LES FOUS DU VOLANT (“WACKY RACES”) Patents for improbable vehicles from the 19th century
The history of transport recalls the invention of the wheel in Mesopotamia, the Viking longships, the myth of Icarus written by Ovid, and the invention of the bicycle, the train, the car, or the aeroplane. But what is the creative thinking of an inventor who looks for new means of transport or seeks to improve existing vehicles? What tests and trials ended in failure? What are these little-known machines? Between the wheel, the longships, Icarus, the car, the high-speed train and Airbuses, there are tests, other attempts to which patents bear witness.
Transport affects us all; it has become so present in our daily lives and so common that it is hard to imagine anything other than a simple bicycle, a bus, a train, a boat, or a plane for getting around today... And yet, from 1791 to 1901, there are patents for a folding carriage, a boat propelled by wave power, and even for machines that turn man into a winged creature.
Land, water, air: transport in the 19th century is being reinvented in every way.
LAND VEHICLES
THE DANDY ON A MECHANICAL HORSE
THE POCKET CARRIAGE
By the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, urban expansion and an increase in traffic was congesting the streets of the saturated urban centres. They became the stage for complex interactions among pedestrians, vehicles and street activities. In response to these challenges, new solutions emerged to rethink means of transport.
It was in this context that in 1889, Jules Hébert filed an innovative patent for a folding phaeton, a fast, lightweight and… portable carriage that could be carried by hand!
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A phaeton is a light, open, horse-drawn carriage designed for fast travel. Inspired by this type of carriage, Hébert proposed a revolutionary model “of very light weight, folding into a very small volume and, consequently, able to be carried by hand and to fit in an apartment or any vehicle” as it is described in the patent specification. In other words, Hébert proposed the idea of making transport portable, probably in response to the constraints of the overcrowded towns and cities of the 19th century.
Hébert’s patent was part of a period of technological transition. While some inventors, like Léon Serpollet in 1886, were exploring the first steam-driven cars to dispense with animal traction, Hébert's idea still required a horse and focused on another challenge: bulk. The folding phaeton shows that various innovations were co-existing before the rise of the automobile as history knows it. Animal traction was not abandoned immediately, and several solutions were explored at the same time.
This approach, focused on flexibility rather than speed or vehicle autonomy, bears witness to an exciting era in which innovations competed in inventiveness to meet the growing needs for mobility.
To see the original patent, click here!
Patent 199826 filed by Jules Hébert on 26/07/1889 for a system of folding, portable carriages known as phaetons (1BB199826, INPI archives).
DOG-PROOF BICYCLES?
In the 19th century, the velocipede invaded the streets but met with unexpected competition: dogs turned out to be cyclists' worst enemies!
Discover how inventors, through solutions as surprising as they are ingenious, sought to fend off dogs.
In 1892, Des Chesnais filed a patent for an unlikely device: a mechanism worthy of a fairground show consisting of a small firework rocket mounted on the bicycle.
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In his patent, Des Chesnais explained that:
“All cyclists complain of an obstacle to traffic that poses a serious danger to them: encounters with dogs that chase the machine and try to bite them.” He then went on to describe the attacks in detail, with the dogs biting the cyclists' calves or knocking the bicycle off balance.
The applicant thus proposed the use of fire to scare the dogs away: “the sight of fire produces the same fear in all animals."
The idea of arming cyclists with mini-fireworks was a spectacular way of overcoming this problem.
To see the original patent, click here!
Two years later, in 1894, Joseph Flon Jr. filed a patent for an equally ingenious but less flamboyant device: a system that deployed protective screens around the cyclist’s legs when they were attacked by a dog.
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Designed to be activated quickly with a lever, this mechanism could be fitted to any bicycle! Like Des Chesnais, Flon emphasised that: “These accidents, as we know, are very common, and many people think twice about using their bicycles for fear of being bitten by dogs that are usually found on the public highways.”
His invention sought to allay these anxieties. With its complex design and articulated screens, this patent added a touch of strangeness to the bicycle.
To see the original patent, click here!
