Posted by Phi ratio (67.31.157.188) on May 28, 2003 at 21:07:43:
Had bessler access to the materials in use today, his "wheel" may likely have been considerably more efficient. The observation that his device was quite simple really is true enough, however, had he lived today, he most assuredly could have made it more efficient and even simpler yet! Even with the materials of his own era, had he chanced upon the notion, he could have saved himself quite a bit of work. In order to duplicate his design, one would do well to heed the hint that the weights acted in pairs (as disassociative parts of the collective whole). One might start with a concept that makes use of another hint that the weights were made to move vertically from the axis (at or quite near the 12 o'clock position). This would assumably necessitate a pair of weights connected to one another in such a fashion that when one reached at or near the 3 o'clock position, it acted as a lever so as to lift it's sister weight at the 12 o'clock position. (in a clockwise oriented uni-directional device). This is easily accomplished when considering an array of such assemblies offset to one another on the same axis so as not to interfere with each other's movements. Think in 3D instead of merely a planar configuration where all weights act in the same plane and you might escape our predecessor's protacted journey to "simple" enlightenment. This is NOT to say that such a device as a "gravity wheel" cannot be done with an omni-planar configuration and done well!
The aforementioned comments were directed so as to perhaps help some more closely understand bessler's device.
"The light's on but nobody's home-------they're out workin to pay for that light they keep leavin on!"