Posted by Bill McMurtry (211.28.96.6) on September 14, 2002 at 02:03:11:
In Reply to: falling weights posted by gill simo on September 13, 2002 at 07:51:06:
Hi Gill,
Bessler exhibited 2 distinctly different types, of wheel. His earlier wheels, up to and including his 9.3 feet diameter and 6 inches thick Draschwitz wheel, rotated in one direction only and had to be restrained when not in use (ie: constant overbalance, even at rest).
The Merseburg and Kassel wheels were designed to counter criticism that his wheels were somehow would up with a spring - Bessler modified his design so they could rotate in either direction ("it moves to the left and to the right, it turns in either direction") from a light starting push. Furthermore, both of the dual-direction wheels were balanced when at rest.
To extract exact English translation from 18th C German is obviously difficult (dare I say impossible) - but the gist is usually clear, if not cryptic.
Regards, Bill.
: hi everyone
: I note that there is some discussion re the falling weights in besslers wheel.I recently tried to point out on this board that normal "predictable" actions may be of little use,that after nearly 300 years of NO progress we should perhaps try to look at the unpredictable bearing in mind that we are trying remember to prove the impossible at this stage.
: I pointed out that the weights may not have been falling on the descending side but just as likely to have been rising.
: Here are a couple of extra things to think about.
: In his apparently crazy,cryptic wee verse bessler says something like "it moves to the left and to the right,it turns in either direction" and in his description as to how his wheel operates he states "must apply its weight at rt angles to the axle,WHICH IN ITS TURN MUST ALSO MOVE" Mr Collins I hope will recall past questions re this "at rt angles" translation and that there is some confusion as to its correctness.Nethertheless the points I wish to make are regardless in this respect.
: The first statement simply makes no real sense if read and taken literally,on face value.Any revolving wheel turns to the left and the right depending on which side you choose to view it and in this sense also turns in either direction.Worded as bessler has done he is surely therefore stating the obvious and then repeating it twice. Why would he do this?Surely what he means is that it can revolve in either direction and that in doing so it turns both left and right simultaniously
: As I am about to run out of air time I shall address my second point seperately asap
: gill