These extravagant inventions reflect the tension between technological innovation and the realities of everyday life in the 19th century. In an era marked by profound changes in modes of transport, the solutions devised to resolve problems as unexpected as dog attacks illustrate the extent to which innovations in mobility became laboratories of prolific experimentation: the most trivial of obstacles were transformed into sources of spectacular ingenuity.
MADNESS ON WHEELS
We know that the roller skate originated before the 19th century, but it was during that period that it reached its peak. The popularity of roller skates was such that in 1876, Le Monde Illustré referred to a “madness on wheels” that was spreading across Paris. Roller skates brought about the construction of skating rinks and spaces called “skatings” dedicated to this pastime, which became popular with the urban public of the 19th century as places to socialise.
It's thus hard to believe that this activity was confined to so-called “skatings”... Did this "madness on wheels" materialise in the streets?
Here you can see two initiatives that share one and the same ambition: to go beyond the use of roller skates as a pastime and turn them into a mode of transport. Etienne Lucien Lucas and Nicolas Bresson designed devices intended for the realities of 19th-century roads. They dreamt of a time when, thanks to these innovations, humans could literally put on wheels to increase their options for moving around on a daily basis.
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In 1880, Etienne Lucien Lucas filed a patent for a road skate designed to make it possible to roller-skate outdoors. He describes his invention as making it possible to “roller-skate on ordinary roads, in other words, without the need for a flat, polished surface like ice or the floor of the “skatings”.
To see the original patent, click here!
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In 1891, Nicolas Bresson came up with another use for the roller skate. His patent combined one or two wheels with a leg guard to make skates a genuine means of individual locomotion. He stated: “For a means of locomotion, my principle is based on the use of a leg guard for all types of skates; its use makes it possible to use wheels of any diameter, regardless of their composition.”
This flexibility would make it possible to adapt to different types of terrain, transforming the experience of skating as a pastime into skating as a means of locomotion.
To see the original patent, click here!
These examples of roller skates show the will that existed in the 19th century to diversify modes of transport by combining utility and pleasure. However, despite these ambitions, skating was not to become a real means of locomotion until 20-30 years later.
THE AUTOMATE-PHÉNOMÈNE (Automaton Phenomenon)
![Patent 251780 filed by Prosper Balthazar Leroy on 18/11/1895 for an imitation of the movements of four-legged animals, [...] called the Automate-Phénomène (1BB251780, INPI archives).](/image/847726/822822?size=!800,800®ion=full&format=jpg&crop=centre&realWidth=7126&realHeight=7100 "Patent 251780 filed by Prosper Balthazar Leroy on 18/11/1895 for an imitation of the movements of four-legged animals, [...] called the Automate-Phénomène (1BB251780, INPI archives).")
After trying to do away with the need for horses with the mechanical horse, after an attempt at a foldable carriage, after devising ways to convert bicycles into dog-proof transport or travelling on roller skates, a new idea emerged at the end of the 19th century: the animal-shaped automaton as a means of transport.
Prosper Balthazar Leroy, a civil engineer, thus filed a patent for this automaton, which could take the form of any animal. He gives the example of a horse here… Find out how the Automate-Phénomène worked!
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This device uses the activation of an electric motor, springs, or bodily force. The motor, he explained, can be housed within the body of the automaton or positioned externally. Leroy imagined various uses, combining utility transport and technological exploration: “The horse can be harnessed to a carriage [...]. The horse can also be mounted by a rider who can use his feet to apply the driving force to cranks moving the drive shaft of the main gear as on a velocipede,” he stated.
With even more audacity, he applied the same principle to other animals, such as the ostrich: “The automatic mechanical movement of the horse's gait, or that of any other quadruped with hair, wool, feathers and wings, such as the ostrich, can have the same uses as for the horse,” paving the way for different adaptations.
This innovation remained at the theoretical stage and bears witness to the enthusiasm of an era in which patent applicants constantly rethought the possibilities offered by mechanics for revolutionising transport.
To see the original patent, click here!
THE “CHARVOLANT”, OR KITE CARRIAGE
When George Pocock filed his patent in 1826, he proposed a new way of moving on land by harnessing the power of the wind. His idea was to use the wind as a driving force using a kite system he had designed. In his patent, Pocock focused mainly on a kite carriage that involved using his kite system to pull coaches without the need for horses.
