Hi all,
a visit to Paris was at the beginning of this model. In a display cabinet of the Musée des Arts et Metiers I found Inventory No 7737. The text is basic: Machine for lifting materials by Borde. As provenance the World Exhibition Paris 1867 is given:
At first I did not find more information. When I found out that “Borde” was a proper name and Monsieur Borde had the given name “Paul”, more information showed up:
In 1856 the port of La Joliette in Marseille was transformed by a huge property development masterminded by the financier Jules Mirès. The engineer and builder Paul Borde was contracted to undertake this project on a very short schedule. Only mechanisation could enable the rapid and precise positioning of materials and save on scaffolding. To achieve this, Borde invented a steam-powered crane on rails running parallel to the facade of the building under construction. Materials could be deposited anywhere on the construction by varying the angle of the crane’s pivoting boom. Only two men were required to operate the machine. The success of this project won Borde other major contracts in Marseille and then Paris. His lifting apparatus was patented and gradually improved. This scale model, bought by the Conservatoire after the Universal Exposition in 1867, is probably the final version of this machine.
The model’s scale was given here with 1:20. Finally I found that the boom had a total length of 20 m and that the pivot was 18 m above ground.
In a contempory magazine published 1859 three cranes can be seen at work:
Obviously these cranes are earlier versions than the one in the World Exposition 1867.
I had taken quite a few photos in the museum, but in the end I had to take a step back from them to get a working model. The 1867 model has some missing parts, others most likely have been added later. I doubt that the model was a working model - I think it has been used to give potential clients something to look at.
My model is in scale 1:20. It is powered by air and has the same functions as the original crane. The load may be hoisted and lowered and the crane with the load may travel on the track along an imaginary building. The single cylinder engine may have to be started manually. A slip excenter is used to change the engine’s rotation direction. A simple brake is used to fix the load when the operator wants to change from hoisting to lowering. The tilt of the boom may be changed manually.
Occasionally I have been asked if the crane might tip over. Yes - he can. Presumably quite like the original. There is evidence that at least smaller cranes back in the days have been clamped to the rails. If this has been the case here - I am afraid we will not find out more than 150 years later.
If you want to see it in action:
The load is a small brick. It’s weight would have been 1,3 t in 1:1.
So long for now
Gerd
P.S.: Check my website at
https://balancier.eu/Crane-Beta-en for references.
