September 1856: Jourbert and Bourdier’s improvements in motive power engines

In September 1856 the editors of The Engineer appeared to take a certain degree of pleasure in deriding the efforts of two French engineers who earlier in the year had patented what they believed to be improvements to motive power engines.

Maybe The Engineer was too preoccupied with reporting on the Bessemer Process or Cullen Whipple’s screw machine to take Messrs Charles Catherine Joubert and Leon Andre Bordier’s polydyname seriously?

Either way, as the opening paragraph to the following abridged item shows, their efforts are thought of as nothing more than fanciful indulgance but they are at least afforded the respect of a full review of the mechanical workings of their patented system

Enough of the preamble and onto This week in September 1856: Jourbert and Bourdier’s improvements in motive power engines.

‘We have illustrated this invention for the purpose of showing the extraordinary fancies in which French mechanicians indulge.