Posted by Rob (208.17.229.201) on October 28, 2002 at 10:23:56:
In Reply to: Re: Clarification request for John Collins posted by John Collins on October 27, 2002 at 12:26:17:
Re: "at right angles to the axis..." This language always intrigued me. Applying the weight "vertically" implies that a component of the weight could be applied as a turning force at any position, but "at right angles" implies it is applied ONLY at the 3:00 position (or 9:00, for some reason I always look at the wheel turning counter-clockwise), or, that the driving weight is moving in a purely vertical downward direction, whatever its position may be.
: : : A small correction to my previous posting. The first translation was not, as I stated previously, by Gould, but was used by him and was taken from the original translation by Henry Dircks in 1870. The interesting thing, which I failed to notice before now, is that whereas Gould uses the words "...one or other of them must apply its weight at right angles to the axis, which in turn must also move." Dircks version runs, "one or other of them must apply its weight vertically to the axis, which in turn will also move."
: : : So you have a choice of right angles, or vertically!
: : : Regards
: : : John
: : John,
: : Re the above, right angles and vertically to the axis, are they not the same thing, the 3:00 position?
: : Pete.
: : Yes Pete that may be so, but why did Gould change it? If a weight applies its self at right angles to the axis it seems to me to mean that it is out to the side of the axis, whereas vertically sounds as if it is under it, which doesn't seem to make sense.
: John