The whimsical machines of Edmund Dohnert

Edmund Dohnert designs machines that are meant to be amusing celebrations of mechanical movement. Shown here is a piece titled Victor Rat Trap No. 3.

The artist describes this machine:

In a deliberate escalation beyond Victor Rat Traps Nos. 1 and 2, this one is powered by not one, but two rat traps! Both springs are connected by a steel rod, which is attached to a Swiss cheese-like structure that has a cord wrapped around its edge. (The "cheese" is mounted off-center so as to even out the pull on the cord over the full range of the springs' travel.)

This cord pulls the springs back, and through an arrangement of pulleys, connects to a crank-wound gearbox on the right. The gearbox's output shaft connects to a vertical shaft running through a support structure, on top of which is a 'planetary gear' arrangement with two hollow spheres attached.

When the vertical shaft rotates, not only do the "planets" rotate about their own individual axes, they also orbit around the central shaft (hence the origin of the term 'planetary gear'). Connected to the main gearbox is a second gearbox that operates a small fan which not only helps control the speed of the machine through air resistance, it creates a unique whirring sound.

While the machine only runs for about 30 seconds, it's quite interesting to watch, for the movement is reminiscent of a medieval astronomical orrery.

See more amazing mechanical creations from Edmund Dohnert on his web site.

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"Bernie the Wine Taster" Automaton

Here's an automaton designed and built by Stuart Chalmers depicting a wine-tasting Bernese Mountain Dog. Check out the great shots of the mechanism.

Says Stuart:

The model took me about 60 hours to design and build and is my most complicated one so far, with 5 separate mechanisms. The box is made from walnut. The mechanism is a mixture of oak, cherry and birch plywood. Brass rods are also used as well as one piece of mono-filament.

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Book: Making Working Wooden Locks

This book provides plans and instructions for building working locks from wood. The book includes step-by-step instructions, color photos, measured drawings, and advice on wood selection, tools, and finishing. Projects include a warded lock, a combination lock, an antique lever lock, a railroad switch lock, and an antique push key lever lock.

Here is a link to the book Making Working Wooden Locks).

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Mechanism for animatronic mask in latex and foam

F.X. Déco is a French company who creates video, sets, masks, make up, figures, costumes, prototypes, models, and animatronics. Shown here is a the exposed mechanism for mask done in latex and foam and animated with radio-controlled servomotors.

See more fabulous creations by F.X. Dé on their web site.

[ Thanks Karin! ]

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Details of arrow-shooting boy karakuri mechanism

This video (in Japanese) explores the right arm mechanism for the famous arrow-shooting boy karakuri. This is a sophisticated automaton that can pick up arrows, put them on a bow string, pull the bow, and fire it at a target. There are additional motions to make the figure come to life. The animation shows the three cams that control the arm's three axes of motion.

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Contraption - automaton by artist Tom Haney

Here is another great new piece from automata artist Tom Haney. This one is titled Contraption.

See more images -- including his great "in progress" shots -- and videos of Contraption on Tom Haney's web site.

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Mechanical door knocker interior mechanism

Taylor Shepherd, an artist working out of New Orleans, created this wooden cam-driven machine which rhythmically interrupts the audio circuits on AM an FM and CB radios contained in a box fronted by a two-way mirror and triggered by a motion sensor. The piece is included in an installation by the Society for Decoration and Sacrifice at Barrister's Gallery in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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The Verge and Foliot clock escapment in wood

My appreciation and interest in clock mechanisms is growing all the time. Here's a wood version of one of the earliest of all escapements: the verge and foliot.

Wikipedia on the verge escapement:

The verge (or crown wheel) escapement is the earliest known type of mechanical escapement, the mechanism in a mechanical clock that controls its rate by advancing the gear train at regular intervals or 'ticks'. Its origin is unknown. Verge escapements were used from the 14th century until about 1800 in clocks and pocketwatches. The name verge comes from the Latin virga, meaning stick or rod.

Its invention is important in the history of technology, because it made possible the development of all-mechanical clocks. This caused a shift from measuring time by continuous processes, such as the flow of liquid in water clocks, to repetitive, oscillatory processes, such as the swing of pendulums, which had the potential to be more accurate. Oscillating timekeepers are at the heart of every clock today.

Here is a link to Wikipedia's article on the verge escapement.

[ Thanks Steve! ]

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Fully automatic electric crossbow

Granted...this is a little off-topic for this blog, but its overwhelming mechanical awesomeness requires me to repost it.

See more amazing crossbow creations on the creator's web site.

[ Found via Hack A Day ]

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Birthday of Eli Whitney Jr., Inventor

There is a tribute on the Make Magazine Blog to this American inventor.

From the Make Blog:
"On this day in 1765, Eli Whitney, Jr. was born in Westborough, Massachusetts. Whitney would go on, most famously, to invent the cotton gin, which revolutionized cotton production in the antebellum South. He eventually became the most famous early American proponent of interchangeable parts, and also invented one of the world's first milling machines."

Here's the Make Magazine post about Eli Whitney.

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Ron Fuller's Sheep Shearing Man Automaton

Here is a great little video featuring automata-maker Ron Fuller explaining the mechanics of his classic piece Sheep Shearing Man.

Ron Fuller was one of the early contributors to Cabaret Mechanical Theatre and is one of many artists featured in the book Automata and Mechanical Toys.

[ Thanks Charles! ]

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Exploding and reassembling picture with gears

Here is a great wall-mounted kinetic sculpture featuring wooden gears and other wooden mechanical parts. The mechanism makes the frame of the piece come apart, then come back together. The piece is driven by an electric motor.

[ Thanks Art! ]

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Gary Schott's MECHANICAL PLAYTHINGS

Texas-based metalsmith, jeweler and educator, Gary Schott, will be holding his first real solo show, called MECHANICAL PLAYTHINGS starting this week.

The show opens Nov. 28th at Design Works, located in Galveston, TX at 2119A Post Office Street. The opening reception will be held from 6-9PM Saturday Nov. 28th, 2009.

It is sure to be a great show in which you can touch and play with some mechanical art-toys.

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A 'Convolution' of purely wooden mechanisms

Woodworker Ken Schweim built this collection of wood mechanisms and titled it Convolution. It is a wonderful assortment of drives, linkages, and gears. Well done, Ken!

From the video description:

This is a collection of wood mechanisms driven by a common wood crank. The entire project is wood, no nails, screws, wires, etc. Each assembly is removable. The wood is primarily common pine with some black walnut. Total time required was about 4 months with the majority in the design phase. I was going to add more to the open sides and the interior but decided against it for two reasons; one - it would require more cranking power and two, it would make it difficult to see the existing interior mechanicals. Plus, it now leaves the door open for another possible project to explore more wood mechanisms. In reviewing the audio I mistakenly said there is wire in this thing but not so, it is all wood.

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Mechanical Christmas tree stand with four tunes

Made around 1900, this German clockwork Christmas tree stand spins the tree around and plays four tunes.

For more info, visit http://www.automatomania.com.

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Authentic, working replica of a praxinoscope

Here is an heirloom-quality working replica of the praxinoscope -- an animation device invented in 1877.

About this praxinoscope replica:

Used to depict motion using a series of rapidly spinning images, it is considered the precursor to the modern motion picture, it was invented by French science teacher Charles-Émile Reynaud. A dodecagonal drum -- each face containing a 2 3/4" H x 1" W mirror -- sits concentrically inside a smooth, 8" diameter cylinder. A paper strip of 12 images is placed into the cylinder; when the brass finial is spun, the images are reflected in the central prism of mirrors, creating the illusion of movement. This replica comes with 14 image strips, including a galloping horse, two blacksmiths taking turns hammering a piece of iron on an anvil, and a rotund captain of industry rolling by virtue of his own girth. Beech construction.

Here is the link to The Authentic Praxinoscope.

