Posted by Nick Hall (195.74.122.242) on June 12, 2003 at 04:20:39:
With all this discussion about "how many parts?" I think it might be helpful to hear what Bessler himself had to say about his designs:
"Further, I make my machines in such a way that, big or small, I can make the resulting power small or big as I choose. I can get the power to a perfectly calculated degree...... If I arrange to have just one cross-bar in the machine, it revolves very slowly, just as if it can hardly turn itself at all"
[Apologia]
Notice the bit "If I arrange to have just one cross-bar in the machine..."
To my mind that says that his 'principle' was capable of being instantiated in a very simple rotary device with one "cross-bar" - (and just two weights?).....
Just a thought for all those interested to know if their design 'fits' that of Bessler himself.
I am sure that behind any design is a simple principle which can be used in many different types of design - some complex and some simple.
You can spend years making possible wheels, or you can spend years looking at the maths behind the mechanics of these dynamic systems - either way once the principle is seen, it will be possible to embody it in many different ways.
Personally I have stuck to the latter approach because I hate actually _doing_ mechanics!!
:)
Nick