Johann Bessler information

[hansvonlieven]

@ John Collins

G'day John,

I remember reading somewhere that Bessler used a stork bill as a spring or something. Have you heard about this and what is the reference, it could be important because the German word for stork bill ( Storchschnabel ) has other connotations. It could be a mistranslation.

Hans von Lieven

[John Collins]

You're partly right Hans, Bessler does use the word Storchschnabel and draws one too.  But there is no explanationof it being used as a spring.  He only ever comments on the use of a spring in response to a question about them.  He said that they were used but not in the way you might think, he also says that storksbills were used but again not in the usual way.

John

[John Collins]

I agree in part Eric, but rather than different kinds of wheels being matched to the drawings I am looking at different drawings containing different parts of the same wheel.

I think he used different designs of mechanism to drive his different wheels but they were all based on an original simple concept.  I think that once the concept is understood we can devise different ways of using it and I think that Besler's wheel designs evolved from the original concept and that each was an improvement on the previous one.

John

PS Thanks for the 5 book order Eric - they're on their way to you.

[hansvonlieven]

You're partly right Hans, Bessler does use the word Storchschnabel and draws one too.  But there is no explanationof it being used as a spring.  He only ever comments on the use of a spring in response to a question about them.  He said that they were used but not in the way you might think, he also says that storksbills were used but again not in the usual way.

John

Thanks John,

I would really like to see the passages you are talking about. You see in German Storchschnabel is the common technical term for a pantograph. The device and the term was around before Bessler. The first pantograph was constructed in 1603 by Christoph Scheiner, who used the device to re-create diagrams, but he wrote about the invention over 27 years later, in "Pantographice" (Rome 1631). This is why I am so interested. The implications are obvious.

Hans von Lieven

EDIT: For those of you that don't know what a pantograph is, here is an excellent web page where you can play with one in a java applet. You will immediately see how that applies to Bessler.

http://www.ies.co.jp/math/products/geo1/applets/panta/panta.html

[John Collins]

I'll get back to you with that information Hans.  Please allow me several hours to respond as we have a family troubles to cope with.

John