Johann Bessler information

[hansvonlieven]

G'day all,

I have been asked to repost my analysis of Bessler's use of the pendulum in his wheels.



Regards the wheel at Merseburg, and incidentally the wheel at Weissenstein which shows a similar arrangement I would like to say the following.

If you have a look at the drawing you will notice that on the left hand side it shows the same wheel shown from the side. There are actually two pendula involved, one in front of the wheel, one behind the hammer mill the wheel is driving. Both are driven by the main shaft without any other connection to the machine shown.

The same arrangement is here at the Weissenstein wheel.

I have used the Weissenstein illustration for my analysis as it is a better depiction of the principle and a clearer scan of Bessler's original drawing (courtesy University of Goettingen). Only the colour and my comment regarding the centre of gravity have been added, otherwise the picture is original.

A closer look at the pendulum reveals that in reality it is not a pendulum at all. The two counter weights at the top shift the centre of gravity of the device very close to the fulcrum. This arrangement virtually cancels any pendulum effect. So what is it and why is it there?

It is my assessment that it is a very sensitive indicator of the balance of the entire device at any given point.

Like this:

Can you see the parallels?

So what was Bessler doing there? The answer is as simple as it is obvious.

Bessler used the device to set and adjust his weights inside the wheel during construction! After the wheel was built there was no further need for it and in fact in some of Bessler's designs he dispensed with it altogether though it is my guess he would have still used it during construction. A further indication that my analysis is probably correct is that in the earlier Merseburg wheel the device is much cruder in construction, indicating that Bessler was very much aware that the more precise the device the more accurate his measurements became. Hence the much greater care spent in its construction in the Weissenstein wheel.

It utterly amazes me that in almost 300 years no-one I know of has ever commented on this and that even today people that study Bessler still call it a pendulum when it is very clear that it is not.

Hans von Lieven

[Alexioco]

Very good, one question though, if the toy page wasn't done by Bessler, then how can this help us with the prime mover as no one had found perpetual motion before Bessler...

Whats an inverted pendulum?

Also thats a good point about something that is balanced but unstable, making the balance point weak seems a good idea, I have always thought that if inside the wheel the mechanism was unsteady, it would have more chance, I think for part of a working wheel is that everything must be independent and not controlled as something that is controlled is more weak I think, and if you think about it, something that cannot balance would be very tricky to hold in your hand without it either falling out or collapsing....

Thats probably why Bessler said that "a knock could bring the wheel to a grinding halt"...
He also said "the wheel must come into being" might mean that the weights had to work with each other but was unstable and relied on itself to keep itself up...

Basically everything must of been free...

[hansvonlieven]

Only because Bessler used someone else's drawing as an example that does not mean he is not trying to show us something.

Hans von Lieven

[Alexioco]

Only because Bessler used someone else's drawing as an example that does not mean he is not trying to show us something.

Hans von Lieven

by the way I edited my post

[hansvonlieven]

The picture below is an inverted pendulum. It needs a very small push to upset it's equilibrium.

Hans von Lieven