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Isis Impossible Titanium Puzzle

Invented by a magician and manufactured from high-grade aluminum (not sure where the 'titanium' name comes from) the Isis puzzle is a mechanical puzzle with an interactive twist. Solving the physical puzzle is just the start. Now we can all feel like characters in The Da Vinci Code.

From the puzzle description:

As the Isis puzzles are supposedly "The hardest puzzles in the world" the manufacturer gives you some clues, encrypted of course available on their website. The Isis is a high quality puzzle, similar to a combination lock. The object of the puzzle is to solve the combination and obtain the secret number inside. Each Isis is unique, and you will need to obtain the key number inside and enter the numbers onto the Isis Adventure website in order to access the "Pyramid Map". Many hidden pyramids will be found on the map, and fantastic monetary awards are available to those that can solve the location and the pyramid passwords.

Here's a link with more info on Isis Titanium Puzzle and its even more difficult cousin known as Ramisis Pyramid Puzzle.

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LEGO palette handling automation set up

This nifty programmed LEGO contraption rotates two sets of blocks around a square track (similar to palettes in automated factory set ups) without mixing the them.

[ Thanks Keith! ]

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Video of 'Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood'

If you've ever wondered if the book Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood contains projects that would appeal to you, check out the video above sent by Richard Thorne. Richard has made four of the book's 17 projects and demonstrates them briefly in the video. Well done!

If you are up for working on some challenging, but rewarding woodworking projects, here is a link to where you can pick up a copy of the book Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood.

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Video of mechanical south-facing chariot

I posted last year about some South Pointing Chariots -- an amazing mechanical invention from ancient China. No matter which way the cart turns or how often, the figure on top always points South (the cardinal direction of preference in that culture at that time). A magnetic compass isn't used to accomplish this task; the solution is entirely mechanical. Here is some video of a functional model made by the clever hands of Osamu Kanda.

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Animated peanut butter lid video, Part 2

Yesterday, we looked at video of the mechanically animated scene created on top of a peanut butter jar lid. This video takes a good close look at the mechanisms that make it all work. Some very creative and clever design solutions are used!

[ Thanks Karin! ]

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The Way Toys Work - book on the science of toys

The full title of this intriguing book is The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More. The book covers 50 well-known toys examining their history and the technology that makes them work. Throw in a mention of DIY experiments and some reverse engineering (see below) and this book is definitely on my reading list!

From the book description on Amazon:

Discover how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, why a boomerang returns after it is thrown, and how an RC car responds to a remote control device. Leaving no detail unrevealed, the guide includes original patent-application blueprints and photos of the “guts” of several devices. Inventors and museum curators also offer their observations of favorite gizmos while dispelling (or confirming) several toy legends. Complete with explanations of do-it-yourself experiments and tips on reverse engineering old toys to observe their interior mechanics, this entertaining and informative reference even provides pointers on how budding toy makers can build their own toys using only recycled materials and a little ingenuity.

Here is the link to The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More on Amazon.com.

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Gear Materials, Properties, and Manufacture book

OK, I am basing this on the table of contents (see below)...but this has got to be one of the definitive treatments on topic of gears. Any engineers out there to verify my guess?

Chapter 1 - Basic Understanding of Gears
Chapter 2 - Gear Tribology and Lubrication
Chapter 3 - Ferrous and Nonferrous Alloys
Chapter 4 - Plastics
Chapter 5 - Machining, Grinding, and Finishing
Chapter 6 - Casting, Forming, and Forging
Chapter 7 - Powder Metallurgy
Chapter 8 - Through Hardening
Chapter 9 - Carburizing
Chapter 10 - Nitriding
Chapter 11 - Carbonitriding
Chapter 12 - Induction and Flame Hardening
Chapter 13 - Gear Failure Modes and Analysis
Chapter 14 - Fatigue and Life Prediction
Chapter 15 - Mechanical Testing

Here is Amazon's listing for Gear Materials, Properties, and Manufacture

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The dangers of an automated snuff machine

Check out this wooden mechanical snuff delivery device. It is ingenious in a sinister sort of way. Let this poor fellow's experience be a lesson to us all!

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Decoding the Heavens: Antikythera mechanism

Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer--and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets is about the the Antikythera mechanism a mysterious and sophisticated mechanical device recovered in 1901 from an ancient Mediterranean shipwreck. It is now thought to have been built about 150 - 100 BC and represents the first known analog computer designed to calculate astronomical positions. It's an astonishing piece of ancient mechanical technology with a fascinating history.

From the Publishers Weekly

Marchant, editor of New Science, relates the century-long struggle of competing amateurs and scientists to understand the secrets of a 2000-year-old clock-like mechanism found in 1901 by Greek divers off the coast of Antikythera, a small island near Tunisia. With new research and interviews, Marchant goes behind the scenes of the National Museum in Athens, which zealously guarded the treasure while overlooking its importance; examines the significant contributions of a London Science Museum assistant curator who spent more than 30 years building models of the device; and the 2006 discoveries made by a group of modern researchers using state-of-the-art X-ray. Beneath its ancient, calcified surfaces they found "delicate cogwheels of all sizes" with perfectly formed triangular teeth, astronomical inscriptions "crammed onto every surviving surface," and a 223-tooth manually-operated turntable that guides the device. Variously described as a calendar computer, a planetarium and an eclipse predictor,Marchant gives clear explanations of the questions and topics involved, including Greek astronomy and clockwork mechanisms. For all they've learned, however, the Antikythera mechanism still retains secrets that may reveal unknown connections between modern and ancient technology; this globe-trotting, era-spanning mystery should absorb armchair scientists of all kinds.

Here is a link for more information on the book Decoding the Heavens: A 2,000-Year-Old Computer--and the Century-Long Search to Discover Its Secrets

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Video of paper prototyping a griffin automaton

Katy Hargrove has created a great video in which she describes the process she is using to prototype an automaton project. Using manila folders, paper clips, scotch tap, and metal paper-fasteners, she has managed to create a very interesting motion for her griffin project. This is a great demonstration of an easy and effective process for working out the proportions and motions for various automata figures.

Check out more of her projects on the Art by Katy Hargrove blog.

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Antique alarm clock with automatic candle snuffer

Here's a really nifty gadget clock dating between 1840 and 1875.

From the eBay listing item description

The rear left corner of the clock has a candle tube, and the front has a cantilevered arm that is activated by a time setting on the clock. Upon reaching the desired time setting, the arm lowers and the cup on it’s end snuffs out the candle.There is also a wake-up alarm setting. So we here have a clock that tells the owner when to go to sleep, and when to wake up!

Here's the link for more info on this Carriage clock with alarm and automatic candle snuffer

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Free gear theory manual PDF from Boston Gear

Boston Gear offers an overview of gear theory in the form of a free 5.5MB PDF file.

From the gear theory download page

This engineering information explains gear nomenclature, tooth formulas, backlash, tooth strength, torque and horsepower requirements and other standard gear selection formulas. Our Gear Theory Manual is a must for anyone who frequently deals with gearing in mechanical components.

Here's the link to the free gear theory PDF courtesy of Boston Gear.

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Chun Yeh Gear Co., LTD - nice gears and photos

General Industrial Corp based in Tiawaan produces spur gears, bevel gears (straight and spiral), worm gears, gear shafts, motor shafts, output shafts, internal gears, pinions, and splined gears.

They offer products in steel alloys, stainless steel, aluminum alloys, plastics, bronze, and bronze alloys.

While their site is only a few simple static pages, they have a few stunning photographs of gears that are worth a look.

Here's the link to Chun Yeh Gear Co. gear products web site.

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Vintage automatic cigarette dispenser music box

Here is a neat vintage automatic cigarette dispenser on eBay. There is a button on the front that when pushed starts a the music box. The multiple doors of the dispenser gently open to reveal the chamber inside and reverse side of the doors where cigarettes have been placed. The doors then close on their own to finish the cycle.

Here is the full eBay listing with many other pictures for this Vintage automatic cigarette dispenser music box

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GEARS video game teaches mechanical thinking

The object of the free online game called "GEARS" is to get the end gear rotating in the correct direction. The end gear is the blight blue gear. You can tell which direction the gear should rotate by the arrow.