Discover Pocock's kite carriage!
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Pocock designed this system to improve speed and comfort on difficult roads.
He tested his system and recorded his observations in a work he published in 1827, i.e., one year after filing his patent in France. Thus, in The Aeropleustic Art, Or Navigation in the Air, by Means of Kites, Or Buoyant Sails, Pocock mentions the tests he did on his invention:
“[…] as it had been ascertained that with this means, travelling might be performed, at the rate of twenty miles an hour [32 km/h], such advantages could not be tamely abandoned. […] The kites might now be taken with the car without inconvenience, and this advantage suggested many improvements in the car itself.”
To see the original patent, click here!
![Patent 1BA2641 filed by George Pocok on 28/12/1826 for the application of kites to navigation, to pulling carriages, to lifting weights into the air, [...] and finally to rescuing shipwreck victims (1BA2641, INPI archives).](/image/847726/822823?size=!800,800®ion=full&format=jpg&crop=centre&realWidth=5847&realHeight=4594)
If speed, the financial side, comfort and space-saving dominated concerns on land, water presented challenges as to how it could be handled. Ideas flowed back and forth between these two worlds; technological advances on the road inspired new approaches to mastering the waves.
WATER VEHICLES
THE AIRBORNE VESSEL
Like George Pocock, who envisioned the use of kites for land travel, the American doctor, David Thayer, proposed a similar innovation in the field of air transport in 1889. His patent describes a system of kites and balloons for lifting and moving vehicles or ships above land, sea, and ice. Drawing inspiration from his bird dissections, Thayer explored a nature-inspired aerial approach.
Thayer combined several kites and balloons to move ships, but why propose a patent for an airborne system?
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Thayer's patent was filed in a context marked by fascination with the Arctic following John Franklin's disappearance during the search for the Northwest Passage in 1845. Despite the scientific expeditions, the vast expanses of ice made exploration difficult. Thayer saw his device as a means to cross these inaccessible regions, as he specified in his patent: “This device, being built on scientific principles, is capable of transporting people over water, land and ice and being of great utility in scientific explorations such as in the Arctic, for example, where it is necessary to cross vast expanses of ice to discover locations that otherwise cannot be reached.”
Although it is not certain that the invention was ever tested, it remains an audacious attempt to bring together land, sea and air to meet the challenges of scientific exploration. Through his patent, Thayer offered an innovative vision of mobility in difficult terrain, connecting elements of nature (wind, ice, air) to overcome the physical obstacles of his time.
To see the original patent, click here!
NIOGRET’S MARVELLOUS CAR-BOAT
In 1827, Guillaume Niogret, a bridge builder from Lyon, promised to revolutionise transport with a patent he filed for several vehicles capable of moving on land, on water and in the air without the use of steam or horses. Among the claims made in the patent, one vehicle stands out in particular: the “Marvellous Car-Boat”, presented as an amphibious vehicle that looked like a palace.
Although brimming with ideas and promises, the specification reveals an invention with vague outlines. Indeed, the “Marvellous Car-Boat” is based on “three spoked circles and circular wings,” which enable it to move quickly over different types of terrain.
Is the “Marvellous Car-Boat” the plan for an amphibious car in 1827?
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Niogret also said that: “On water, it cannot be submerged or stopped, whether the waters are high or low; triumphing, in either case, over obstacles that are insurmountable for other boats. On land, it cannot be overturned, […]: so that one can say, the Marvellous Boat, in the air, in water, on land, is unsinkable and cannot overturn.”
The “Marvellous Car-Boat” reflects an ambition for versatility and autonomy that heralds modern innovations. Niogret’s patent falls in with a trend of the time to explore amphibious vehicles. In 1804, the Orukter Amphibolos, designed by the American Oliver Evans, became the first steam-powered amphibious vehicle to cross a river. Unlike this vehicle, Niogret's “Marvellous Car-Boat” was never to be built. However, his vision stood out for its audacity: he offered a self-powered, versatile alternative, independent of the dominant energy sources of his day, such as steam.
