Fuelle

Fuelle is a French word that translates to "bellows" in English. Bellows are a device consisting of two hinged boards that can be opened and closed, with a flexible material connecting them. This action expels air through a nozzle. Historically, bellows were crucial for increasing airflow to a fire, making it burn hotter. They were commonly used in blacksmith forges to ignite and maintain the heat of the coals, and also in organs and other musical instruments to supply air to pipes or reeds.

The principle behind bellows is simple: opening the boards creates a vacuum that draws air in through a valve, and closing them forces the air out through the nozzle. This continuous expulsion of air provides a steady stream of oxygen, essential for combustion or for producing sound. While modern technology has introduced more efficient methods for these purposes, the bellows remains a recognizable and historically significant tool. The term "fuelle" can also be used metaphorically in French to describe a type of percussion instrument that produces sound through the manipulation of air, similar in concept to a pump organ.