For gears to rotate they must be attached to the start gear. The start gear is the gear with the Robot in the middle.

You add new gears to the machine by dragging them into place. Once all of the necessary gears are in place, click the start gear to set the machine in motion.

Here is a link to the GEARS video game.

[ Thanks Andrew! ]

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More books on gears, theory, and applications

As a continuation of my early post about books on gear design and fabrication, here are some other books that I have turned up. These definitely fall into the more esoteric and expensive category.

Gear Geometry and Applied Theory
by Faydor L. Litvin and Alfonso Fuentes

Product Description from Amazon
"This revised, expanded edition covers the theory, design, geometry and manufacture of all types of gears and gear drives. An invaluable reference for designers, theoreticians, students, and manufacturers, the second edition includes advances in gear theory, gear manufacturing, and computer simulation. Among the new topics are: new geometry for gears and pumps; new design approaches for planetary gear trains and bevel gear drives; an enhanced approach for stress analysis; new methods of grinding and gear shaving; and new theory on the simulation and its application."

Gear Noise and Vibration, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded
by J. Derek Smith

Product Description from Amazon
"Based on more than 40 years of consultation and teaching experience, the Second Edition demonstrates logical gear noise and vibration approaches without the use of complex mathematics or lengthy computation methods. A straightforward source for enhanced gear design, assessment, and development practices;enriched with more than 150 figures."

Gear Drive Systems
by Peter Lynwander

Analytical Mechanics of Gears
by Earle Buckingham

Involute Spur Gears - Design and Lathe Cutting
by Earle Buckingham

Product Description from Amazon
"Chapter titles are ...(1) The Involute Spur Gear and Its Properties ...(2) Design of Involute Gear Tooth Profiles ...(3) Methods of Production ...(4) Methods of Testing Gears ...(5) Strength of Gears."

Gear Hobbing, Shaping and Shaving: A Guide to Cycle Time Estimating and Process Planning
by Robert Endoy

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List of books on gear design and fabrication

After seeing the beautiful use of gears in Bill Durovchic's kinetic sculpture, I started looking for books on gears. The following books all look good and get great ratings from Amazon's vast customer base.

Additional suggestions are welcome!

Handbook of Practical Gear Design (Mechanical Engineering, CRC Press Hardcover)
by Darle W. Dudley

Product Description from Amazon
"For more than 30 years the book Practical Gear Design, later re-titled Handbook of Practical Gear Design, has been the leading engineering guide and reference on the subject. It is now available again in its most recent edition. The book is a detailed, practical guide and reference to gear technology. The design of all types of gears is covered, from those for small mechanisms to large industrial applications."

Gears & Gear Cutting
by Ivan Law

Product Description from Amazon
"Gears in one form or another are part of most mechanisms, but they are by no means as simple as they may appear. This book explains simply and comprehensively the underlying theory involved, and in its second part, how to cut gears on a lathe or milling machine."


Gear Design Simplified
by by Franklin Jones and Henry Ryffel

Product Description from Amazon
"Contains a series of simply diagrammed gear-designing charts, illustrating solutions to practical problems.Presents all of the rules, formulas, and examples applying to all types of gears."

Manual of Gear Design (Vol. 1-3)
by by Holbrook Horton and Earle Buckingham

Product Description from Amazon
"These manuals conveniently gather together the necessary information required for solving a majority of gear problems. The first section contains tables and information on calculating gear rations, as well as tables of factors and involute functions. The second section cover subjects on spur and internal gears, while section three focuses on information pertaining to helical and spiral gears."

The Art of Gear Fabrication
by Prem H Daryani

Product Description from Amazon
"This in-depth guidebook places emphasis on teaching beginners and advanced planners how to process gears, and will enable manufacturing engineers familiar with machine shop practice to be specialists in the gear manufacturing field. The first few chapters are devoted to common gear nomenclature and analysis of processing of six typical gears, including explanations of the logic and reasoning for every sequence of operation. Subsequent chapters thoroughly describe production, selection of materials, heat treatment, plating, methods of cutting, hobbing, shaping, and grinding."

"Unique in content and broad in scope, The Art of Gear Fabrication provides beginners with sufficient information to independently process six typical gears step by step and presents model numbers, capacity and addresses of gear machinery manufacturers and suppliers at the end of each process description. It also offers gear designers practical and useful hints on reducing fabricating costs. And it contains useful tables from commercial catalogs, including cross-references of different U.S. standards and American stainless steel materials with equivalent German, British, French and Italian materials."

"Additionally, it is essential for manufacturing and design engineers to have sufficient knowledge of various heat treatments and their related cost. Though it is a specialty, the author describes this subject in as easy-to-understand manner as possible. Gear designers and entry-level manufacturing and processing engineers in the machine shop field will find this reference extremely helpful and valuable."
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Here is a link to even more books on gears.

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Mechanisms 101 - online resources for devices

Here is a great site with resources on various types of mechanisms. There are many great animations, some of which are interactive so you can plug your own numbers into the system and see the results.

Mechanisms 101 has animations and information about: linkages, indexing mechanisms, gears, pumps, couplings, pneumatic systems, electronics, and many miscellaneous mechanical things. You will need the Flash player plug-in for your browser to see most of these great resources.

Here the link to Mechanisms 101.

[ Thanks Steve! ]

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Skeleton Clock with chronometer escapement

I'm no authority on clocks or clockworks, but you just have to love a large skeleton clock with all the exposed metallic mechanical finery. Here is a good example of what I mean. This clock happens to use what is known as a 'chronometer escapement'.

Here is a book on various clock and watch escapements with detailed instructions for making all types of escapements and for locating and correcting problems with them.

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1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices& Appliances

Another classic from Dover books...

From the product description:
A fascinating compendium of early-20th-century mechanical devices, this expansive work ranges from basic hooks and levers to complex machinery used in steam, motive, hydraulic, air, and electric power, navigation, gearing, clocks, mining, and construction. More than 1,800 engravings include simple illustrations and detailed cross-sections.

Here is a link to 1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances (Dover Science Books)

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Reproduction monkey automaton sewing machine

From the Sewing Machine Collector site:

Over 100 years on, and the sewing machine legacy left by Max Sandt appears to be alive and well. As a tribute to the father of figural automaton sewing machines, a French enthusiast has created the gilded monkey. The project, which took three years to complete, certainly seems to have attracted attention, for a full story is to be filmed for French TV. A series of only ten machines has been produced. The stitch plate carries the serial number together with further identification marks. These fully functional chain stitch machines are not inexpensive, but the edition has sold fast. As long as no more are made, they will surely become highly desirable in future years. And speaking of the future, our creative machine manufacturer reports that further projects are already in hand....

Here is the original posting on The Sewing Machine Collector site.

[ Thanks philsing! ]

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John Harrison, his clocks & longitude problem

Here is a 10 minute video segment about one of my heroes -- John Harrison. Harrison was the creator of the marine chronometer which gave sailors the first reliable way to determine their longitude while at sea. People didn't trust watches and clocks as we do now and many scientists of the day sought an astronomical solution to the problem. While possible, this was extremely impractical approach to use on board a tossing ship at sea in all kinds of weather.

Harrison made a total of four marine chronometers (H1, H2, H3 and H4), each more sophisticated that the one before. Prejudice and politics kept him from receiving a large prize for solving this problem. It wasn't until he was an old man and had gotten the attention of the British king that he was officially recognized for his contributions to science, horology, and navigation.

The full story can be found in Dava Sobel's book Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time.

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A new Mechanical Confection every day!

Artist Gina Kamentsky has set a challenge for herself for the next few weeks. She will be creating one of her signature 'Mechanical Confections' every day she is in her studio (about three days per week). She is aiming to create 10 to 12 new small works.

Not only will this be fun to follow, but it is also a good chance to own some interesting work at a very reasonable price!

