Onésiphore Pecqueur (1792–1852) was a French mechanical engineer who patented the modern-day differential gear, found on the axles that connect to the powertrain of all automobiles.

Early life

He was born in the

Pas-de-Calais The Pas-de-Calais (, ' strait of Calais'; ; ) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of France, with 890, and is the ...

Career

He worked as a watchmaker. In 1823 he won the National Exhibition Gold Medal for inventing a watch that showed sidereal and mean time. He invented the differential in 1827 (known in French as the ''différentiel mécanique''). He invented it whilst at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers. It was derived from his work as a watchmaker, whereby cogs move at different rates. The differential allowed the adjustment of rotational ratios of two wheels turning on the same axle.

Personal life

He died in Paris in 1852.

References

External links

Brief history of his life
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pecqueur, Onesiphore 1792 births 1852 deaths French automotive pioneers 19th-century French inventors French mechanical engineers People from Pas-de-Calais French watchmakers (people) 19th-century French artisans