To see the original patent, click here!
Patent 1BA2655 filed by Guillaume Niogret on 30/11/1827 for a machine called an air, water, land car-boat, powered by the arm movement of men, etc. (1BA2655, INPI archives).
THE WATER BICYCLE
The patent filed by the company Rossbach and Ronig describes a fish-shaped water dandy horse powered by the muscular strength of the user.
How does this water bicycle work?
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The pedals activate an internal mechanism that moves an articulated tail to replicate a swimming movement. This vehicle was part of the boom of its day, when inventions related to mobility and inspired by nature were in full swing.
The patent recalls the land dandy horse by Karl Drais, invented in 1817, the patent for which was filed in France by Louis Joseph Dineur in 1818, which marked a turning point in human mobility. Just like the land dandy horse, the water dandy horse shows a quest for autonomy and new forms of travel, but on water. The two inventions have the same principle: to use human strength to propel an innovative vehicle. If Drais's dandy horse laid the foundations for individual mobility on land, the water dandy horse by Rossbach and Ronig sought to adapt the concept to a new environment, water, basing its design and function directly on nature.
This water dandy horse seemed to rely on biomimicry, not to aim at optimum hydrodynamic efficiency, but rather to exploit the natural shape and dynamics of a fish as a technical and aesthetic solution. Its design embodies 19th-century imagination, where nature inspires original mechanisms to meet the challenges of mobility. In a world of bicycles, pedalos and other emerging inventions, this device is part of a quest for accessible innovation, bringing together mechanical ingenuity and observation of nature.
To see the original patent, click here!
A WAVE-PROPELLED BOAT IN 1821!
![Patent 1BA1547 filed by Thomas Stanhope Hollond and John Byrne Madden on 27/06/1821 for a mechanism that makes ships able to sail by wave power [...] (1BA1547, INPI archives).](/image/847726/822831?size=!800,800®ion=full&format=jpg&crop=centre&realWidth=6356&realHeight=4579 "Patent 1BA1547 filed by Thomas Stanhope Hollond and John Byrne Madden on 27/06/1821 for a mechanism that makes ships able to sail by wave power [...] (1BA1547, INPI archives).")
In 1821, Thomas Stanhope Hollond and John Byrne Madden filed a patent for a wave-propelled boat. This system came as a challenge to maritime navigation's dependence on wind or steam power, which dominated the 19th century. The patent showed a forward-thinking vision: a ship capable of using the waves as a driving force, without having to depend on wind or expensive fuels, thus anticipating a new era in maritime transport.
Discover how the wave-propelled boat was created and how it worked!
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Two years before this patent was filed, in 1819, the Savannah was the first ship to cross the Atlantic using hybrid navigation with sails and a steam engine. However, its autonomy was limited. The ship had to carry 73 tonnes of coal and 90 steres of wood, which was a major burden, especially on long voyages. In this context, the 1821 patent by Stanhope Hollond and Madden stands out for its vision of a completely self-powered vessel that required no external energy source other than the inexhaustible energy of the waves.
The aim of the patent seemed to go beyond simply replacing sails or steam engines. It offered a true revolution in navigation, making it possible for ships to sail against the current or in adverse weather conditions, as specified in the text of the patent itself: “Everyone is familiar with the agitation of the sea and its prodigious strength. The purpose […] is to establish a new maritime navigation system whereby the largest or smallest vessel can navigate solely by means of the waves of the sea without the aid of the wind […]. Using this system, we aim [...] to sail directly against wind and tide.”
This patent from 1821 may not have revolutionised navigation in its time, but it has a visionary idea: using wave power as a driving force. An intuition that was confirmed much later, in 2008, when the Suntory Mermaid II set the record for the longest voyage in a boat propelled solely by the energy of the waves, from Hawaii to Japan.
To see the original patent, click here!