Gina Kamentsky on this project:

I'm calling this The $149.99 Challenge, as I will be selling these on-line for a fixed low low price. Every day, After I'm done, I will shoot the work and create a small video which will be posted on the On the Workbench blog. The work will be available on a first come first served basis ( via paypal or check ).

Here's the link to Gina's On the Workbench blog.

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How to build working gears from paper cardstock

Finally! A truly wonderful use for all that junk mail! It pleases me to no end to see such a wasteful nuisance turned into a thing of mechanical beauty. This is from a great lesson on Instructables showing you how to build working gears from junk mail or cardstock.

Here's a video clip to showing the finished gears in action!

Here's the link on Instructables about how to build working gears from junk mail or cardstock.

Kudos!

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Del's peg & slot rotary drive with wooden chain

Del never ceases to amaze me with the amazing wooden machines he has built over the years. This one features a nifty drive made up of two discs -- one large one and one small. The large disc has a grooves cut into it that run from the center to the edge. The small disc has thee protruding pegs that engage the grooves and drive the larger wheel. Also of note are the nice wooden chains and sprockets -- one with a chain tensioner!

Check out Del's YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/woodificood

[ Thanks to Art and Del! ]

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Casa de Máquinas - Animated machine film

Here is a enchanting animated film depicting a house of machines. It's wonder full to see the mechanisms come to life, move themselves, and ultimately control a figure. I don't want to give away too much...so, just watch!

[ Thanks philsing! ]

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Del's cage and peg gears train assembly

I never tire of seeing the wonderful wooden machines that Del has created. This one was an experiment with peg gears (in which dowels radiating from the center of a disc serve as gear teeth) and cage gears (also known as "lantern gears" in some contexts).

This machine has hand cranks on two sides. The gear train is such that one crank acts as a "low gear" and the opposite crank acts as a "high gear".

Personally, I think Del and Art are ready for their own TV show. There something about the machines and these too men that I could watch for hours.

If you would like to communicate with Del directly, visit his YouTube channel.

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Del's wooden escapement drive machine

Del has shared with us a wonderful wooden machine he built around 1985. This is a nice example of a mechanism that converts reciprocating motion into circular motion via a ratchet mechanism. The really cool thing about his particular design is that it does not matter which direction you turn the crank -- the ratchet will always rotate in the same direction. Very clever.

If you would like to communicate with him directly, visit Del's YouTube channel.

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Fantastic all-wood blinds with helical gear system

Check out these absolutely fantastic all-wooden blinds.

The blinds utilize a beautiful set of wooden helical gears made with a technique that Steve Garrison created. The blind slats and the frame are walnut, the handles are pecan, and the gears and pulleys are made of cherry. Very nice, indeed.

Visit Steve's web site for information at www.stevengarrison.com.

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Gakken's Stirling engine powered car kit

The other day, the Retro Thing blog drew my attention to this really awesome looking Sterling Engine Car Kit by Gakken.

From one review:

The kit has nice components. The instructions are complete (24 pages in Japanese). And, there are a whole bunch of tiny details to get lost in. The cylinder mount and the gears need to be carefully aligned. This is one of the trickier parts. If you have it misaligned, there will be too much friction for the engine to run. A gauge is supplied to make this step easier.

This and several other hard-to-find Gakken kits can be found at the Make Magazine MakerShed.

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Theo Jansen: The art of creating creatures

While we are on the subject of my new heroes (see yesterday's post about Clayton Boyer), I just saw video from one of the TED Talks featuring Theo Jansen. I misunderstood the scale, scope, and beauty of his vision. While I may still not know all of it, this video has given me a much greater appreciation for his attempt to create large-scale mechanical life-forms that roam wind-swept beaches. Truly an impressive vision and monumental feat.

[ Thanks S.C.! ]

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The Corkscrew by Rob Higgs - Fantastic machine

In case you missed this on various blogs the other day, I really must ask that you check out this machine.

Mechanical sculptor Rob Higgs assembled an machine that opens a wine bottle and pours a glass. He uses many old parts, some as is, some modified and recasts them in bronze. The result is astounding.

Here is an article on The Corkscrew. Here is a link to a video of The Corkscrew by Rob Higgs.

This story comes to us by way of BoingBoing.net.

[ Thanks to Jim Jenkins! ]

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Impressive hand-cranked marble run video

Check out this video of Michael Shulteiss's marble machine. This thing is incredible. It has some of the expected ramps, flip-flops, and funnels. It also has much that is quite unexpected like the catapult-style lifting arm, a 'marble pump', a wooden chain elevator, and wood gears with holes in them that receive and lift marbles. It looks wonderfully well-made and makes a satifsying clickity-clack sound as the handle is turned.

See more pictures and a diagram of Michael Shulteiss's marble machine on Matthias Wandel's outstanding website.

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Making amazing wooden gears

Here are some samples of gears made by Steve Garrison. He has developed a technique that enables you to make any of the gears of the type shown in this video by using either a scrollsaw or a tablesaw. You can make straight-tooth or helical gears.

From his description:

There are no paper patterns to glue to wood and saw around, the correct involute tooth profile is automatically generated. This technique is very simple once you see how it works. There is no need for expensive cnc routers or lasers or any computer-controlled tools. If you have a scrollsaw or tablesaw, the ability to cut accurately sized circles from plywood, and a computer - then you can do this. You won't find this technique anywhere else, I have looked thoroughly and know it is my own original idea.

Visit his web site at http://www.stevengarrison.com/ from that home page click on the "gears" link to purchase Steve's technique. The price is $30.

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Working replica of the Antikythera mechanism

A British museum curator has built a working replica of the Antikythera mechanism -- a 2,000 year old machine found off the coast of Greece in 1902.

The Antikythera mechanism was used to track the movements of planetary bodies (including their various eccentricities) as well as for determining the dates for Olympic games.

Here's a full article on the working Antikythera reproduction: World's First Computer Rebuilt, Rebooted After 2,000 Years.

For even more information on this device, check out the book called Decoding the Heavens: Solving the Mystery of the World's First Computer.

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Handsome Functional Desktop Sterling Engine

Invented in 1816 by the Reverend Dr. Stirling, the Stirling engine is powered by the expansion and compression of air when heated and cooled. This functional desktop model is handmade in Germany.

From the product description:
The unit has a solid brass body and a glass cylinder and piston that are designed to minimize friction. The alcohol burner heats the glass tube, causing the air inside to expand and push the horizontal piston towards the chamber. This movement displaces some of the warm air into the metal chamber where it continues to expand, forcing the vertical piston upward. The pistons are connected to the flywheel with a system of levers and pulleys, causing the flywheel to spin up to 5,000 RPM and enabling the sequence to repeat until the flame is put out.

Here is the product page for The Desktop Stirling Engine.

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Non-circular Gears & Uncommon Planetary Gears

We tend to think of gears as circular wheels with teeth. While this is the most common form, some gears do not have proper teeth. As the video shows here, gears do not even need to be circular in shape. These unconventional gears defy our notions about gear shapes, and are surprisingly beautiful to watch in motion.

You can learn more about gear design from the Handbook of Practical Gear Design or hundreds of other books on mechanical gears.

To the engineering-types out there: are their particularly good books on gear design? Let me know or post them in the comments here. Thanks! -Dug North

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Del's First Wooden Machine, circa 1982

Here is a video demonstrating Del Short's earlier wooden mechanical device, made back in 1982. High-maintenance, but no-less amazing.

Mind-bending KATAKA Linear Actuator Mechanism

Take a look at this video of a linear actuator. It looks like a magic trick, but it's not.

The mechanism is based on segmented spindle technology. Not only is the whole thing incredibly compact, it's also strong. Here is a photograph of a KATAKA actuator lifting a car. This amazing device opens up entirely new possibilities for engineers and designers. I know I want one.

Learn more about the KATAKA actuator at www.kataka.dk.

