Biography
(born 1540, Grenoble, France—died 1576, Orléans) French engineer. His improvements in the lathe were of great importance in the development of the machine-tool industry and of scientific instrumentation. His designs were illustrated in great detail in his Theatrum instrumentorum et machinarum (1569). Among many innovations, Besson introduced cams and templates (patterns used to guide the form of a piece being made) to the screw-cutting lathe, thus increasing the operator"s control of tool and workpiece and permitting production of more accurate and intricate work in metal.
Copyright © 1994-2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
|
