Are You Able to Crack This? The Forgotten Netherlands Invention That Forged our Modern Globe
One can find many contenders for the title of “world’s greatest invention.” The wheel. The printing press. The steam engine.
As per a recent publication, however, that title should go to a automated sawmill invented through Dutchman Corneliszoon van Uitgeest during 1593.
“Before mechanised cutting, constructing a modest merchant vessel required around ten lumberjacks laboring over 90 days,” writes the author. “With wind-powered sawmills, the same amount of processed timber might be manufactured within a week.”
Owing to their rapid automated saw, which turned timber to boards using virtually no human effort, Dutch builders were able to construct ships faster compared to anyone else, an advantage that sparked a century of Dutch naval, economic and artistic supremacy in Europe and the globe.
The First True Manufacturing Device
Corneliszoon’s sawmill, contends the writer, represented “mankind’s initial authentic factory machine.” A wind turbine turned a gear. A single part converted the circular movement into vertical action to power the saw. Another component changed the rotary motion into a lateral motion advancing the log toward the cutter. A geared mechanism moved the log ahead a measured step each cycle.
“Each element was simple by itself. The Dutchman’s genius was to integrate them in order that they acted within a precisely synchronized sequence, sawing with each downward stroke and moving with each upward motion. This constituted a remarkably clever use of fundamental components.”
Which brings us up to today’s challenge. I’d like you to reinvent a key the basic ideas underpinning this historic invention.
Round and Up
Construct a machine which converts circular movement into vertical motion. Your available these components exclusively: A spinning wheel. Two pegs. Two bars. A “guide”, which is a cylinder or sleeve through which one of the rods can slide perfectly. (Consider that you can mount components on a base, so that the parts do not fall down.)
I’ll be back later today UK time featuring the answer.
In the interim, NO SPOILERS. Rather, feel free to suggest (non obvious) contenders for the world’s greatest creation.