[ Thanks Soren! ]

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Pin Wheels, Lantern Pinions & Peg Toothed Gears

While not as a elaborate as Del's Amazing Wooden Machine, the machine shown in this video makes great use of wooden pin-wheels, lantern pinions, and peg-toothed gears. Wooden circles and pegs can clearly be used to create many speeds and directions of motion. Well done!

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Papercraft Locomotive with Gears

Posted today on BoingBoing.net...a locomotive made with paper! This post comes to them (and us) via Neatorama.

Into paper gears? Maybe you want to try to Make Your Own Working Paper Clock.

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Video and Images of Wood Machine by Del Short

I posted recently about an amazing wooden machine. I've learned that Del Short is the unassuming master craftsman behind this piece that he describes as "a nutty device".

Not only is the entire device a marvel, but it's held together with pegs and threaded wooden dowels with wooden nuts. It is even built in components, so that it can be worked on in sections. Remarkable.

If the YouTube video didn't satisfy, here is a higher resolution video of Del's Amazing Wooden Machine.

Also, here is a link to a few large photographs of Del's machine, courtesy of Art Maddox.

If you want to get started with this sort of thing (on a more modest scale), check out these books:
* Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood
* Making Wooden Mechanical Models
* Making More Wooden Mechanical Models

[ Thanks Del and Art! ]

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Amazing Wooden Machine Video with No Metals

With the exception of Brad Litwin's piece entitled Extra-Universal Movement, I don't know if I've seen such an elaborate hand-cranked wooden machine. This gentleman has constructed an amazing device using only wood and glue -- no nails, no screws or ball bearings. It is quite an achievement. It is my sincere hope I'm doing things like this at 70 years old. Bravo!

[ Thanks Falk! ]

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Annotated Video of Mechanical Music Machines

This video features a number of mechanical music devices from the London Musical Museum. The video uses YouTube's annotations function, which points out various facts and features of the machines, making it quite informative.

You can learn more about mechanical music machines from the book Encyclopedia of Automatic Musical Instruments by Q. David Bowers - a definitive reference on this subject.

10 Crazy Mechanical Burglar Alarm Devices of Old

You may not have caught the post about this on Boing Boing Gadgets earlier this week. This is a link to a collection of 10 interesting mechanical burglar alarms. Some of them are very inventive.

Check out this gallery of 10 unusual burglar alarms.

Pocket Watch Contains a Functioning Gun Inside

In case you missed this over at BoingBoing.net blog today, follow the link below to find about more.

Here's the post about the Antique railroad pocket watch with hidden gun.

Video of Clever Mechanical Matchstick Lighter

While not as complex as this match-lighting alarm clock, check out this simple, but effective little device for lighting a wooden match.

Working Rack-and-Pinion Paper Model

Yet another cool mechanical paper model from the good folks at Flying-Pig Animation Kits. Shown here is the brand new Rack-and-Pinion model.

The is a downloadable kit that you cut out and make. Once you've payed online, you print out the pages of this model onto thin card stock paper, follow the illustrated instructions and make your a working model.

You can get this model individually or as part of their 'Gears Collection' package deal.

For those in the U.S.A., don't worry about the prices being in Great British Pounds, PayPal will convert the Pounds into Dollars for you.

Here is a link to a page with the Rack-and-Pinion paper model.

Paper Locksmith Collection -- Paper Lock Kits

Rob Ives at Flying-Pig Paper Animations Kits has done it again! Now you can learn all about how mechanical locks work by making working models out of paper.

The new Paper Locksmith Collection includes a twelve page booklet about locks and locksmithing. The booklet covers the history of locks, modern lock mechanisms, and the future of locks. It even has a section on lock picking.

You get three working lock models to download, print, and build:
1 - Combination Lock
2 - Cylinder Lock
3 - Warded Lock

You also get the included the free locksmith booklet.

Right now this package deal is only £4.99 (about $9.80). Don't worry...Paypal will do the currency conversion for you.

Learn more about The Paper Locksmith Collection.

Massive Wooden Gear Clock By Brendan Reilly

Clock designer Brendan Reilly created this wooden clockwork sculpture for the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

The craftsman used black walnut, red oak, African blackwood and laminated Baltic birch for the gear mechanism.

This is a large clock, indeed: the large wheel is three feet in diameter, the dial is six feet five inches in diameter, and the pendulum is fourteen feet long!

The escapement mechanism is a variation of the "grasshopper" escapement invented by John Harrison. Harrison also developed the marine chronometer -- a fascinating story told in a book I highly recommend called, Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

Visit his site to see more of Brendan Reilly's wooden clockworks.

The Harmonium: Amazing Analog Gear Computer

I won't pretend to understand everything this thing is capable of, but from what I can tell it is able to print out various sine functions (like a graphing calculator) but does so by a purely mechanical means.

I gather that you can do two things with the machine. First, the machine will produce various sine waves for you on paper after you set values for the amplitude and phase angle. Second, in a reversal of this process, you can trace a curve and use Fourier analysis to extract the phase and amplitude of the curve.

The Harmonium is the invention of 64-year-old Dutch inventor -- Tatjana van Vark -- who has been building complex gadgetry since she was 14.

Here's a link to a site about The Harmonium Analog Computer which has tons of gorgeous photographs of the device. This info comes to me by way of the Retro Thing blog.

Thanks bhaaluu!

Hand-Cranked Mechanical Atom-Smacker Device

Brad Litwin created this amazing hand-cranked contraption out of acrylic, brass, and steel. Actually, the word "contraption" doesn't do justice to its careful engineering and precise movements. It's hard to see early in the video, but that swinging arm is rapidly picking up, moving, and dropping a small ball-bearing. As the video progresses, you get to see every angle of this beautifully crafted machine.

From the YouTube description:
"Brad's first attempt to subvert the limits of the known universe. Over a period of use, the device has been utilized for the continuous abuse of countless atomic structures. However, to date, no discernible affect on our own temporal-spacial domain has been observed. Unit is approx. 8" x 4" x 4"high, made of acrylic, brass and steel."

Simple Machines Kit Teaches about Mechanics

This clever kit includes everything you need to make simple machines: a variable lever, a wheel and axle, an inclined plane, a pulley and a wedge.

The kit includes a worksheet with diagrams and exercises to accompany hands-on building activities. There's also a 38 minute video, which explains how to construct and use the machines, and how to calculate the mechanical advantage of each machine.

I think I need to get this!

Here's the link to the Simple Machines Kit.

Mechanical Toys Overview Multimedia CD

A dedicated reader of The Automata / Automaton Blog, has passed along info about this multimedia educational CD-ROM about mechanical toys.

Basic Principles of Mechanisms
Structured to encourage students to conduct their own investigations into the basic principles of mechanisms, this learning aid covers:

Mechanical Toys
* Types of motion
* Cams and followers
* Levers and linkages
* Pulley systems
* Gear systems
* Technical vocabulary

Educational Models
Combining these topic areas with detailed analyzes of 21 real-life automata, Focus on Mechanical Toys delivers a comprehensive educational package that's equally useful as a teaching aid, learning resource or research tool.

Interactive Animations
High quality 3D animations are available in addition to the photographic images, written descriptions and videos of each toy's mechanical structure. Each animation can be paused at any time and the on-screen image copied and pasted into a word processing or DTP program for inclusion in students' design folders.

They offer a free download demo on their site -- with some functionality disabled. Much can be learned from the free demo (Windows only).

Here is the product page for the Mechanical Toys Overview Multimedia CD.


Note: You might also consider Flying-Pig.co.uk's Mechanisms Offline download.

[Thanks bhaaluu!]

Paper Mechanism Multi-pack Downloads Kits

Rob Ives over at Flying Pig has created a pack of three models for one price.

If you are interested in paper engineering or paper automata, this is a great value. It's also a great way to break into automata, requiring few tools and relatively little time.

The first is the gear model that uses only cardboard to make a fully working mechanism with two gears.

The second model is a working set of bevel gears made completely from card-stock paper.

Pump the paper bellows on the third model and the rotor spins.

