Posted by L. P. Marken (212.186.255.4) on February 27, 2002 at 15:56:04:
Inside the Bessler wheel, put a number of rods in a circular fashion, each rod parallell to the axis and in equal distance from it. (Got it?) From each of the rods, suspend different masses using springs, rubber bands, strings etc in a random fashion. Only make sure that the total mass attached to each rod is equal. Thus giving a balanced wheel in the steady state situation.
Now fit the wheel with a mechanism that only allows it to rotate in one direction. Shake everything up by setting the wheel in motion. The random movement of all the stuff inside will create unbalance, sometimes in one direction, sometimes in the other. Each time there is unbalance in the direction the wheel is allowed to rotate, it will rotate.
Then we can only hope that the motion of the wheel is enough to keep all the masses swinging and that equilibrium is never reached by coincidence.
I don't actually believe this will work, but it sounds good, doesn't it? :-)
LPM