
The automobile caused major shifts in society, especially in how people saw and used their personal space. It encouraged the growth of trade and communication between nations, as well as the construction of several new facilities (roads and highways, parking lots). Everyone still recognizes the names of the great pioneers of the car industry, from Ferdinand Porsche to André Citroen and Louis Renault.
Contemporary Challenges of the Car
The car industry faced several difficult changes in the 1970s. Rising gas prices and concerns about supply were a direct result of the 1973 and 1979 oil shocks. Automobile companies started making more compact models. They improved the engines so that vehicles could go longer on the same quantity of fuel. They made the bodies more aerodynamic by altering their shapes.
As the number of drivers increased and automobiles became safer and quicker, so did public concern about road safety. Both the frequency and severity of accidents increased.
Another major issue is exacerbated by the growing number of automobiles on the road: air pollution. Although catalytic converters are effective at reducing a variety of harmful emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2), a major contributor to the greenhouse effect and, by extension, global warming, is one of the few gases they cannot remove. Manufacturers like Tesla are shifting their attention to electric vehicle research and development in order to combat this environmental threat.
Bibliography
1. Ervan G. Garrison, 2018. History of Engineering and Technology: Artful Methods. Routledge. ISBN 978-1351440486.
2. L. J. K. Setright, 2004. Drive On!: A Social History of the Motor Car. Granta Books. ISBN 1-86207-698-7.
3. Jonathan Glancey, 2013. The Car: The History of the Automobile
4. “1885–1886. The first automobile”. Daimler.
December 19, 2022
Gustave Trouvé: The Man Who Built the First Electric Car
Supposedly, William Edward Ayrton and John Perry, created one of the first automobiles powered by electricity, but it was not rechargeable. Gustave Trouvé created the first actual and practical rechargeable electric car. Inventions and advances abounded throughout the 19th century. The electric motor was one of them. The extensive use of electrically driven vehicles and technologies is not unique to modern times. Its creator, the Frenchman Gustave Pierre Trouvé, who created the first electric automobile, is not as well known as he should be today.
Early Life
Gustave Pierre Trouvé
Trouvé, the son of a rich cattle merchant, was born in the little hamlet of La Haye-Descartes in 1839. He had a lackluster academic record, but his aptitude for technology was clear from an early age. Rumor has it that by the time he was seven years old, he had invented a miniature steam engine. Trouvé, then just 20 years old, gained a reputation for himself in the jewelry industry in 1859 after relocating to Paris. His creations, like brooches and figures with beating wings or little bunnies spinning a drum, were driven by a battery he created. This was because the battery, which he developed in 1865, was created specifically to not leak. That made it a great mode of transportation.
The writer Jules Verne (1828–1905) and the poet Gustave Ponton d’Amécourt (1825–1888) were among the first notable new acquaintances that Trouvé established upon his arrival in Paris. He and d’Amécourt both had an enthusiasm for innovative crafts. The phrase “helicopter,” a combination of the Greek for spiral and wing, is often credited to d’Amécourt, however, Leonardo da Vinci had previously done early research for this field with his “Helix Pteron.”
As soon as Trouvé received his first patent, he and his brother started their own business. The moniker “G. Trouvé” was the one he settled on for his label. Since this sounded like the French phrase “J’ai trouvé,” which means “I have found (it),” it was clear that Trouvé had a mischievous side. That was the French counterpart of Archimedes’ “Eureka.”
Beginning With the Metal Detectors and Ending With the Endoscopy
The military telegraph system developed by Trouve (Credit: Kevin Desmond ,CC BY-SA 4.0)
Trouvé made several out-of-the-ordinary innovations over his lifetime. He displayed a battery-operated rifle at the 1867 World’s Fair in Paris. Simultaneously, he developed a medical device, a small metal detector, that would help surgeons locate and remove foreign objects from the human body. During the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, his device saw significant usage by French military medics.
