Louis Nicolas Robert

Louis Nicolas Robert was born with Paris the December 2nd 1761 and deceased with Vernouillet in the August 8th 1828.

He invents in 1798 the first machine with Papier which made it possible to produce bands from 12 to 15 meters of paper. He however been able to benefit any from it and finishes his life teacher with Vernouillet.

Louis-Nicolas Robert tells to Robert the Young person engages in the Armée at 19 years and takes part in the Guerre of American independence. On its return, it enters to the Imprimerie Pierre François Didot to Paris, then with the Papeterie Didot-Saint Leger, Essonnes. This paper mill is very important since it counts 300 workmen, in continual effervescence. Most of the paper used by the Ministry for finances is manufactured in this establishment and, in 1798, the Convention has such pecuniary difficulties which it pushes with the intensive production of the assignats; it thus charges Louis-Nicolas Robert with finding a solution and sends it as inspector to the paper mill of Essonnes.

Robert is constant in his research by Didot Saint-Leger which puts at its dispositon its room, its personnel and his capital. He encourages it to invent a machine which would use few workmen. The project advances and the September 9th 1798 Robert present at the minister Mr. de Neufchâteau two sheets of paper made on its machine. He declares that with his invention he simplifies the operations of this art while making handling less expensive and especially by making a paper of an extraordinary extent without the recourse of any workman and by purely mechanical means. the Patent for a machine to make the paper of a very great extent is deposited the January 18th 1799: it is the first patent of this kind and a subsidy of 3 000 francs is granted to him.

This machine is not very powerful at its beginnings and Robert is close giving up his research. At this point in time Didot buys to him its patent against an obligation of 24 000 pounds. It joins his English brother-in-law Gamble to exploit the patent. The Fourdrinier improve the machine of Robert and deposit two patents - English this time.

The principle of the machine, which follows the manufactoring processes of the Papier to the hand, is relatively simple: one pours the Pulp paper already refined in a large tank, from where it is poured by a wheel with scoops on a metal cloth without end in rotation, animated of branlement continuous which allows the draining of the paste. The sheet in formation passes then between cylinders of press furnished with felts, then is rolled up on reels installed at the end of the machine.

In 1810 Robert, not having still touched anything Didot for its patent, engages a lawsuit against this one, which must reassign the property of the known as patent to him. Louis-Nicolas Robert assists, impotent, with the success of the others due to his own invention: only the capital had missed to him to conclude its research.

External bonds

the invention of Louis-Nicolas Robert
the old paper mill of Essonnes

Random links: