George Pocock (inventor) facts for kids
George Pocock (1774–1843) was an English schoolteacher and a clever inventor. He is most famous for inventing the 'Charvolant,' a unique carriage that was pulled along by large kites. He also founded something called Tent Methodism, but his inventions are what really made him stand out!
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George Pocock: The Kite-Powered Inventor
George was born in Hungerford, Berkshire, in 1774. His father, John Pocock, was a cabinet-maker. As an adult, George moved to Bristol and became a schoolteacher.
Early Life and Amazing Kite Experiments
From a young age, George was fascinated by kites. He loved to experiment with them, starting by using kites to pull small stones. Slowly, he moved on to bigger things like planks and even larger loads! He continued his experiments while teaching at a school in Prospect Place, Bristol, often involving his students.
By 1820, George realized that kites, when used together, could lift a lot of weight. This led him to try lifting people! In 1824, he used a huge 30-foot (9 meter) kite with a special chair attached. He managed to lift his daughter, Martha, over 270 feet (82 meters) into the air! Martha later became the mother of the famous cricket player, W.G. Grace.
Later that same year, George continued his daring tests with his family. He lifted his son to the top of a 200-foot (60 meter) cliff outside Bristol. His son briefly got off the chair at the top. Then, to come back down, he simply released a clip on the kite line. This allowed him to slide safely back to the ground in the chair!
The Amazing Charvolant: A Kite-Powered Carriage
After proving that kites could lift humans, George turned his attention to using them to pull vehicles. He tried different ways of arranging kites and discovered that a few large kites could pull a carriage with passengers inside.
In 1826, George Pocock received a patent for his "Charvolant" buggy. This vehicle used two kites on a single line that was very long—about 1,500 to 1,800 feet (457–459 meters)! These kites provided enough power to pull the buggy, carrying several people, at amazing speeds. It was a bit like the modern sport of kite buggying.
In his book, The Aeropleustic Art or Navigation in the Air by the use of Kites, or Buoyant Sails, Pocock wrote that the Charvolant could travel at 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) over long distances. It could even cover a mile in just 2¾ minutes, even on rough roads!
A group of three Charvolants once traveled 113 miles (182 km) together. On a trip between Bristol and Marlborough, one of these kite-buggies even passed the mail coach. At that time, the mail coach was the fastest way to travel! On another journey, a Charvolant passed the coach of the Duke of Gloucester. This was considered a bit rude, so the Charvolant's occupants had to stop and let the Duke's coach go ahead.
How the Charvolant Worked
The Charvolant had four control lines connected to the kites. These lines helped with steering. They could be let out or pulled in using large spools at the front of the carriage. The carriage also had big wheels, which helped it use the kite power effectively.
Besides controlling the kites, the driver had to steer the carriage using a T-bar. This bar controlled the direction of the front wheels. There was also a brake: an iron bar that dug into the road when a lever was pulled.
Controlling the Charvolant was quite tricky. This might be one reason why it never became a big commercial success. However, it had one cool advantage: it didn't have to pay tolls on the roads! Tolls were charged based on the number of horses a carriage had. Since the Charvolant had no horses, it paid nothing!
Other Clever Ideas
In his book, George Pocock also suggested other uses for kites. He thought they could help ships by providing extra sail power, similar to modern traction kites. He also believed kites could be used to drop anchors or help rescue people from shipwrecks.
He even used his book to advertise other inventions, like a special celestial globe. This globe was so big that a teacher and students could stand inside it to learn about the stars!
George Pocock passed away from bronchitis at his home in Bristol on 9 November 1843.
