Was Bessler for real?

[John Worton]

Hi Alan,

Thank you for your friendly welcome to the forum.

Yes, of course you are right, ultimately only a full build and test will prove the true worth of my design.  I am happy enough for now with your immediate response that my design is ‘a possible’ ‘a could be’ and ‘for sure worth a build’. I am used to so much more negativity from people!
Lets see what John Collins returns with from his mysterious disappearance.

John

The link to my website is; http://factumpoetica.org/

[Dr]

Hi John Worton: I was back looking at your website, and trying to figure out your leverage ratio. I mean how far away from the axle does the large weight travel, compared to the small weight? And does the large weight have maximum power below the axle? Thanks in advance John.

[AB Hammer]

Hi John Worton: I was back looking at your website, and trying to figure out your leverage ratio. I mean how far away from the axle does the large weight travel, compared to the small weight? And does the large weight have maximum power below the axle? Thanks in advance John.

Dr / John and John Worton

I have the action all mapped out, for a metal version and my test of it will be for adjustable weights due to possible effects in balancing. In regards to Dr's question. What is your suggestion of weights to start with. 1 to 4?

I do most my work with metal due to I am a blacksmith, but due to the design Aluminum may be the best choice for now due to balancing. My goal is a single arm set for the first test. This will confirm actions and action timing. This is to see if it can go further for further test after all weight adjustments. I have built so many wheels I have learned what to look at. Since you have been in contact with John Collins, I will keep him posted as well.

Alan

[AB Hammer]

John Worton

There is one other thing I forgot to mention. Negative leverage. There is a possibility that the longer arm may have this problem. Meaning that the small weight may control the larger weight.  It is the same with Scissor jacks when people try to get length with them. The design is simple enough and this is one of the test I put some types of design through. Just an early warning of one of the noted possible problems.

Alan

[John Worton]

Hi Dr / John,

The leverage ratio is 1:7

I always considered 1717 to be one of Bessler’s Principle Clues.  When trying to work out what this number might refer to I could only ever think it was either an angle or a ratio.  In the end it turned out to be both.  Please see my drawing ‘A Slinking Cat’ on my website.

The large weight does not travel nearer to or further away from the axle: it always stays exactly the same distance from it.  This is because it is a short ‘fat’ pendulum swinging directly from the axle itself: rotating on a large bearing that the axle passes through.  Please see my drawing ‘A Heavy Pendula with Hook’.

It is the small weight that does all the travelling.  On my template for the armatures of a 1.7m radius wheel, when the armature is fully extended, the distance from the centre of the axle to the centre of the small weight is 1.65m, and, when the armature is fully closed the distance from the centre of the axle to the centre of the small weight is 0.6m.
The distance from the centre of the axle to the centre of the large weight is 0.24m.
The small weight weighs 0.5kg and the large weight weighs 6.5kg.

As far as maths and The Bessler Wheel is concerned, you or someone like you will have to tell me what is going on; I have no idea!  Apart from some very basic arithmetic I have no maths skills or knowledge.  Please remember that I am an Artist (a Fine Art Painter) and I have arrived at the solution to Bessler’s Clues via poetry and drawing, worked together with a very laborious process of ‘on the bench’ testing.  I am however sufficiently ‘with it’ maths-wise to realise that the figures I have given you mean my template has a leverage ratio of 1: 6.875 and not 1:7.  I do hope no one is going to respond to me saying pedantically that my figures are in error by 0.125!
Before they do they might like to look again at title page of Apologia Poetica and see how Bessler has very boldly placed 1716. - - 1717 on it.  (He does like to stick his clues right in your face!)  He wasn’t saying it took him a whole year to write the book!  He was saying that a leverage ratio of 1.6  - - up to 1.7 is good.

Does the large weight have maximum power below the axle?  Yes; it develops its power in freefall on the heavy side of the wheel (whilst at the same time pulling in its armature on the light side), and it delivers its (small) ‘push’ from approximately ‘6 o’clock’ to ‘8 ‘o’clock’ on the light side through its continued swinging.  Additionally it acts as a kind of ‘dead weight’ against which the other armatures ‘pull’ to open each other.

John


The link to my website is; http://factumpoetica.org/