Fit with body

The fits with body is a horse-drawn Véhicule with four wheels.

It is a vehicle resulting from the stage coach, in general rather heavy, covered, provided with suspension and a direction by mainstay. The two axles are joined together by a central beam.

The term “fits with body” appears in the French language about 1574, that is to say nearly thirty years after the “stage coach”. At the beginning, the difference is not very convincing, it will be specified thereafter. The stage coach is closed only until the height of the balustrades and does not have doors, while fits with body it is entirely closed, with ices which make it possible to see while being protected from the bad weather, and has a door on each side. The nose gear has wheels definitely smaller, which facilitate the maneuverability of the car. Fits with body has two benches in opposite, one with front, the other with the back, as well as folding seats in front of the doors. Fits with body is suspended by adjustable leather supports by a jack, which are fixed at amounts of wood, the sheep . A support which breakage involves irremediably the inversion of fits with body, with the dramatic consequences which can result from this. This problem will be solved only with the invention of the truck. The seat of the coachman is not interdependent any more of the case, but is fixed on the front axle. At the end of the XVIIe century, the leaf springs of steel appear, which replace the sheep by keeping the same form appreciably (springs in Dalesme , invented by André Dalesme, died in 1727). Then springs out of C, known as springs in Polignac.

The term of fits with body as well indicated the vehicle used by the fortunate nobility for its ordinary displacements, as the vehicle of pageantry of the court, extremely decorated and leaving only on particular occasions.

Sources

Joseph Jobé, At the time of the coachmen , Lausanne, Published-Lazarus, 1976. ISBN 2-88001-019-5

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