Head over the download section of Flying-pig.co.uk to check out this multi-pack kit and a ton of other well-designed paper automaton kits.

Mechanical Toys: How Toys & Automata Work

Here's a good book for you: Mechanical Toys: How Old Toys Work, by Athelstan and Kathleen Spilhaus (New York: Crown Publishers Inc., 1989).

The line between automata and toys has never been clear, but the principles of engineering that animate them have always been the same. This book explores how mechanical toys work.

The chapters survey the history of toys, material types, methods of construction, sound producing devices, and energy delivery systems. While not overly detailed in its technical descriptions, the reader gets a chance to see many black-and-white and color photographs of exposed toy and automata mechanisms.

Keep an eye out for this one. You may be able to get Mechanical Toys: How Old Toys Work second-hand at a book sale or at Amazon.

Recriprocating Motion from Rotary Motion Device

This is a somewhat unexpected way to get reciprocating (back-and-forth) motion from rotary motion (circular). What's so interesting about this design in how compact it is and that it requires no return springs or counter-weights (positive drive).

Check out this post for 5 great books mechanical reference books.

Geneva Mechanism, Maltese Cross or Geneva Stop

The Geneva Drive is also called the Maltese Cross or the Geneva Stop.
The Geneva mechanism was originally invented by a watch maker from Geneva to prevent the spring of a watch from being over-wound.

The most common use of the mechanism is to convert a continuous rotary motion into an intermittent rotary motion. In operation, a drive wheel with a pin enters into one of several slots on the driven wheel and thus advances it by one step (or "station"). The drive wheel also has a raised circular disc that serves to lock the driven wheel in a fixed position between steps.
Historically, this mechanism is was often used in movie film cameras and projectors to increment the film one frame at a time. Many automata use the Geneva mechanism for various purposes. In my own piece, The Birthing Engine, I used a 4-station Geneva wheel to control the appearance of the four babies that emerge from the mother.

Here is an 3-D animation of a shifter system that uses a Geneva mechanism:The mechanism in the animation above is patented by Barloworld CVT Technologies and is used in their positive drive CVT as a ratio shifting mechanism.

Here are some books that show various forms of Geneva mechanisms:

• Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements
• Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook
• 1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances
• Pictorial Handbook of Technical Devices
• Machine Devices and Components Illustrated Sourcebook
• Cam Design and Manufacturing Handbook

Mechanisms from The Sands Mechanical Museum

The Sands Mechanical Museum -- restorers of coin operated arcade machines -- contains coin-operated games, pinball machines, horse race games, arcade video games, and shooting games.

They mean it when they say "those things hidden from the player are almost as fascinating as the things visible. The motors, gears, electrical wiring, and gadgets have an appeal all their own."

Indeed, they offer an extensive section called Mechanisms Explained in which they have documented, photographed, animated, and described how a wide range of arcade machine mechanisms work. They offer mechanism explanations for the following:

• Ball bearing baseball "runners"
• Bingo display screen (mechanical)
• Various coin payout devices
• Coin counter units
• Coin rejector workings
• Coin slide mechanisms
• Credit recording unit
• Gear box based hunting game
• Photo booth camera with Geneva mechanism
• An early score keeping unit

The Sands Mechanical Museum is an extremely well documented online mechanical reference source.

Thanks bhaaluu!

Video: So You Want to Make a Wood Gear Clock?

Here's a low-pressure introduction to making a clock from wooden parts -- gears and all. Along the way, you learn many important techniques that could be used for automata making as well as clock making. The narrator discusses tools, specific methods of work, and the construction process in general. The film gives you a good feel for what you are getting into if you decide build a clock of your own. Don't rush this one...save it for when you have a few minutes to savor this charming video.

You may also want to learn how to fix existing clocks, so take a look at Clock Repairing as a Hobby: An Illustrated How-To Guide for the Beginner

Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood - DIY Book

Here's a book that should interest you makers out there. Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood

This book is not unlike Making Wooden Mechanical Models which I reviewed here. There are, however, some important differences between the two books.

Like Making Wooden Mechanical Models, this book isn't specifically written for automaton makers. Both books feature basic wooden machines as finished projects in themselves.

Making Mechanical Marvels differs in that many of the projects in this book are key building blocks to making contemporary wooden automata. For example, projects such as the cam and follower, the Scotch yoke, the fast-return actuator, and the Geneva wheel are all elements often found in an automaton.

The projects in this book are very handsome and would make nice gifts. There's something inexpressibly classy about machines made of wood.

I bought Making Mechanical Marvels bundled with Making Wooden Models from Amazon.com and I'm glad I did. The two books really compliment each other. I consider this book to be Volume 1. This book has very clear instructions and drawings to get you up to speed making wooden mechanisms. Making Wooden Models is equivalent to Volume 2 in which you tackle some more complicated projects.

The book has well-drawn line diagrams and a series of color pages in the center. The instructions are very well written; I would feel good about giving this book to a new woodworker or youngster looking for a science fair project.

The book concludes with some handy shop tips and jigs -- a nice bonus. I have learned a great deal from this book. Don't overlook it as a resource for building wooden mechanism.

Here is where you can order Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood.

How to Build a Working Wood Catapult Toy Kit

This is the first in a two part series reviewing the working wood catapult kit made by Pathfinders. In this first part, I will tell you about the kit and give you some assembly tips. In part two, I'll tell you how I went about making the catapult look like it truly belongs on an ancient battlefield.

ThinkGeek.com offers more than one model; this review refers to the one advertised as "Catapult Kit". It sells for $19.99.

Where did kit come from?
The product is sold by ThinkGeek.com in their Geek Toys section under the Cube Warfare subsection by the name of Wooden War Engine Kits.


What do you get in the kit?
The kit comes with nearly everything you need to assemble the catapult. The only material you need to provide is white Elmer's-type glue. The kit comes with a small swatch of sandpaper and suggests that you have a ruler and scissors available. The kit arrived in a slender cardboard box with instructions and parts separated into two plastic bags. No excessive packaging, no impossible-to-open-plastic-clamshell. I like that.

The kit contains just over a dozen wooden parts, two washers, some string, a small bit of wire, and some soft Play-Doh type clay -- otherwise known as "ammunition".

The wood is a clear-grained pine. Just one of the pieces of my kit had a medium sized knot in it. It had been filled with a little plastic-wood type filler to keep things solid and smooth.

How were the instructions?
The instructions are printed in black and white on 8 pages. There are instructions in English, French, and German which is nice, though they are intermingled in a way that requires a bit of scanning and rescanning. I found the directions to be very good, though there were a few vague spots. I'll address these very minor pitfalls in the next section. The line drawings in the instructions are simple and clear and serve as the primary means of instruction.

What helpful hints do you have?
Overall, the kit itself took me a little over half an hour to make, though they suggest that you set aside 1 to 2 hours. The kit is suggested for ages 9 and up. That sounds about right to me.

Here are a few helpful hints for the assembling the catapult kit:

1. Read the entire instruction manual all the way through, paying attention to the drawings. This won't take long and this will prevent any possible confusion.
   
2. At first, I wasn't sure how to tell the crosspiece that the holds the trigger from the upright braces. It's quite simple really: just read the directions (I hadn't yet). Note that they have thoughtfully placed red marks on the crosspiece and the base with which it mates.
3. The kit is held together with pegs that are glued in place. There are 18 total. Be sure to sift through the lot to find the two that a just a bit longer than the others. These are used to add tension to the string.
4. I found that the pegs fit rather tightly. The glue helps to lubricate them a bit. I gently used a nonmarring hammerto tap the pieces together. Alternatively, you could use the included sandpaper to slightly taper the ends of the dowels and ease their entry.
5. Add a safety/trigger - The trigger arm didn't always want to hold the throwing arm in place when under tension (OK, yeah...so maybe I have it wound too tightly). I rigged up a small diagonal piece of wood that fits in a notch to keep the trigger arm from swinging. By pulling this diagonal piece out, the trigger arm is free to swing and the catapult will fire. (See image below for my safety/trigger addition.)
   
