Draft:René Legros

René Legros (June 19, 1872, in Fécamp in Seine-Inférieure - July 26, 1954) was a French inventor

He perfected, invented, and manufactured several engines and different automobiles, as well as many accessories used on modern cars. He was also passionate about history and photography; he also produced numerous articles in the bulletin of the friends of old Fécamp as well as numerous photographs printed on postcards. He was also the vice president of the first free radio station in the Pays de Caux, Radio Normandie.

Biography

 * 1894: René Legros comes into possession of a 7 HP Phaeton, the first car built by Hippolyte Panhard , which could not exceed 20 km/h. This first car had raced a Bordeaux-Paris and, in 1930, it covered itself with glory during the Paris-Deauville race.


 * From 1894 to 1897: by studying the first models of this kind, René Legros will perfect and invent his models. He devotes himself to extensive research, to multiple tests on various models which he acquires regularly. He first studied existing engines and worked on both 4-strokes and 2-strokes. He cooperated with the first manufacturers Panhard-Levassor, Peugeot , Marquis de Dion , as well as with isolated engineers who, like him, sought to improve engines. He also works with many qualified journals. He tests and fumbles on various engines and chassis. He does many things to modify, simplify, invent to improve. He also goes to all the competitions.


 * From 1897 to 1900: until 1897, he stuck to experiments and tests. But for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, he developed a light oil cart in the form of a two-seater "spider" body, a 3 hp finned engine, for a price of 3,600 francs, and a second type: a dog car with three or four seats, a 4 hp engine, for a price of 4,000 francs. It announces, at the same time, a five-seater tonneau break. His car is called “The Simplest." It is elegant, solid, and has no chains or corner sprockets. The weight of this car ranged from 230 to 260 kg, depending on the type. We must believe that this car represents progress since La Plus Simple obtained the bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1900. At the same time, René Legros was awarded a gold medal for a 1,250 kg electromobile car built in collaboration with the engineer Albert Meynier, with whom he remained in contact for some ten years. This car, without chains or differential, powered by an engine developing up to 8 hp and weighing 102 kg, is suspended on springs to avoid shaking as much as possible. It has electric and mechanical brakes, accumulators, and electric lanterns. It is equipped with a 500 kg battery and can travel 100 kilometers without recharging at an average speed of 10 km/h. The manufacturing license was transferred to Éts Henneton in Paris on July 1, 1901.


 * 1904: The two-stroke engine appears, either with two or three cylinders, with 10 to 12 horsepower, equipped with a chassis specially designed for its use. Certainly, tests of two-stroke engines had been carried out elsewhere, but the practical application was due to René Legros. He launched his engines at sea, and the 18-hp cruiser “René Legros” won success: a gold medal and first prize at the Fécamp regattas of 1905, 1906, and 1907; a silver medal and second prize at the Grande Maritime Week in 1906; and,  at the Le Havre regatta the same year, a silver medal and a third prize.


 * 1906: He wins an event of European reputation: the Paris-Monte-Carlo-Paris Regularity Competition November 25–December 5. He will win the prize in his category with a diploma and silver plaque offered by the International Sporting Club of Monte-Carlo. Its 10 HP did wonders, and it will be one of the highlights of the show, where it will be exhibited covered in glorious dust. René Legros surprised all the technicians at the time, and we saw the brightest future for him. In particular, thanks to his numerous patents that he took: for his two-stroke engine; for his faceted cardan shaft, which plays the role of a flexible joint and facilitates transmissions; for an elastic coupling sleeve combined with the clutch itself, which avoids premature wear and even breakage and, therefore, major inconveniences. He is more interested in research than honors. The first manufacturer to be able to practically produce the two-stroke engine takes no glory from it. With his business developing more and more, René Legros was obliged to take representatives in Paris, such as the Hanriots, with whom he signed a contract on July 6, 1900, agreeing to provide them first with three and then six cars per month with a 10% commission. But the war bankrupted the company of René Legros, who then fell into oblivion and died on July 26, 1954.

Patents

 * April 1899: Electric motor for automobiles and electric transformer, in collaboration with Albert Meynier.
 * April 1900: Electric brakes.
 * June 1900: Combiner for electric cars.
 * 1901: Elastic sleeve.
 * 1902: Faceted gimbal.
 * 1903: Rheostat-radiator, in collaboration with G. Viel.
 * 1903: Fan-ozone generator, in collaboration with G. Viel.
 * 1904: Two-stroke engine.