A D V E N T U R E S   in   C Y B E R S O U N D

The first proposals to transmit images by scanning were indepenently made in 1880 by W. E. Sawyer, an American, and by Maurice Leblanc of France.

Source: The New Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia

The work of Maurice Leblanc, astounding for its time. formed the foundation of modern television. He outlines the five essential items required: a transducer to convert light into electricity; a scanner to break up a picture into its constituent parts; a method of synchronising the receiver and the transmitter; a means of converting electrical signals back into light at the receiever and a screen

Source: Cambridge Biographical Dictionary

In 1880 Maurice Leblanc suggested the systematic scanning of an object in order to transmit moving pictures at a distance.

Source: http://smdl03.snu.ac.kr/~jhnam/ccd/imgsen.htm

Leblanc, Maurice, French engineer and industrialist. (b. Paris, 1857 - d. Paris,1923)

Initially he was involved in electrics including the development of the induction motor (1891), he also worked in the field of hydraulics devising a pump to produce a theoretically perfect vacuum. He also worked in the field of refrigeration (Acad. of Sc, 1918.)

Source: Le Grand Larousse tomme 6, Paris, 1962

translated by Russell Naughton from...

LEBLANC, (Maurice), Ingenieur et industriel français (b. Paris 1857 - d.1923). Outre une theorie complete du moteur d'induction on lui doit les avanceurs de phase, les circuits amortisseurs pour obtenir le synchronisme des alternateurs, une machine d'induction pour remplacer les alternateurs, une excitation d'un alternateur, un transformateur de frequence et de tension (1891). En hydraulique il etudia plus particulierement les pompes et les turbines, et mit au point une pompe a air destinee donner dans un condensateur le vide theorique. Il construisit une machine frigorifique vapeur d'eau et ejecteur qui fut adoptee par les marines françaises et russe pour le refroidissement des soutes munitions dans les grands cuirasses. Enfin, il etudia l'emploi de l'air comme agent frigorifique. (Acad. des Sc., 1918.)

original text and portrait of Leblanc contributed by Manuel J. S. Lameira January, 1999

also...

Maurice Leblanc, a French engineer and industrialist. (b. Paris, 1857 - d. Paris,1923) developed a complete theory of induction motors, contributed to the perfecting of alternators, worked in the fields of hydraulics and refrigeration and [ relative to this project 'Adventures in CyberSound' ], developed a theoretic work in the field of image scanning and transmission.

From his work on induction motors, the most well known contribution seems to be Leblanc's Theorem which states that in any induction electric machine, a monophasic winding with "P" pairs of poles, fed by a monophasic alternated current of pulsation "W", creates in the air gap, a magnetic alternated field that can be considered as the summation of two fields with "P" pairs of poles, rotating in opposite directions with angular speeds of W/P.

His most well known contribution to the construction of alternators are dumper bars, known as Maurice Leblanc Dumpers.

Under steady-state, a synchronous machine, motor or alternator, runs at a constant speed known as its synchronous speed. However, this speed can be disrupted during abnormal conditions giving rise to undesirable oscillations.

To overcome this Leblanc developed a winding that acts like the cage rotor of induction motors. So, when the rotor speed differs from the field's rotating speed, a current is induced in this winding , producing a torque that restores the synchronous speed to his normal value. The dumper bars provide also a mean of starting the machine.

Source: Manuel J. S. Lameira, January, 1999

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