Onésiphore Pecqueur
Onésiphore Pecqueur was a French mechanical engineer who patented the modern-day differential gear, found on the axles that connect to the powertrain of all automobiles.
Early life
He was born in the Pas-de-Calais.Career
He worked as a watchmaker. In 1823 he won the National Exhibition Gold Medal for inventing a watch that showed sidereal and mean time.He invented the differential in 1827. He invented it whilst at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers. It was derived from his work as a watchmaker, whereby cogs move at different rates. The differential allowed the adjustment of rotational ratios of two wheels turning on the same axle.