Jean-Jacques Meyer (1805–1877) was a French

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

, noted for his work with

steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a cylinder. This pushing force can be trans ...

s and

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

Innovations

Background

He was trained at the engineering school

Arts et Métiers ParisTech Arts et Métiers ParisTech is a French engineering and research institute of higher education. It is a ''grande école'', recognized for leading in the fields of mechanics and industrialization. Founded in 1780, it is among the oldest French ins ...

Expansion valve

His first major invention was the

Meyer expansion valve An expansion valve is a device in steam engine valve gear that improves engine efficiency. It operates by closing off the supply of steam early, before the piston has travelled through its full stroke. This cut-off allows the steam to then expand w ...

, used to improve efficiency in

stationary steam engine Stationary steam engines are fixed steam engines used for pumping or driving mills and factories, and for power generation. They are distinct from locomotive engines used on railways, traction engines for heavy steam haulage on roads, steam cars ...

s. The first locomotives to use this invention were a pair of

2-2-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The wheel arrangement both ...

locomotives Mayer built for the in 1842. Named ''L'Espérance'' (Hope) and ''Le Succès'' (Success), they continued in service for S-B's successor, the

Chemins de fer de l'Est The Compagnie des chemins de fer de l'Est (CF de l'Est), often referred to simply as the Est company, was an early French railway company. The company was formed in 1853 by the merger of ''Compagnie du chemin de fer de Paris à Strasbourg'', ope ...

until 1859.

Articulated locomotive

He was the originator of the

articulated locomotive An articulated locomotive is a steam locomotive (rarely, an electric locomotive) with one or more engine units that can move independent of the main frame. Articulation allows the operation of locomotives that would otherwise be too large to neg ...

s which bear his name. Meyer registered his first

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

describing the system in 1861. The

Meyer locomotive A Meyer locomotive is a type of articulated locomotive. The design was never as popular as the Garratt or Mallet locomotives. It can be best regarded as 19th Century competition for the early compound Mallet and also the Fairlie articulated design ...

comprised: * a rigid single frame supporting cabin, and boiler; * two revolving units like bogies made up each one of a steam engine involving a group of driving wheels and possibly comprising carrying wheels. The first engine of this type built by the in 1868 was a 0-4-0+0-4-0 named ''L'Avenir'' (Future). The design was developed by

Gaston du Bousquet Gaston du Bousquet (1839–1910) was a French engineer who was Chief of Motive Power () of the Chemin de Fer du Nord, designer of locomotives and professor at École centrale de Lille. Steam locomotive designer Gaston du Bousquet taught mechanical ...

, who designed a class of 0-6-2+2-6-0 tank locomotives for hauling heavy goods trains on the

Chemins de fer du Nord The Chemins de fer du Nord''French locomotive built in 1846''

and the Chemins de fer de Ceinture de Paris.

Sources

''The above information is taken from the

French Wikipedia The French Wikipedia (french: Wikipédia en français) is the French-language edition of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. This edition was started on 23 March 2001, two months after the official creation of Wikipedia. It has article ...

article on the subject.''

References

* * Locomotive builders and designers French engineers 1805 births 1877 deaths Arts et Métiers ParisTech alumni {{France-engineer-stub