Help with Ed Leedskalnin Riddle , any idea .

[twinbeard]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. Been reading your information for a while though. Very interesting all. If I may, I've a question for anyone who's been to the Castle and investigated the wheel. First, assuming everything that was in the photo is still in his workshop, and also assuming most everything he used came from a model T(I know, I'm assuming a lot), has anyone identified what part of the car sits on the block of wood in front of the machine? Is it still in the shop?

Hi,

Take a look at these vids I made during a recent trip there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMeLNf9t2Bo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wsUSqrm4C4

He placed coils wrapped on glass bottles on the blocks... there are tie down terminals on the ends of the blocks.  It is quite possible that there was something in the bottles as well... water, another liquid, powdered metal, or similar, although the "core material" is just speculation on my part.

Cheers,
Twinbeard

[rcsquared]

Thanks for the links Twinbeard.

Still, I saw nothing that resembled the thing on the block of wood in the picture of Ed posed using his machine though. I've built this machine 5 times, each time using different windings. One gave me slight but repeatable results of magnetizing chain hanging above it. So, for now, frustration has moved me on to how he may have kept it in motion. But, that thing on the block of wood perplexes me still.

[IotaYodi]

Though the pic doesnt have high resolution the block of wood may be a stack of iron. Just like a transformer coil to diminish eddy currents. The wooden looking bar seems to hold weight down on the block to keep the chain down as it seems a little bowed. The chain itself is at a 90 degree angle to the block. The rotor itself looks like it may put out a magnetic sine wave. If that is the case,then maybe the chain being at a 90 degree angle is being energized or charged. If the chain is truly charged thats a lot of charge for something that size. If the chain werent a closed loop the charge may have remained until the loop was closed creating a circuit in a device. Something that may relate to this is the U shaped Pmh with the keeper and 2 coils on it. One coil was energized with a dc voltage and the other coils leads were tied together If I remember right. This apparently puts out Ac. 

[Dave45]

The bottles were filled with sweet sixteen

[Pirate88179]

Here is a different shot of it I had.

Bill