Andre Koechlin et Cie
André Koechlin & Cie of Mulhouse, France
1825 Koechlin bought a plot of land by the Rhône-Rhine canal near the 'Porte du Miroir' in Mulhouse.
He went to England to obtain technical expertise, and contacted Richard Roberts who, in 1822, had filed a patent for a power loom, and in 1825 obtained the first patent for a self-acting-mule. In 1826 an agreement was signed with Sharp, Roberts and Co of Manchester for the construction of a turnkey plant for machine-building in Mulhouse. Koechlin provided the finance, while the know-how, plans, machines, technicians and other workers came from Britain.
The factory started up in May 1828. At the beginning of 1829, the company produced all the necessary equipment, apart from the steam engines, to Boucart père & fils' new textile mill. The first engine came from Rothwell, Hick and Rothwell.
The company diversified into steam engines and locomotives. It was the ancestor of SACM and Alsthom.
The above information is mainly condensed from the French Wikipedia entry.
1855 Patented a 'helicoidal pressure turbine'.[1]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Practical Mechanic's Journal, 1856, pp.154-5