Are You Able to Solve It? The Overlooked Netherlands Creation That Shaped the Modern World
One can find numerous candidates for the designation as “planet’s greatest innovation.” The circular axle. The movable type. The combustion motor.
According to a recent publication, however, that title should go to a mechanised timber mill conceived through Dutch inventor Cornelis Corneliszoon during 1593.
“Prior to automated cutting, building a simple trading ship necessitated approximately 10 sawyers laboring for three months,” writes Jaime Dávila. “Using wind-driven lumber mills, an identical quantity of cut lumber could be manufactured in less than seven days.”
Thanks to this speedy automated saw, that converted timber to boards with virtually no human effort, the Dutch were able to construct ships more quickly compared to anyone else, an advantage that unleashed one hundred years of Dutch maritime, economic and artistic dominance in the continent and the globe.
The Original True Manufacturing Device
Corneliszoon’s lumber mill, argues the writer, represented “mankind’s initial authentic factory machine.” A wind turbine turned a wheel. A single part transformed the rotary movement to up-and-down action to power the cutting blade. Another component transformed that same rotary movement into a lateral movement feeding the timber to the cutter. A ratchet system moved the log ahead one precise increment each stroke.
“Each element was modest by itself. The Dutchman’s brilliance was to combine these parts so they acted within a perfectly controlled sequence, cutting on every downward stroke while advancing on every upward motion. This constituted a remarkably clever use of basic parts.”
A fact that leads us to the current puzzle. I’d like you to reimagine one of the fundamental ideas behind Corneliszoon’s machine.
Round and Up
Design a machine that turns circular motion to vertical motion. Your available these items only: A spinning wheel. Two pegs. Two rods. A “sleeve”, which is a cylinder or sleeve into which one of the bars will fit snugly. (Assume it is possible to put things on a stand, so the parts do not fall down.)
The solution returns at 5pm UK with the answer.
Meanwhile, PLEASE NO HINTS. Instead, feel free to suggest (non obvious) candidates for the world’s greatest creation.
