If you were an inspector of Bessler's wheel

[justsomeone]

If 300 years ago, you were among the bright minds invited to inspect Bessler's 12 ft. wheel, is there anything you would have done that you suspect the others did not check? What else would you have noted?

[Wubbly]

Check the temperature of the wheel and the external stampers. Are they warmer than one would expect based on the ambient temperature?

While in operation, check for any unusual airflow patterns around the wheel indicating exiting air.

[Fletcher]

Ask him to beef up the rim strength if needed & then take it off the supports - give it a gentle push & see if it will accelerate across a long level & smooth surface like a great hall floor - repeat again climbing a ramp.

As wubbly said, test the ambient temperature in the room & when the wheel is stopped after running a while insert a temperature probe inside the wheel thru the maintenance port & compare.

[getterdone]

I would have given more detail about Bessler removing the weights/rollers from the wheel. The wheel was 12ft tall, did he have a step-ladder?

[DrWhat]

I would have noted down exactly what all the sounds were. And I agree, more details about the removed weights and I would have tried to determine from where and how he was removing the weights.

[rlortie]

I would talcum my wig put on my starched tights and say; " I will drink to that!".

[getterdone]

I just had a mental image of you in a wig and tights.....now I need a drink

[Unbalanced]

I'd kick Bessler square in the nuts and then run over and tear back the curtain, and copy the heck out of the thing and if it turned out to be a fraud, I'd go back over and kick him in the nuts once again.

[daxwc]

He didn't have nuts; he had balls!

Big brass ones.

[Zogg420]

I would have asked to see more work added gradually claiming i wanted to see max capability but being more interested in the sound as rpm slowed.

[Alexioco]

I think I would have asked as Fletcher said to see if the wheel could actually roll along a surface and even up an incline. Also if the wheel could be tilted horizontally with the axle now veritcal to see if it ran then. This would show whether the wheel required gravity at all or not.

Alex

[John Collins]

I think you would have to modify Fletch's suggestion to see if the wheel would roll along of its own accord. In winding tests the rope was wrapped around the axle and I think to do the rolling along test you would have to rest each side of the axle on rails to hold the rim of the wheel off the ground. Then you could test its ability to roll up hill even.

JC

[rickydog]

I would try to find out where the noises where happening during rotation. Near 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, etc., and, how close to the rim.
Were they a single noise or maybe a double, like a heartbeat?

Also, what happened when the box full of rocks was lifted as high as it could go, since the rope was tied off and wrapped around the axle. Did the wheel stop, then reverse due to the weight? Seems that his enemies would have used that against him. Why didn't he rig up a more continuously running demo for lifting weights?

I would have loved to see it powering a sawmill.

[jim_mich]

Why didn't he rig up a more continuously running demo for lifting weights?

Bessler did rig up a more continuously running demo. He had a hammer mill and a water pump.

[rlortie]

Also, what happened when the box full of rocks was lifted as high as it could go, since the rope was tied off and wrapped around the axle. Did the wheel stop, then reverse due to the weight? Seems that his enemies would have used that against him. Why didn't he rig up a more continuously running demo for lifting weights?

It is my belief as others here agree; the axle was used as a "capstan rope winch" requiring no more than three wraps of rope. The loose or whip end of the rope was manually tensioned engaging the winch. Once the load was raised the rope was relieved of tension and the rope would play out against the rotation of the axle allowing the load to be manually dropped back to ground level ready for a repeat.