Are You Able to Crack This? That Overlooked Netherlands Invention That Forged the Modern Globe
One can find many contenders to claim the designation as “world’s greatest innovation.” The circular axle. The movable type. The combustion motor.
As per a new book, however, that title should go to the automated sawmill invented by Dutchman Cornelis Corneliszoon during 1593.
“Prior to automated sawing, building a modest merchant vessel required approximately 10 lumberjacks laboring over three months,” writes the author. “With wind-driven lumber mills, an identical amount of processed timber might be manufactured within seven days.”
Thanks to their rapid mechanical cutter, which turned logs to planks with virtually no manual labor, the Dutch were able to build ships more quickly than any other nation, which sparked one hundred years of Dutch maritime, economic and cultural dominance in Europe and the world.
The Original True Industrial Machine
Corneliszoon’s sawmill, contends Dávila, was “humanity’s initial true industrial machine.” A wind turbine rotated a gear. One component converted the circular motion to vertical motion to power the saw. A separate mechanism transformed that same rotary motion into a sideway’s motion feeding the log toward the cutter. A ratchet system moved the log ahead a measured step each cycle.
“Every component seemed simple on its own. The Dutchman’s genius was to integrate them in order that they acted in a precisely synchronized sequence, cutting on every downward motion and moving on every upward motion. This constituted an astonishingly intelligent use of basic components.”
Which brings us to the current challenge. I’d like for you to reimagine a key the fundamental ideas underpinning Corneliszoon’s machine.
Circular to Vertical
Design a machine that turns circular motion to up-and-down motion. Your available these items exclusively: A spinning wheel. Two pegs. Two bars. A “guide”, which is a cylinder or housing into which a single the rods can slide snugly. (Assume it is possible to mount components on a stand, so the components do not collapse.)
The solution returns later today UK featuring the answer.
In the interim, NO SPOILERS. Rather, please suggest (less celebrated) candidates for the planet’s greatest invention.