RIDING ON MY FISH
![Patent 86114 filed by François Luneau on 17/06/1869 for an application of the power of sea and freshwater fish and all other aquatic animals as a driving force or locomotion [...] (1BB86114, INPI archives).](/image/847726/822832?size=!1500,1500®ion=pct:0,33,100,33&format=jpg&crop=haut&realWidth=2349&realHeight=3720 "Patent 86114 filed by François Luneau on 17/06/1869 for an application of the power of sea and freshwater fish and all other aquatic animals as a driving force or locomotion [...] (1BB86114, INPI archives).")
GOOD GRIEF! A BOAT WITH FINS
I ask you if the swan or the fish ever need a rotating wheel in the middle of their body, or a propeller at their back, to move along on water? Of course they don't!
This quote is taken from the specification of patent 50907 filed on 13 July 1861 by Joseph Plantier and Mrs Vitaline Guillebont, née Fremont, for a boat with… fins!
Learn more about this astonishing patent!
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This patent proposed a hinged fin propulsion system for ships, boats, and even aerostats. The applicants drew inspiration from the natural movements of animals such as swans or fish, and sought to improve the speed, manoeuvrability and safety of vessels while, at the same time, reducing engine noise. As the applicants pointed out, the fins provide an alternative to propellers, which are both noisy and dangerous, distributing the propulsion mechanism across several points, thus limiting the risk of accidents.
The system was also distinguished by its versatility: it could be adapted to all types of vessels, whether powered by steam, bodily force or other energies. The fins could be easily replaced if damaged or in the event of cannon fire or naval warfare, and they reinforced the durability and reliability of the device. The system also significantly increased the speed of ships and kept them efficient even in difficult conditions.
The inventors expressed their international ambition, mentioning the possibility of distributing their patent to the “navies of the nations of the world”. Their vision thus crossed borders, seeking to change the standards of navigation. This patent was prophetic, as it anticipated contemporary concerns about finned boats. More than just an invention, this patent embodied forward-thinking on efficiency, durability and safety at sea.
To see the original patent, click here!
![Patent 50907 filed by Joseph Plantier and Mrs Vitaline Guillebont, née Fremont, on 13/07/1861 for a hinged fin propeller system for all ships [...] (1BB50907, INPI archives).](/image/847726/822833?size=!800,800®ion=full&format=jpg&crop=centre&realWidth=8285&realHeight=7044 "Patent 50907 filed by Joseph Plantier and Mrs Vitaline Guillebont, née Fremont, on 13/07/1861 for a hinged fin propeller system for all ships [...] (1BB50907, INPI archives).")
![Patent 50907 filed by Joseph Plantier and Mrs Vitaline Guillebont, née Fremont, on 13/07/1861 for a hinged fin propeller system for all ships [...] (1BB50907, INPI archives).](/image/847726/822834?size=!800,800®ion=full&format=jpg&crop=centre&realWidth=4262&realHeight=3595 "Patent 50907 filed by Joseph Plantier and Mrs Vitaline Guillebont, née Fremont, on 13/07/1861 for a hinged fin propeller system for all ships [...] (1BB50907, INPI archives).")
THE HYBRID BOAT
In the 19th century, visionary minds were driven by the fascination with the conquest of air and water. In 1899, Anastasia Baumann filed a patent for a sea and air vehicle, a hybrid machine with wings, sails and a floating body.
Between imagination and reality, dive into the world of Anastasia Baumann's flying boat…
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The applicant described her invention as follows: “My invention concerns a vehicle which, in relation to known constructions, […] can be used both as a sea vehicle and as an air vehicle. […] A vehicle characterised by the use of kite surfaces, sail wings, and a floating body for use both in the air and on water”.
The ambition was a revolutionary means of transport capable of crossing both the waves and the sky. This invention reflected the spirit of an era in which technological progress sought to broaden human horizons, symbolising a quest for mobility without borders.
Baumann's patent is reminiscent of Jules Verne's Albatross, which, in his work Robur the Conqueror, published in 1886, captured the idea of an airship powered by electrical propellers.
Although fictional, these visions were set in a context in which innovation sought to redefine means of transport, combining speed, efficiency and new dimensions of travel.
Just like Jules Verne's Albatross, the Baumann patent embodied this technological optimism. They testify to the will to make the impossible possible, to create vehicles capable of overcoming the elements and opening up new paths to the future.