6. A small hobby or razor Sawis handy if you want to trim some of the dowels that are left a bit over the surface of a few parts.
7. Consider staining and/or sealing your model to increase its beauty and lifetime. More on this in part 2 of this series.

So...does it work?
The packaging claims that the catapult can throw a soft clay ball over 15 feet. This is absolutely true. I easily achieved distances over 20 feet and don't think I have put undue strain on the model. Should you choose to add extra horsepower to your model (and this is just my speculation), I believe some added string and a reinforced crossbar would allow you to throw a grape twice as far as advertised.

The Verdict?
This is a well proportioned and historically accurate catapult. More specifically this is a mangonel variety of catapult that uses twisted fibers for its power source. I gather that many had a sling on the end rather than the spoon shape we typically see. (You can learn more about catapults from The Art of the Catapult: Build Greek Ballistae, Roman Onagers, English Trebuchets, and More Ancient Artillery)

Everything that was promised was delivered and the model outperformed the advertising copy. When was the last time you purchased a product that did that?

I give the Authentic Working Wood Catapult from ThinkGeek.com high marks.

What's next?
In the next installment of this article, I'll show you how to the catapult model look ancient and ready for a siege.

Clark Collection at Boston's Museum of Science

Clark Collection of Mechanical Movement Models is a set of working models designed by American engineer William M. Clark in the early 1900s.

Originally numbering over 200, these models were displayed as the Mechanical Wonderland in New York in 1928 and at the Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago in 1933. Today, 120 of these mechanical models remain in working order and on display at the Museum in Boston.

Based in large measure on designs laid out in Henry T. Brown's 507 Mechanical Movements (1871), the Clark models include gear mechanisms, pulley systems, cutaways, and cross sections of a variety of machines. They illustrate methods of converting rotary to rectilinear motion and rectilinear to oscillating motion, as well as solutions to a variety of mechanical tasks. The models continue to be of interest to a range of Museum visitors, from young children to mechanical designers and tinkerers

Cornell University Library and Boston's Museum of Science are collaborating to integrate the entire Clark Collection into the Kinetic Models for Design Digital Library (KMODDL). For now a good sampling is available here.

Reciprocating Motion from Rotating on Same Axis

One reader of The Automata / Automaton Blog wrote to me with an interesting question. He wrote:

"I'm looking for a simple mechanism to convert rotational motion to reciprocal motion along the SAME axis as the rotation, not perpendicular."

I decided to investigate potential solutions in one of my favorite books on mechanisms, Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements. Below are some of the solutions I found listed by the numbers that appear in my copy of the book (Astragal Press, 1995).

• 95. Oblique disc imparting rectilinear motion to rod resting upon its surface
• 106. & 107. Uniform reciprocating rectilinear motion produced by rotary motion of grooved cams
• 136. Crown tooth gear with rod pressed against rim
• 143. Sliding worm screw and toothed wheel
• 165. Circular to rectilinear motion via waved-wheel (or cam)
• 167. Drum or cylinder with endless groove and follower
• 237. Crown-ratchet (driven by crown, not pawl)
• 272. Beveled disc with follower on its circumference.
• 351. Partially toothed pinion and rack with return mechanism

I have probably missed a few in the book, and there are certainly many more possible solutions.

Order your own copy of Five Hundred and Seven Mechanical Movements: Embracing All Those Which Are Most Important in Dynamics, Hydraulics, Hydrostatics, Pneumatics, Steam Engines...

Making Wooden Mechanical Models

Not for automata makers specifically -- the mechanisms found in Making Wooden Mechanical Models could well be used for automata, provided the reader has a bit of ingenuity.

The models themselves are nicely proportioned and well designed. Any of these models would be a welcome addition to the desktop of a mechanically inclined person.

I have read this book from cover to cover and browsed the drawings for inspiration. Beautiful color photos in the center of the book demonstrate the skill the authors have great in fabricating with wood. I have found this book to be very useful in this regard. Note: some of the projects in this book are best accomplished with a lathe.

Should you choose to buy this book and make the some of the models, you will find that it contains good project lists and plan drawings from which to work.

Amazon has a nice "Search Inside" this book feature for this book to let you preview the book's contents.

Take a look at Making Wooden Mechanical Models: 15 Designs With Visible Wheels, Cranks, Pistons, Cogs, and Cams.

Featured Mechanical Artist: Jason Lane

Here is a piece by artist Jason Lane entitled Dragon With Flapping Wings.

He has created a series of mechanical sculptures ranging from hand-propelled works to a large scale human hamster wheel which generates electricity and plays old fairground organ music. Pretty cool.

Check out a portfolio of Jason Lane's work. Discovered via BoingBoing.net

Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers & Inventors

The title alone basically ensured that I would buy these books one day. I mean, just by owning them, it's like I am a bona fide inventor. The title says so!

There are lots of multi-component mechanisms described in great detail in this four-volume set. For automata makers, it may be a lot to digest, but there are hundreds of mechanical elements that could be used.

These books offer multiple solutions for each category of machine. The organization of the material is a little funny; you will need to browse all four books to cover all the possible solutions.

The drawings are very good -- clear and well labeled line art reminiscent of patent drawings.

Be prepared to do some reading...these books require some careful reading of several pages to understand how a given device works. It's not exactly a quick reference.

I have not used much from these books directly in any of my projects, but I feel that they have greatly improved my understanding of complex machines.

The machines depicted are of an historical nature. This is not a shortcoming, however. Mechanisms of the sort found in these volumes were state-of-the-art at one time. They are a testament to a certain real-world ingenuity that most of us can't comprehend.

These book make an impression on one's bookshelf. Seriously: a numbered set of four hardcover books in bright orange. It's impressive and sure to attract attention.

Learn more about Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors (4-Volume Set)

Automata Mechanisms and Pegasus Automaton

Here is a nice video of several useful automata mechanisms including a crank and piston, a ratchet, and a Geneva mechanism.

The latter half of the video features a beautifully done Pegasus. The piece appears to be driven by the music box movement. I am told that this piece is part of a collection on display in Guma, Japan and is by artist Minoru Takahashi Akira Murakami. Look at all those gears! Well done.

To learn more about making mechanical toys and automata, check out Making Mechanical Toys.

Automaton of Leonardo's Mechanical Hammer

Here's a nice looking model from the folks at PaperPino. This is a paper model made up of 44 parts that can be assembled without glue. A system of removable interlocking pins holds the model together.

From the PaperPino Site:
This is one of the simplest machines designed by Leonardo in order to improve the human performance. A lever connected to the hammer is moved by means of an eccentric cam. At each turn of the handle, the hammer gives a stroke. As a matter of fact, the real hammer is supposed to be powered by a water paddle-wheel. An implementation with a paddle-wheel powered by sand is planned for the next future.

Check out Leonardo's Mechanical Hammer paper model.

Beautiful Hand-Cranked Orrery

Take a look at this beautifully made orrery by artist Eugene Sargent.

Here is Eugene Sargent's web site. [via MAKE]

Gear Lab - Cool Gear Toy Set

The folks over at Edmund Scientifics have an interesting gear toy. The Gear Lab consists of a gears workbench, an assortment of pulley wheels and gear cogs, long and short axles, cranks, and a cord. The entire set is contained in its own storage box. Nice.

This Gear Lab looks like fun to me!

Flash Animations of Mechanisms for Offline Use

This new product is a download that gives you the ability to use the mechanisms part of the Flying-Pig.co.UK site on a computer not connected to the internet.

The download contains a .ZIP file of over forty web pages with over forty animations. The pages provide information on many types of mechanism and movement.

A great educational and reference resource!

You can can download the latest version with new mechanisms at any time for twelve months with no charge!

Order the Mechanisms Offline from Flying-Pig

HiTec RoboNova-1: Robot, Toy, Automaton, Art?

