. Bulletin. Science. "perpetual motion," in spite of an occasional dis- claimer of such intent. Typical of many of these patented devices was a linkage for "multiplying" the motion of a flywheel, proposed in 1841 by Charles Johnson of Amity, Illi- nois (fig. 37). "It is not pretended that there is any actual gain of power," wrote Mr. Johnson; and prob- ably he meant it. The avowed purpose of his linkage was to increase the speed of a flywheel and thus decrease its size.'"' An Englishman who a few years earlier had in- vented a "new Motion" had claim
. Bulletin. Science. "perpetual motion," in spite of an occasional dis- claimer of such intent. Typical of many of these patented devices was a linkage for "multiplying" the motion of a flywheel, proposed in 1841 by Charles Johnson of Amity, Illi- nois (fig. 37). "It is not pretended that there is any actual gain of power," wrote Mr. Johnson; and prob- ably he meant it. The avowed purpose of his linkage was to increase the speed of a flywheel and thus decrease its size.'"' An Englishman who a few years earlier had in- vented a "new Motion" had claimed that his device would supersede the "ordinary crank in steam en- gines," the beam, parallel motion, and "external fly- wheel," reduce friction, neutralize "all extra con- tending power," and leave nothing for the piston to do "but the work intended to be ; A correspondent of the Repertory of Patent Inventions made short work of this device: "There is hardly one assertion that can be supported by proof," he wrote, "and most of them are palpable ; The writer attacked "the 'beetle impetus wheel,' which he [the inventor] thinks us all so beetle-headed, as not to perceive to be a flywheel," and concluded with the statement: "In short the whole production evinces gross ignorance either of machinery, if the patentee really believed what he asserted, or of mankind, if he did ; '"^ Although many of the mechanisms for which patents were taken out were designed by persons who would make no use of the principles involved even if such principles could at that time have been clearly stated, it is a regrettable fact that worthless mechanisms often got as much space as sound ones in patent journals, and objections such as the one above were infrequent. The slanted information thus conveyed to the young mechanician, who was just accumulating his first kinematic repertory, was at times
Size: 1793px × 1393px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorunitedstatesdepto, bookcentury1900, booksubjectscience