To see the original patent, click here!
"Man has conquered the skies, just as he has conquered the seas, and nothing now would be able to limit the extent of his travels."
Jules Verne, Robur the Conqueror, Hetzel, Paris, 1886, page 29.
While water vehicles have pushed the boundaries of mobility on and beneath the water, the will to dominate the skies now emerges as an equally ambitious challenge. The air, an infinite and unexplored space, thus becomes the field on which new visions are to focus. This change heralds even bolder inventions, which now soar towards the skies.
AIR VEHICLES
WHEN MARITIME BECOMES AERIAL
In the 19th century, as the conquest of the skies grows in fascination, patents show a marked trend: the transfer of maritime concepts to the air.
In the patent filed by Verger in 1818, he claimed that the shape and mechanism of his balloon were directly inspired by nature, emphasising that sea and air animals held valuable lessons for human technology.
To see the original patent, click here!
In 1882, Carl Wolfgang Petersen filed a patent for an airborne machine that looked like a boat. For this machine, he suggested using a self-powered system to produce hot gas to control elevation.
To see the original patent, click here!
What was to become of these machines, born of the merging of sea and sky?
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Verger’s airship was fitted with an engine and rotor blades. In his patent, Verger claimed that he had tested it successfully, that it offered unprecedented manoeuvrability, was capable of pivoting, gravitating without ballast and maintaining balance without loss of gas.
As for Petersen, the idea was to combine the familiar appearance of a ship with technological advancements, suggesting that mastery of the skies, like that of the seas, depended on an understanding of fluids and the same principles of maritime navigation.
These inventions bear witness to a will to apply proven knowledge of water to an element still largely unknown.
Although ambitious, these patents/projects remain above all the testimonies of their time. Based on maritime forms, they convey a vision of water and air as complementary domains to be mastered. Although the practical results of these inventions remain uncertain, their influence can be found in modern aeronautical research, which continues to draw inspiration from the lessons offered by nature and from known technologies such as maritime inventions.
THE FLYING YACHT
This sketch of Anton Kobylanski's patent evokes an imagination worthy of 19th-century science fiction, combining elements of aeronautical and maritime design. The airship, called the flying yacht, embodied a fascinating vision of a future in which the skies became a new realm of navigation.
However, the applicant revealed that it was also a weapon for air warfare… discover how the flying yacht sought to change the game.
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Kobylanski proposed a bold solution to overcome the limitations of the airships of his day, which were often unable to withstand sudden changes in the wind or ensure movements of any precision. His flying yacht was designed to provide complete control of ascending, descending and horizontal movements while ensuring maximum safety for passengers and goods alike.
This invention was not limited to pleasure trips. Kobylanski also envisaged a military use, in particular the transport of strategic goods or dropping bombs in wartime. The sketch of the patent shows a device as intriguing as it is aesthetic, with parts that are reminiscent of a classic ship combined with structures typical of a flying machine.
“Taking into account all the accidents that may occur, any danger during ascent, flight and landing is avoided”, wrote Anton Kobylanski, summarising the ultimate ambition of his flying yacht: to combine technical mastery and complete safety in the conquest of the skies.
To see the original patent, click here!
LOUIS CHARLES LETUR’S AERIAL GAMBLE
In 1852, Louis Charles Letur, a French dramatic artist, proposed a machine that would enable its pilot not only to stay in the air, but also to steer his descent. In his patent specification, Letur states: “My aim here is simply to be able to navigate the air starting from an elevated position to arrive at a lower point”.
Letur had his invention built and tested it: discover his story…
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In 1853, one year after filing his patent, Letur presented his invention at the Hippodrome in Paris, but was unable to get it up in the air. The following year, he attempted a risky experiment in London aboard William Henry Adam's balloon. On 27 June 1854, a tragic event occurred: “the parachute was thrown around in the boughs with great violence...” (The Sun, 1854). The parachute got caught in the trees during the descent and Letur succumbed to the serious injuries he had sustained a few days later.
Despite its failure, Letur's invention remains an important milestone in the quest for controlled flight.
