Perpetuum Mobile: Or, A History of the Search for Self-motive Power from the 13th to the 19th Century

Voorkant
E. & F.N. Spon, 1870 - 368 pagina's
 

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Pagina xxxi - FACSIMILE OF THE SKETCH-BOOK OF WILARS DE HONEC'ORT, an Architect of the Thirteenth Century. With Commentaries and Descriptions by MM. LASSUS and Q.UICHERAT. Translated and Edited, with many additional Articles and Notes, by the Rev. ROBERT WILLIS, MA, FRS, Jacksonian Professor at Cambridge, &c. With 64 Facsimiles, 10 Illustration Plates, and 43 Woodcuts.
Pagina 109 - I doubted ; but to my great astonishment I observed that the rapidity of the wheel augmented little by little until it made two turns, and then it regained its former speed. This experiment, showing the rapidity of the wheel augmented from the very slow movement that I gave it to an extraordinary rapid one, convinces me more than if I had only seen the wheel moving a whole year, which would not have persuaded me that it was perpetual motion, because it might have diminished little by little until...
Pagina 193 - The mechanical advantage of the wheel and axle, or crane, is as the velocity of the weight to the velocity of the power ; and, being only a modification of the first kind of lever, it of course partakes of the same principles.
Pagina 144 - ... which could always drop a penny out, though never a penny was put in, is a problem of the same kind. He who can construct this purse may construct a perpetual motion ; in this way. Let him hang the purse upside down, and with the stream of pence which will flow out, let him buy a strong steam engine, and pay for keeping it at work day and night. Have a new steam-engine ready to be set in motion by the old one at its last gasp, and so on to all eternity. A perpetual motion demands of the nature...
Pagina 145 - People were told that if they would sell their steam-engines for old iron, they might buy new machines with the money, which would work as long as they held together without costing a farthing for fuel. Certainly, had the scheme been proposed to me, I should have declined to join until I had derived assurance from seeing the donkey who originated it turned into a head-overheels perpetual motion by tying a heavy weight to his tail and an exhausted receiver to his nose. 3. Quadrature of the circle....
Pagina xxv - Paris, . . . was infatuated with the chimera of perpetual motion, and to effect this discovery, he set to work with indefatigable ardour. From unremitting attention to the object of his enthusiasm coinciding with the influence of revolutionary disturbances, his imagination was greatly heated, his sleep was interrupted, and, at length, a complete derangement of the understanding took place.
Pagina 145 - ... motion. That people do try after a perpetual motion to this day is certain. A good many years ago a perpetual motion company was in contemplation ; and the promoters did me the unsolicited honor of putting my name on the list of directors. Fortunately the intention came round to me before the list was circulated ; and a word to the editor of a periodical produced an article which, I believe, destroyed the concern. The plan was to put a drum or broad wheel with one vertido half in mercury and...
Pagina 204 - ... are exposed), still the primary cause of its motion being constant, and the friction upon every part extremely insignificant, it will continue its action for a longer duration than any mechanical performance has ever been known to do.
Pagina 144 - ... terms must be terms of a kind of which we have at present no conception. 2. The Perpetual motion. — This is a problem of a very different kind. The purse of Fortunatus, which could always drop a penny out, though never a penny was put in, is a problem of the same kind. He who can construct this purse may construct a perpetual motion ; in this way. Let him hang the purse upside down, and with the stream of pence which will flow out, let him buy a strong steam engine, and pay for keeping it at...
Pagina 10 - ... active and powerfull element, and the cause of all motion in nature. This was well knowne to Cornelius, by his practise in the untwining of the Elements, and therefore to the effecting of this great worke, he extracted a fierie spirit out of the minerall matter, joyning the same with his proper Aire, which encluded in the Axeltree, being hollow, carrieth the wheeles, making a continuall rotation or revolution, except issue or vent be given to the Axeltree, whereby that imprisoned Spirit may get...

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