What did Ivan Petrovich Kulibin invent?

Many know about the outstanding Russian engineer Ivan Petrovich Kulibin. And especially enterprising inventors more than once had to hear in his address his name: "You are like Kulibin!" However, very few people know that out of a dozen developments IP. Kulibin patented only a few. And the world knows now that the architect Town has built a heavy-duty bridge construction, but what Kulibin invented it - does not know.

The identity of the inventor

Ivan Petrovich is born in Nizhny Novgorod in 1735. Surprisingly, there were no learned people in his family, so the abilities of a self-taught mechanic can rightfully be called an outstanding talent!

Ivan's family existed at the expense of small trade: his father was an entrepreneur and an Old Believer, and his mother was engaged in housekeeping and helped to keep accounts.

From an early age, the boy was very sympathetic to engineering and various inventions, which at that time in the villages was not so much. But the young man, who was fervent towards science, did not want to keep accounting books and went to apprentice to a fellow villager, to study plumbing, turning and watchmaking.

Having gained experience, Kulibin makes her first watch, which has not been found in the world to this day. A tiny invention performed the functions of a clock with a fight, as well as a music box and a miniature theater. Before the work of the art of Nizhny Novgorod master Catherine II herself could not resist - he gave her a watch, and she invited Kulibin to work.

In 1769, Ivan Petrovich takes a place in the Academy of Sciences, and from that day serves as faith and truth for the good of Russian science.

However, only a few inventions were granted a patent and rightfully belonged to a master. Most of the drawings and layouts remained the engineer's unfulfilled dreams.

Consider a few things that invented Kulibin, but never patented.

Bladed water engine

In the 18th century hired labor was one of the most common methods of moving ships against the flow of rivers, as well as in shallow water.

Ivan Petrovich decided to save people from anguish and introduce an engineering novelty into the steamship business - a lobed engine. The principle of his work was based on the technique of transportation of ships with the help of anchors and ropes - to the anchor dropped far ahead of him with the help of a rope attracted the ship. And while the ship was "going" to one cargo, the other was thrown further - and so on in turn.

Kulibin improved the system. Instead of hired workers, instead of hired workers, the engine had to be drawn to the rope (it was two wheels with blades) with the help of water energy. It would seem that a simple and reliable design, which will save hundreds of barge haulers, and entrepreneurs - hundreds of money. However, even after successful tests to move the ship with 65 tons of sand, financing of production was never made.

Unfortunately, this is not the only thing invented by Ivan Kulibin, but he could not arrange the release.

Elevator for the Empress

The aging Catherine II with difficulty moved around the apartments of the Winter Palace. Therefore, Kulibin was given an important task - to come up with an elevator for the empress herself.

The winch elevator did not meet the main condition: it was strictly forbidden to fasten the ropes to the ceiling of the Palace. The resourceful scientist came up with a different mechanism, similar to the work of an office chair or the tightening of a nut: the servant twisted the handle, and the self-tapping screw, spinning in the sleeve, raised and lowered the chair. Unfortunately, the mechanical elevator has not survived to the present day. After the death of Catherine II, as unnecessary, it was laid with a brick, and the right to authorship for its development Kulibin never got. He became one more thing that invented Kulibin, but he could not consider it as his brainchild.

Bridge

If the farsightedness of Catherine II had not let her down at that time, she would rightly be considered the founder of the bridge business in Petersburg.

At the beginning of the 19th century, Ivan Petrovich developed an extremely stable design of a single-span bridge. Over his invention, he worked for 30 years! Despite the lack of necessary knowledge in mathematics and physics, he, without knowing it, opened new laws in a practical way. The huge advantage of the bridge was the fact that the ships could pass under it without cutting off their match.

The great Euler, checking the master's drawings, was surprised at the lack of miscalculations and mistakes in them. Potemkin himself allocated money for the construction of the bridge model, but this sponsorship ended.

And 30 years later, the famous architect of the bridge was Town, not IP Kulibin, who invented this bridge.

"Grandpa" of the car

Among other things Ivan Petrovich invented a self-propelled wheelchair. In appearance, it was very much like a car, but the principle of operation was different. The carriage could be called a hybrid of a bicycle and a cart, since it was driven by a person, pressing the pedals. The invention for a while served as a toy for the nobility, but it did not appear to sponsor its production. The drawings of the "grandfather of the car" have sunk to oblivion, not reaching our days.

Do not confuse the stroller that invented Kulibin, and the bicycle crew Shamshurenkov. His invention was much larger and more interesting: there was room for two, and in winter time the bike crew turned into a sleigh. I would like to note an interesting similarity: Leonti Shamshurenkov's production was not developed by anyone, and the drawings of his invention were lost.

The first prosthesis

At the beginning of the 19th century, Kulibin presented "know-how" to the Academy of Science employees! Prosthesis, imitating lower limbs. The first verifier of the design was Nepejtsyn - he lost a leg when storming Ochakov, and now his military career was derailed! However, Ivan Kulibin, who invented his new leg, gave a start to his new victories! As a result, Nepejtsyn rose to the rank of major general and received the ridiculous nickname Iron Leg.

A searchlight, a system of launching ships into water, an optical telegraph, an iron bridge project across the Volga are the smallest list of things that Ivan Petrovich invented.

Photos, as well as drawings of many of them, unfortunately, did not reach our days. However, the glory and memory of such an outstanding person must necessarily remain in our hearts!