Andraud and Tessie Du Motay
The first compressed-air carriage of which there is an authentic account was constructed by two Frenchmen, Andrund and Tessie du Motay, about 1840. As will be seen from the image it was made for running upon rails; it was adapted to carry eight passengers; had the air stored at a pressure of 17 atmospheres, while the working pressure in the cylinder was three atmospheres. These inventors also contemplated the application of compressed air to road carriages; they proposed to use pressures as high as 60 atmospheres, which were to be attained in stages, and to heat the air before its admission to the cylinder. They were the first to indicate the necessity of a reserve supply of air for use in hill-climbing or for other contingencies when the pressure in the main reservoirs was approaching its lower limit. [1]
See also Tessie Du Motay and Co.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Automotor Journal of 17th March 1897