I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1163 The King Unwrapping His Birthday Presents Early
“That’s about it,” Joseph continued. “Now let’s discuss the construction plans for the cannery. Oh, these foods preserved in tin cans are called canned goods.”

Mirabos thought to himself, “Your Highness, according to the production process you just described, we only need to find some blacksmiths to make iron boxes, put the food in them, steam them, and then seal them with wax. I think that with a little preparation, we can start production.”

Joseph immediately shook his head: "This method of production is too slow and the cost would be very high. In addition, the wax seal is easy to fall off during transportation, causing the food to spoil."

What I need is industrialized production.

"Use rolling mills to make sheet metal, specialized cutting equipment, and weld the filling and sealing process. Ideally, we could develop a coiling press for can production."

Mirabo paused for a few seconds before adding in a low voice, "Your Highness, we also need a tin plating process, otherwise the iron sheet will be corroded by the food broth."

"Yes, it was my oversight."

Mirabow pondered, "I remember that the Luxembourg ironworks copied a few rolling mills, which could produce about one ton of sheet metal per month."

A rolling mill is a machine that uses two rollers to press a red-hot iron billet thin, repeating the process multiple times until it is pressed into a sheet of iron.

The British invented this device a few years ago, initially using water power. With France's current technological capabilities, they quickly copied a similar machine and switched to using a steam engine for power.

"If enough sheet metal is ordered, the ironworks can build a tin-plating bath. That way, the cannery can buy tin-plated sheet metal directly."

Mirabo glanced at the notebook in his hand: "As for the cutting equipment you requested, we don't have that yet. As I understand it, it should be a machine that uses parallel roller cutters to cut sheet metal. We can have the technicians design one."

"There's also filling and sealing welding, which seem to have to be done by hand."

"The rolling press you mentioned last time, I'm sorry, I've never actually heard of that."

Joseph nodded.

The lack of most of the equipment was not unexpected; he had originally intended to use the cannery to promote the development of mechanical technology.

Demand is the driving force for progress.

So he began to tell Mirabeau what the edge-rolling machine he wanted was: "It joins the two sides of the sheet metal used to make the can, then folds it twice and presses it down. If the pressure is sufficient, it can directly achieve a seal."

"If the process isn't up to par, we'll weld the seams, but that's definitely simpler and stronger than direct welding. The bottom and top of the can are treated the same way, but the folding method will certainly be different..."

Mirabo looked at the densely packed notes in his notebook and said helplessly, "Your Highness, the only way to design this is through a bidding process. Uh, if I may be so bold, the technical difficulty seems quite considerable."

"Then I'll leave it to you to take care of."

After Joseph finished discussing the matters related to the cannery, he said to Venio, "You need to discuss and decide on the location of the cannery with Count Mirabeau."

"It cannot be too far from the Seine River to facilitate transportation, and there must be sufficient meat and vegetable production in the surrounding area."

"In addition, I plan to build some more canneries in Marseille and Brittany to can the fish and oysters there and ship them to the inland provinces for sale."

Because of the lack of food preservation technology at that time, seafood that was very cheap in coastal areas could increase in price tenfold or more after being transported to inland areas.

Even so, more than 80% of seafood still rots before it can be sold.

If these products could be canned, it would bring huge economic revenue to the coastal provinces and increase the meat supply for the French. Joseph knew that any industry needs a civilian market to support it in order to reduce costs. Only then, when it came to military use, would the prices not be prohibitively expensive.

Just like canned food, if there are many factories in coastal areas that produce tens of thousands of cans every day, the cost for the military to buy them as logistical supplies may be lower than the cost of procuring fresh food from various places.

As dinner time approached, Louis XVI unexpectedly sent someone to summon Joseph to dine with him.

Joseph breathed a sigh of relief as he walked with his father's attendants through the long corridor in the center of Versailles Palace—this wasn't the way to the grand banquet hall, so at least he wouldn't be eating dinner under the watchful eyes of the nobles.

Sure enough, dinner was in the King's suite.

While a court official was presiding over the serving ceremony, Louis XVI impatiently leaned toward his son and said, "I heard you had a machine made that can precisely process iron workpieces?"

Joseph almost laughed. It turned out that his father had been so eager to call him over just to ask about the new milling machine.

I wonder who told the King this news. Hmm, most likely Dean Leroy.

"Yes, Father, I also ordered one as a birthday gift for you. However, it may not be delivered before your birthday."

“Oh, thank you so much, my dear Joseph. This is absolutely the best gift I’ve ever received.” Louis XVI blinked and continued, “I heard there’s one in the French Academy of Sciences right now?”

“Ah, that’s true.” Joseph had already guessed what he was going to do. “However, it’s about to be shipped to Nancy. You know, this is very necessary for the manufacture of the new steam engine.”

“Yes, it belongs to the Steam Engine Company,” Louis XVI nodded. “But I can go and see it before that.”

Joseph had no choice but to nod helplessly.

The king finished his dinner in just 15 minutes, and then, ignoring the darkness, he took his son and rushed off to the Academy of Sciences.

When the officials on duty at the Academy of Sciences learned that the King and the Crown Prince had suddenly arrived, they thought that their false reporting of expenses for experimental equipment had been discovered, and they broke out in a cold sweat.

It wasn't until the king and his entourage headed straight for the workshop where the "Royal Type I" milling machine was stored that he realized that a few hundred francs shouldn't warrant alarming the royal family...

Before long, people from the Royal Precision Equipment Company arrived after hearing the news—they were staying in the Academy's guest rooms.

Louis XVI couldn’t wait to have Lenoir demonstrate for him, and then signaled to his assistant Emeric to bring over a large box of things.

He took out several uniquely shaped small iron blocks and blueprints from the box and handed them to Lenoir, saying, "Could you process them to look like the drawings?"

"Of course, Your Majesty, it would be my pleasure to serve you."

More than 40 minutes later, Lenoir returned the three exquisite artifacts to Louis XVI.

The latter immediately picked up tweezers and a screwdriver, and skillfully installed them on a dark object.

Then he excitedly handed the object to Joseph: "This machine is amazing! It really solved the problem of these three most complex parts!"

Joseph had already noticed that it was a very finely crafted revolver.

(End of this chapter)