Besides the fixed telegraph, Trouvé also created a portable version. The French military saw considerable potential in the technology and promptly placed an order with Trouvé for 120 units. However, production was slowed down by defective construction supplies. Trouvé was ultimately only able to provide 25 units. The anticipated benefit of the battle never materialized. Soon after that, in 1871, the French government gave up.
The Polyscope was a groundbreaking innovation by Trouvé. It was a light that ran off of one of his little batteries. It was developed to help in medical diagnosis and may be seen as a forerunner to the modern endoscope. At the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair, he presented it to the Austrian emperor, who instantly presented him with a prize. In addition, Trouvé designed a second light for use in medicine with the help of a physician. He coined the term “Photophore” to describe his new kind of headlamp. For his firm, it was an instant hit.
Trouvé Designed the First Electric Car
As impressive as it was, it wasn’t even the whole story. From the 1880s forward, Trouvé focused his efforts on the realm of transportation, which was among the city of Paris’ highest priorities at the time. Transportation in the city was mostly provided by horse-drawn carriages, long-distance railroads made use of steam, and the Seine was navigable only by steamboat.
Trouvé took a Siemens electric motor and made it smaller before installing it in a bike he designed out of Englishman James Starley’s tricycle. He utilized a rechargeable battery recently developed by the famous French scientist Raymond Louis Gaston Planté (1834–1899).
The first electric vehicle: It was 1881 when inventor Gustave Trouvé first demonstrated his electric automobile to the public. In Paris, he took his tricycle out for its first voyage.
The first trip out with this vehicle was praised in the Paris media. Even though Trouvé built the first electric car, he never filed a patent for it. And one can only conjecture as to why he did not. Historians think it was related to another patent that a man named Louis-Guillaume Perreaux (1816–1899) had filed a few years previously, this one for a steam-powered bicycle. This patent may have prevented the “Trouvé tricycle” from being licensed.
One of the First Outboard Electric Boats
Outboard electric boat of Gustave Trouvé, 1881.
It’s also conceivable that Trouvé just stopped caring. A few months later, he showed off yet another vehicle that ran on electricity. And this time it’s not on the streets of Paris, but rather a boat on the Seine!
The first trip was a success thanks to his own electric engine and batteries he got from Planté. This first electric boat patent was submitted by Trouvé on May 8, 1880. The next decades saw hundreds of boats, from pleasure boats to luxury yachts, fitted with Trouvé’s electric engines, in contrast to the doomed Tricycle. Trouvé also created the first outboard motor by attaching a propeller to his engine.
More than 300 patents were submitted by Trouvé over the course of his life, covering anything from electrically driven missiles to further electric gun designs to different iterations of his medical diagnostic equipment. In 1883, a play by Jules Verne starring one of his inventions had its world debut in Paris.
Trouve’s mechanical bird design. He developed two mechanical birds.
The female performer wore what seemed to be a brilliantly lit diamond on her head, but was really a piece of cut glass that Trouvé lighted with a battery. Jules Verne, perhaps out of jealousy, banned any further performances, including the diamond, because of the overwhelming positive response from the press. But, he shouldn’t have done that. Because the play was shut down after just 49 showings without the diamond.
During the construction of the Suez Canal, he created underwater lighting.
By the time of his death in July 1902, at the age of 61, Trouvé had spent the better part of the two preceding decades dabbling with electric toys rather than developing any really revolutionary ideas. This may have contributed to how swiftly he was forgotten. Perhaps the fact that, after a few decades of nonpayment, his patents had expired and his importance had been forgotten also contributed.
The only reason Trouvé is somewhat well-known again is because of the author Kevin Desmond’s painstaking research in the 2010s. One of the most successful innovators of the 19th century is now honored with plaques in both his birthplace and his workshop’s former home in Paris. However, he is unlikely to have as many streets named after him as his US inventor colleague Thomas Edison (1847–1931).
December 11, 2022
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