BLANCHARD, THOMAS


Meaning of BLANCHARD, THOMAS in English

born June 24, 1788, Sutton, Mass., U.S.

died April 16, 1864, Boston, Mass.

U.S. inventor.

In 1818 he invented a lathe capable of turning irregular shapes, such as a gunstock. It duplicated the form of a pattern object by transmitting to the cutting tool the motion of a friction wheel rolling over the pattern. His invention was an essential step in the development of mass production techniques. He produced several successful designs of shallow-draft steamboats, and in 1849 he invented machinery for bending wood into complex shapes such as plow handles and ship's frames.

Britannica English dictionary.      Английский словарь Британика.