Karl Benz: biography and interesting facts. What was the world's first car?
In the second half of the 19th century, the question of whatsoon the first car will appear, has already been decided. The only thing that remained unclear was who will be the first in his invention. At the same time, several innovators worked in this direction. Some of them managed to obtain patents for their inventions in the same year. Who is considered officially recognized as the creator of the car? The article is about Carl Benz.
Benz is a hereditary railroader
In the genus of the inventor there were several hereditaryblacksmiths. In the past centuries, this profession obliged not only to create metal products, but also to be able to design them, that is, to be both artisans and mechanics, as well as engineers and technologists.
Karl Benz was the son of one of these blacksmiths.And thanks to the development of the railway in the German lands Johann Georg Benz became a locomotive driver. However, this is what led to his death in the near future. Four months before the birth of Charles, his father was very cold in the cockpit with the windows open, which caused him to die of pneumonia. The upbringing of the future inventor was the mother, who was a French emigrant.
The first lessons
After the incident with the father of unhappiness, the mother did notcould allow her only son, Karl Benz, to connect his life with the railway. She saw him as a government official. But the young man was drawn to technology. So, in the Lyceum he was fond of studying physics and chemistry, often lingering after school to study in the school laboratory.
The hobby led to the occupation of photography, whichgave him the opportunity to receive the first earnings necessary for his family. Another occupation was the repair of the watch. Over time, the mother allowed him to equip him with a workshop in the attic.
All the enthusiasm of the son convinced the mother that the postofficial - is far from the best thing for him to do. With her permission, Karl Benz entered the Polytechnic School. At that time the educational institution was the scientific center of mechanical engineering in Germany. They worked here to find a new engine. It had to become an alternative to a steam engine.
All ideas that were associated with the creation of a powerful and compact engine, and Karl Benz was infected.
Starting your own business
After graduating from the Polytechnic School, which to thattime has received the status of university, the innovator has got a job on a machine-building plant. At the time, it was believed that the designer should first work as a fitter for "hardening".
Karl Benz, whose biography is considered,began to work for twelve hours in a semi-dark shop. After two years of exhausting work, after gaining the necessary experience, he resigned. Five years later, Karl was a draftsman, a designer in engineering. At this time, he collected funds for his own business. Benz had a dream to create a self-propelled crew.
A significant change in his life was the death of his mother and the acquaintance with the young Bertha Ringer. The girl was from the family of a wealthy carpenter, which positively influenced the opening of her own business.
The engineer created his workshop with A. Ritter in the city of Mannheim. The dream of creating his vehicle did not leave Bents for a minute, but the concern about the financial well-being of the family, which was growing, demanded to reduce the funds for design development.
For the success of his business, Benz took a riskand got into difficult situations financially. Once he was nearly deprived of his own business with the land. To solve all the problems it was necessary to create something meaningful. The couple saw a way out in the invention of an internal combustion engine.
However, this idea has long been in the air and mindsmany engineers and inventors, so it was not surprising that N. Otto patented the engine earlier. However, this involved a four-stroke engine, so their efforts were directed to the creation of a two-stroke engine. The future Benz car had to operate on combustible gas.
The engine was launched on New Year's Eveleaving in 1878. Serial release began three years later at the plant in Mannheim. At this enterprise, the innovator was very limited in his rights, so he left it and started everything from scratch with other partners. But new investors did not hurry to invest in the creation of the car.
At the same time, the Nikolaus patent was revokedOtto, and innovators, among whom was Benz, stepped up their own business in creating a four-stroke engine designed for automotive applications.
Search for buyers
By the summer of 1886 was created and publicly testedcar, the creator of which was Karl Benz. The patent was signed six months before this event and received the number 37435. The motor worked on a mixture of air with gasoline vapors. The car itself moved on three wheels, because the problem of synchronous turning was not solved.
Despite a successful invention with a technicalpoint of view and supportive reviews of the press, the trolley with the engine was not successful with conservative Germans. The inventor had to advertise his offspring at various exhibitions, including in Munich and Paris.
Together with the attempts to establish sales, Carl continuedto improve the car. Six years later, the "motor-wagon" consisted of four wheels, was supplemented by a two-speed transmission. There were new models of the brand Benz. Sales grew, especially at the expense of France. Later, the cars of this company mastered the market of Europe, Russia, South America.
By the 20th century the history of the car did not stop, it began to gain more serious turnovers, and the business of Benz also expanded.
The innovator died at the age of 84, passing his case to his sons, who organized at the age of sixty in the city of Ladenburg.
Specifications of the first car
The German engineer was creating his car secretly, as the issue of patents was crucial.
- total weight - 263 kg;
- the weight of the four-stroke engine is 96 kg;
- the engine was cooled by water;
- the presence of one cylinder, clutch, neutral and front transmission in the transmission;
- three wheels;
- belt brake;
- chain drive.
The famous trip of Bertha Benz with his sons
The wife of the inventor played an important role in his life. She supported her husband in his endeavors as a material plan (father-in-law invested his money in dealing with engines and handed over the dowry to Bertha before marriage), and in the moral. There is also a story (a Benz car) about how a woman and her sons went on a trip with a range of almost 110 km.
It happened in August 1888. The route passed from the city of Mannheim to Pfrotsgeym, in which Bertha's mother lived. A few days later, the woman with the children on the same car returned home.
During the trip, there were several difficulties with which the spouse and children were able to cope on their own:
- the site with a steep climb was overcome so - one son sat behind the wheel, and the mother with the second son pushed the car from behind;
- The bursting leather drive belt was patched up by a local shoemaker near Bruchsal;
- The role of the punctured insulation for the electric drive was made by a stocking garter;
- The formed plug in a tube with fuel it was possible to clean a simple hairpin.
The trip was an excellent promotion,since she made it clear to a skeptical society that even a woman with children can drive a car, eliminating minor breakdowns if necessary. Also, the trip made it possible to identify shortcomings in the operation of the car and eliminate them.
Berta Benz is known as the first woman behind the wheel. She was given the right to drive in the same year.