Posted by John Collins (194.164.38.85) on March 10, 2003 at 00:16:07:
In Reply to: John Collins-Clues-Bessler Crank Shaft posted by David on March 04, 2003 at 16:12:00:
: Hi Dave,
Sorry or delay in responding. I've been away for a couple of weeks.
I like the reference you make to the runners knee and the link to the foot peddle to drive the grind stone. Sounds a bit like a bicycle crank? I'll have to think about that. I personally don't think it's necessary to pose the idea of a double-lointed crank-shaft but who knows?
As for the flail, and its link to the scholar - I suspect that for flail you can read whip, and for the scholar read schoolboy. And remember there are things called whipping-tops. maybe there is some way that the internal mechanism resembles whips, tops and their action. If the flail would rather be with the thresher than the scholar perhaps it means the the whip mosty remains in the raised position and only descends on the scholar for a brief time.
Just musing folks :-)
John Collins
John,
: Looking at Bessler's Bi-Directional Wheel a few years ago and recently, I couldn't help but think the item in the center of the axel looked like a crank shaft. Regarding Bessler's statement that the center and main principle piece of the wheel resembles a grindstone. I thought at first this may have just meant a flywheel but I just rented the movie The Duellists, by Ridley Scott, and there's a scene about halfway through that shows someone sharpening a sword on a grindstone. The grindstone turns via a foot peddle attatched to a crankshaft. Seeing this, and remembering a few things in his clues I began to put some things together. He mentions, A Runner Runs. When one moves their leg to run the calf is lifted up by means of the thigh of course, but is attatched by a swivel joint-the knee. He also mentions a flail, and something else that uses a ball joint. ALL-the same as a crank shaft. I wonder if he designed a unique type of crank shaft-perhaps even a double jointed one which really could be the principle piece of the machine? What do you think?
: David