In 1852, the creation of the Société Aérostatique et Météorologique de France (French Aerostatic and Meteorological Society) marked the beginning of the recognition of aviation as a scientific discipline, and Letur's idea preceded the first experiments with powered flights. His patent was a significant contribution to the birth of aviation.
To see the original patent, click here!
THE PAPILLON IMPÉRIAL (Imperial butterfly)
The patent filed by Jean Baptiste Alexandre Bréant in 1854 under the poetic name of imperial butterfly invites us to take flight once again. In an era when transport was undergoing a true revolution, this modest device illustrates a more personal and experimental approach to conquering the skies, at an individual level.
How does the imperial butterfly seek to push back the limits of air travel?
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The imperial butterfly proposed a jumpsuit with articulated wings that enabled the user to rise “five or six metres” and a paddle attached to the leg to increase propulsion using the ground. More than just a simple flying machine, it is a bold attempt to push back the boundaries of travel to halfway between walking and flying. In these years, when the Société Aéronautique (Aeronautical Society) had just been founded (1852), and pioneers like Henri Giffard or Félix du Temple were sketching the first outlines of aeronautics, this invention embodied a link between individual experimentation and big collective ambitions.
At the crossroads of dreams and pragmatic solutions, Bréant's invention reflects the enthusiasm of a century in motion, where the quest for freedom can be seen as much on land as in the air. It reminds us that sometimes, fascination with the simplest of mechanisms can be just as important as the major technological advances.
To see the original patent, click here!
THE INDIVIDUAL AIRSHIP
THE DREAM OF ICARUS: THE ANDROPTÈRE (Winged man)
“He may thwart our escape by land or sea, but the sky is still open to us; we will go that way. Minos may rule everything, but he does not rule the air”.
[…] “Let me warn you, Icarus, to take the middle way, in case the moisture weighs down your wings if you fly too low, or if you go too high, the sun scorches them. Fly between the extremes. […]; take the course I show you!”
Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book VIII, (183-235).
Ovid’s verses ring out a warning against excessive ambition and the transgression of natural laws. A particular echo of the patent filed in 1893 by Jules Toussaint Costa for a device called an androptère. This term, derived from the Greek words andros(man) and pteron (wing), unequivocally embodied the reason why it was invented: to give man the power to fly.
Learn how Costa got closer to the dream of Icarus!
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The androptèreenabled the user to fly without a gondola or ballast, in a posture similar to that of birds or fish, described by Costa as “aerial swimming”. Unlike the myth of Icarus, whose fall was the result of excessive pride, Costa's invention offered controlled flight in keeping with the laws of nature and in complete safety.
In his vision, Costa did not content himself with proposing an innovation, he also wanted to make it accessible. The patent states that all the accessories necessary for the androptère are provided in a box. This practical aspect probably reflected a desire to make the idea of flight available to all by providing anyone interested with the means to experience this form of aerial freedom. Thus, Costa's patent was not only a complex object, but also a realistic bid for human flight, ready for autonomous use.
This patent is part of a long-standing tradition of humanity's fascination with the idea of flying like a bird. By enabling humans to rise freely into the air, the androptèrerealised an age-old desire for freedom, while at the same time taking a cautious scientific and technological approach. In this way, Costa turned the ancestral dream of flight into a tangible possibility, combining ambition with respect for natural limits, and offering humans a new way to conquer the skies.
To see the original patent, click here!
To finish...
Above all, this dive into the little-known patents of the 19th century reveals a wealth of ideas, at times fanciful, often audacious, but always marked by a desire to go beyond the limits of technology and humanity. These improbable inventions bear witness to a time when dreams and engineering merged in a frenetic quest for new horizons. Although many of these projects never left the ground or the patent drawing board, they reflect the unbridled imagination and technological optimism that were typical of the 19th century.
Between the quest for lightness, the attempts to replicate the natural movements of birds or waves, and the practical engineering of the early motors, each invention is part of a wider dynamic: that of pushing back the limits of possibility.
While some of these ideas may bring a smile today, they remind us that innovation often comes from the trial and error to which patents bear witness. Just like the great inventors, these ‘wacky racers’ have their place in the history of vehicles as essential links in a collective chain.
