Bessler Wheel design

[KoenL]

Alright Stefan, mainly because you requested it, but
also for others to ponder, here is my recent Bessler Wheel
design.

Of course it is based on descriptions of and clues about the functioning
of the apparatus by Bessler, his king and some eyewitnesses.
Some of the most remarkable of these are his kings note that the inner
workings of the wheel were very simple, that they consisted of nothing
more than weights, levers and springs/strings, and that he was himself
baffled by the simplicity of the device when he was finally allowed a look
at the mechanism. Other clear clues are Besslers hints that 1) the wheel
uses at least 6 and preferably 8 or more equal weights, 2) the weights work
in pairs, and 3) the 'punctus quietus', point of balance, should never be reached
by the weights because of their own actions. Witnesses have reported hearing
about 8 bangs eacht rotation, on the rim of the wheel, on the side where it
moves down, and being shown a lead weight with fixture holes on the sides by
Bessler, and hearing a string or spring make its typical sound when it slipped
as Bessler attempted to reattach the weight.
Most will probably know these things.

Anyway, I was just doodling around, sketching different versions of an extremely
simple arrangement based on Besslers clues, when I came across one design
that seemed interesting. A quick and dirty calculation appeared to show a
permantent imbalance to one side... Later, a slightly less dirty but still not
reliable calculation seemed to bring the average point of gravity a little closer
to the point of balance (meaning in a vertical line with the wheels axle), but still
offset to one side...
A much more elaborate calculation was started but never finished, so I cannot be certain yet.

For your viewing pleasure, study, remarks, comments, suggestions, etc,
I hereby present to all of you a digital version of my sketched design.
I welcome any and all reactions, and invite any of you who are interested
to show why it will or will not work. I've decided to await reactions, but am
considering to construct a test version with something easy like Lego Technic
or Meccano or something like that... Unless one of you guys points out why it
can't work and I am convinced of course. ;-)

Caller number one? ;-)

Note to all: this is my design, if anyone wants to replicate this design in any form,
contact me. Also, for additional info or explanation, you may contact me.

[hartiberlin]

Hi Koen,
where are the springs in this design ?
Do they connect every 2 weights ?
I think springs are a MUST for a Bessler design,
cause you have to store the potential energy in
them , so if a weight has gone down, it could be
pulled up againin the next cycle and the trick must be
to just shift the lever arms with the weights to one side and
store the movement of the weights energywise in springs,
so that the wheel turns to one side and afterwards pulls
up the weights again via the springs so the cycle can begin again.

Have you tried to draw this design in 5 degrees steps and see,
if there are steps, where you have no imbalance or a negative
torque ?
Normally some designs like this have positive and negative
torque steps and the result overall is zero.

Maybe you can test it in MW2D simulation program ?

http://www.workingmodel.com/download.html

This is a pretty easy and very powerfull programm for
these tests.

Regards, Stefan.

[snpssaini]

Hi koenl,

Sorry for that but it will not work.

Thanks

Sanjay Saini

[hartiberlin]

Sanjay, why ?

[AgingYoung]

KoenL,

I think this wheel would turn with a slight modification.  If you could focus an anti-gravity ray on the weight that's attached to 6 o'clock and hold that beam on it as it moves to the 7:30 position then it will turn.  After closing my eyes and running a sim I've concluded that's the range where the punctus gets quite quietus.

Some don't want to employ anti-gravity rays in their design because of the large power consumption.  An alternative would be to hire an unemployed frenchman.  For a mere bagel and a cheap bottle of merlot you should be able to keep this wheel turning for a shift (8 hours).

A. Gene Young

ps:  The design of this wheel is identical in principle to a wheel discussed on a BesslerWheel.com thread with the difference being how the weights are forced to the center.  In this wheel the weights are forced by weights on their opposite sides sliding horizontally to pull the bottom weights up a vertical.  On the BesslerWheel.com thread the weights were moved up a ramp.  I'd be willing to pay shipping and handling and $5K for a wheel of this sort with a 15kw output.  Let me know when you start production.  I would want one sans-frenchman.