I have been asked publicly and privately where I draw the line between robot and automaton. As of yet, I do not have a well-reasoned answer. I have also been asked about the line between objet d'art and toy. Again, my answer is a murky one.

While this blog isn't about robots, I have a great fondness for them; I have made a few myself. With all of this gray area, why not show you an autonomous toy robot?

This 12 inch tall mechanical man can walk, run, do flips, cartwheels, and perform dance moves. At $1300 (or $1000 for an unassembled kit version) one hesitates to call it a toy. Perhaps because it can be programmed, we would also hesitate to call it autonomous. Just because it is sold en masse, are there not elements that qualify as art?

All I feel certain of is that RoboNova-1 is a technological marvel. I have no doubt that watchmakers, engineers, magicians, and automata-makers of old would have found this thing as fascinating as I do. I would love to have one (in order to do a proper review for you, of course).

Check out the HiTec RoboNova-1 at Edmund's Scientifics.

Book: 1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances

I am always an the lookout for books featuring mechanical movements. Dover publishes one of my favorite little books on mechanisms: 507 Mechanical Movements in Dynamics, Hydraulics, Hydrostatics, Pneumatics, Steam Engines, Mill and Other Gearing.

Here is another Dover publication that boasts to represent 1800 mechanical movements. Needless to say, I just ordered it. I love how affordable the Dover books are!

There is a post on The Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society that has a great round-up of mechanical reference books. Be sure to read the reader comments for all the good sources cited.

Check out 1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances (Dover Science Books)

Trevithick Locomotive Model with Paper Gears

Though not as well-known a name as Newcomen or Watt, Richard Trevithick was a British inventor and engineer who built the first working railway steam locomotive...in 1801!

Here's a great site that features a model of Trevithick's steam locomotive. The paper gears are very nicely done (as is the entire model).

You can see a gallery of the model and download .PDF plans to make it yourself (for a $5).

Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers & Inventors

A Weighty Set of Books
These books are very comprehensive. There are may multi-component mechanisms described in great detail for mechanically inclined people. For automata makers, and beginners in particular, it may be a bit too much to digest, but certainly there are hundreds of mechanical elements that could be used.

The drawings are very good -- clear and well labeled line art reminiscent of patent drawings.

Complete
These books offer multiple solutions for each category of machine. The organization is a little funny -- since you will need to browse all four books to cover all the solutions. You'll learn a lot along the way.

Be Ready to Do Some Reading
These books will require some careful reading of several pages to absorb how a given device works. It's not exactly a quick reference.

If you are more of a visual-learner -- as I am -- I would suggest that you buy Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook, which shows an isolated mechanism and places one, short paragraph of text immediately next to it. If you are on a budget, you might consider 507 Mechanical Movements in Dynamics, Hydraulics, Hydrostatics, Pneumatics, Steam Engines, Mill and Other Gearing

The machines depicted in Ingenious Mechanisms are of an historical nature. This is not a shortcoming, however. Mechanisms of the sort found in these volumes were state-of-the-art at one time. There were no electronic sensors and computer controls at the turn of the last century. Everything had to work -- and had to work mechanically. It's a testament to a certain real-world ingenuity that most of us can't comprehend.

I feel these four volumes they have greatly improved my understanding of complex machines.

Learn more about Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors (4-Volume Set) (Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers & Inventors)

Hand Cranked Marble Machine with Wood Gears

Matthias Wandel, the same guy that has one of the only detailed online articles about cutting wooden gears, has made an amazing marble rolling machine.

I don't normally post about rolling ball machines because they are a complete topic unto themselves with some great web sites fully dedicated to the subject.

This machine stands out for two reasons:

1 - It has wooden gears, so I HAVE to post about it.

2 - It is hand cranked like many automata.

Here's a link to the Marble Machine 2 page. I learned about it from the blog over at Make Magazine (my favorite).

Here's the video of the Marble Machine.

Master of Windmills and Whirligigs

Whirligigs are a form of automata -- to my mind at least. They depict an animated scene with a person or animal. The only distinction between a contemporary automaton and a whirligig is that the latter are outside and are powered by the wind.

The folks over at The Proceedings of the Athanasius Kircher Society have a great post about a man with a passion for windmills and whirligigs. The man's name is Vollis Simpson, an 87-year-old retired mechanic from North Carolina. Simpson's back yard is filled with dozens of his wind-driven creations.

A quote from Simpson:
"The main part of doing anything that turns is to get it centered".

Truer words were never spoken.

Check out the post on Vollis Simpson's Windmill Farm at the Kircher Society blog.

Here's a list of books on how to make whirligigs:

• Making Animated Whirligigs (Woodworking Whirligigs)
• Easy-to-Make Whirligigs (Woodworking Whirligigs)
• Whimsical Whirligigs (Woodworking Whirligigs)
• Action Whirligigs: 25 Easy-to-Do Projects (Woodworking Whirligigs)
• The Art And Craft of Whirligig Construction

Wooden Gears Supplier Online

I've been reminded by fellow automata-maker Dan Torpey over at Barking Dogs Automata that wooden gears can be purchased from Patriot Mill Cogworks in New Hampshire, USA.

I ordered some of these a few years ago, but had lost track of their website. I'm glad to have found it again and to share it with my readers.

The cherry gears I ordered have mineral oil finish and are still beautiful. Look closely inside my piece A Boybot and his Dogbot and you will see three of these gears. (This is only piece I used them on to date.)

Though their site features educational kits composed of wooden gears, axle pegs, and pegboards, I believe you can order individual gears, as I did.

Happy Cranking!

Amazing Pocket Watch with Wooden Movement

I have seen many nice all-wood clocks, but this was beyond my imagination...a pocket watch made entirely of wood.

I am not talking about the face or the case, but nearly all of it -- gears, escapement, ratchets.

They were apparently made in Russia around 1900. I wish I knew more about it, especially the size, type of wood, how many were made, and if it still works.

I learned of this amazing bit of artistry via a long series of links. In order of discovery they were:

BoingBoing.net to...

The Watchismo Times blog to...

Odd Watches

Automata-Makers: Add a Coin Mechanism

Here's a nice little article on how to add a coin activation mechanism to your automata. Find a public location for your masterwork (retail store, library, restaurant, etc.) and you may be able to put that automaton to work for you earning $$$.

This comes from Tim Hunkin of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre fame. He's the maker behind many of the larger interactive automata. He's also been a cartoonist and had a TV series called The Secret Life of Machines.

Check out the Coin-op tutorial [via] that is itself [via]

5 Best Mechanical Reference Books

Here is a list of 5 great reference books for automata-makers and people that love or want to learn more about mechanisms.

1 - 507 Mechanical Movements: Mechanisms and Devices (Dover Science Books)-Henry T. Brown

2 - Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers and Inventors (4-Volume Set) (Ingenious Mechanisms for Designers & Inventors)- Franklin D. Jones

3 - Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook- Neil Sclater and Nicholas Chironis

Also the improved Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook, Fourth Edition - Neal Sclater and Nicholas Chironis

4 -Illustrated Sourcebook of Mechanical Components- Robert O. Parmley

5 - Machine Devices and Components Illustrated Sourcebook- Robert O. Parmley

5 Best Books for Making Wooden Mechanisms

Here is my list of the top 5 books for people who want to make mechanisms out of wood. These devices are often used, or could be used, in the making of contemporary automata. The projects are great skill-building exercises and make great gifts.

1 - Making Wooden Mechanical Models: 15 Designs With Visible Wheels, Cranks, Pistons, Cogs, and Cams- Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater

2 - Making Mechanical Marvels In Wood- Raymond Levy

3 - Making More Wooden Mechanical Models- Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater

4 - Making Marble-Action Games, Gadgets, Mazes & Contraptions: Designs for 10 Outlandish, Ingenious and Intricate Woodworking Projects- Alan Bridgewater, Gill Bridgewater

5 - Making Working Wooden Locks- Tim Detweiler

Belt-buckle with Gears that Move

Wow...now that's a nifty belt buckle [via - via] - Link on YouTube