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MECHANICS

PREFACE

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

CHAPTER I

WAR AS A STIMULUS OF INVENTION

THE ART OF BREAKING STONES

DISCOVERY OF THE LEVER AND THE WEDGE

INVENTION OF THE WHEEL

DISPLACING MEN WITH MACHINES

RAISING WATER

CHAPTER II

THE LEVER

CONTINUOUS REVOLVING LEVERAGE

TOOTHED GEARS

THE INCLINED PLANE AND ITS FAMILY

CHAPTER III

MAUDSLEY’S “GO-CART”

THE INTERCHANGEABLE SYSTEM

THE TURRET LATHE

CUTTING WITH RED-HOT TOOLS

CHAPTER IV

TELLING TIME WITH A LEAKY BUCKET

THE REMARKABLE WATER CLOCK OF CTESIBIUS

TIMING ANCIENT ORATORS

DISCOVERY OF THE PENDULUM

THE FIRST SHIP’S CHRONOMETER

MARVELOUS PRECISION OF MODERN WATCHES

THE PACEMAKER OF A WATCH

INANIMATE MATTER IN CONTINUAL MOTION

THE PENDULUM ESCAPEMENT

CHAPTER V

WATER WHEELS

INVENTION OF THE PELTON WHEEL

A 4,000-FOOT HEAD OF WATER

HARNESSING THE MISSISSIPPI

SETTING KITCHEN FAUCETS TO WORK

DIGGING WITH WATER JETS

COMPRESSING AIR WITH WATER

CHAPTER VI

WHY A SHIP FLOATS

HYDRAULIC LEVERAGE

MAUDSLEY’S LEATHER COLLAR

BLASTING WITH WATER

RAISING A BRIDGE SPAN WITH WATER

HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS

LIFT LOCKS FOR CANALS

HYDRAULIC VARIABLE SPEED GEAR

TRANSMITTING POWER WITH SOUND WAVES

CHAPTER VII

THE BOY WHO DISCOVERED COMPRESSED AIR

RAISING WATER WITH ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

THE AIR LIFT

EXCAVATING THROUGH QUICKSAND

THE AIR LOCK

THE CAISSON DISEASE

BORING TUNNELS THROUGH RIVER BEDS

QUELLING OCEAN BILLOWS WITH AIR

CHAPTER VIII

HEAT OF COMPRESSION

AIR-DRIVEN HAMMERS

STOPPING TRAINS WITH AIR

PROPELLING CARS WITH AIR

AIR CUSHIONS FOR ELEVATORS

LAYING CEMENT WITH AN AIRGUN

AIR AS A TENSION SPRING

CHAPTER IX

THE GIFFARD INJECTOR

HERO’S STEAM ENGINE

NEWCOMEN’S ATMOSPHERIC ENGINE

WATT’S STEAM ENGINE

USING THE HEAT IN THE STEAM

DE LAVAL’S STEAM TURBINE

PARSONS EXPANSION TURBINE

CHAPTER X

BURNING AIR IN THE AUTOMOBILE ENGINE

COOLING THE CYLINDERS

THE SELF IGNITING DIESEL ENGINE

THE DOUBLE-ACTING JUNKER ENGINE

SILENCING THE NOISY EXHAUST

COMBINED STEAM AND OIL ENGINE

LATENT HEAT

CHAPTER XI

OUR WASTE OF FUEL

“BLUE COAL”

SETTING TIDES TO WORK

POWER FROM SUNSHINE

HARNESSING VOLCANOES

POWER FROM THE CORE OF THE EARTH

CHAPTER XII

ELEMENTARY MECHANICS

PARALLELOGRAM OF FORCES

SAILING AGAINST THE WIND

THE SPEEDY CLIPPER

FROM OARS TO PROPELLERS

WATER JET PROPULSION

WATER AND AIR RESISTANCE

FLYING ON WATER

FIRST OCEAN STEAMER

BOATS OF ARTIFICIAL STONE

SUBMARINE NAVIGATION

A SUBMARINE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

FULTON’S HAND-PROPELLED SUBMARINE

SUBMARINES AS SURFACE BOATS

POWER PLANT OF A SUBMARINE

THE COLLAPSIBLE “EYE” OF THE SUBMARINE

THE “EARS” OF A SUBMARINE

CHAPTER XIII

ROLLING FRICTION

PUTTING ROLLERS BETWEEN LOAD AND ROAD

REDUCING ROAD FRICTION

INCREASING TRACK FRICTION

ANCIENT LINEAGE OF THE AUTOMOBILE

STEPHENSON’S LINK MOTION

MODERN LOCOMOTIVES

FIRST AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT

AMERICAN PIONEERS OF THE MOTOR CAR

WHEELS VS. LEGS

WALKING MACHINES

“CATERPILLAR” TRACTION

CHAPTER XIV

THE FIRST HYDROGEN BALLOON

THE WEIGHT OF AIR

BALLOON NAVIGATION

SEVEN MILES ABOVE THE EARTH

KITE BALLOONS

SELF-PROPELLED BALLOONS

THREE TYPES OF DIRIGIBLES

ACROSS THE ATLANTIC IN A DIRIGIBLE

HEAVIER-THAN-AIR MACHINES

THE WRIGHT BROTHERS

TRANSATLANTIC AEROPLANE FLIGHTS

WHY A KITE STAYS UP

FORCES THAT SUPPORT AN AEROPLANE

MAINTAINING THE EQUILIBRIUM OF AN AEROPLANE

CHAPTER XV

THE FIRST HARVESTING MACHINE

EVOLUTION OF THE PLOW

INVENTION OF THE REAPER

THE “FULTON” OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY

TYING KNOTS BY MACHINE

CHAPTER XVI

MECHANICAL MONSTERS

DITCHING AND TRENCHING MACHINES

FLOATING EXCAVATORS

GOLD MINING WITH A DREDGE

SUCTION DREDGES

CANAL DIGGING UNDER WATER

LAND BUILDING WITH DREDGES

THE DEEPEST MINE SHAFT

TUNNELING BY MACHINE

COAL-CUTTING MACHINERY

EXPLORING SUBSURFACE CONDITIONS

LOCATING ROCK UNDER HUDSON RIVER

BORING FOR OIL

CHAPTER XVII

INVENTION OF THE COTTON GIN

PREPARING COTTON FOR THE SPINNING MULE

ARKWRIGHT’S DRAWING ROLLS

THE SPINNING MULE

WOVEN, BRAIDED, KNITTED, AND NET GOODS

THE LOOM

THE JACQUARD LOOM

INVENTION OF THE KNITTING MACHINE

HOWE’S INVENTION OF THE SEWING MACHINE

THE SINGLE-THREAD SEWING MACHINE

MACHINE-MADE EMBROIDERIES

FINE NEEDLEWORK BY MACHINE

CHAPTER XVIII

CHINESE INVENTION OF PAPER

USES OF PAPER

TURNING FORESTS INTO PULP

GETTING DOWN TO THE “BONES” OF THE WOOD

THE FOURDRINIER PAPER-MAKING MACHINE

THE CYLINDER MACHINE FOR MAKING PAPER

CHAPTER XIX

EARLY CHINESE PRINTING

DEVELOPMENT OF PRINTING PRESSES

THE STEREOTYPE PLATE

MODERN NEWSPAPER PRESSES

PRINTING 240,000 PAGES PER HOUR

A SEA CAPTAIN’S CONTRIBUTION

GATHERING AND BINDING MAGAZINES

SETTING TYPE BY MACHINE

THE LINOTYPE MATRIX AND SPACE BAR

INDIVIDUAL TYPE CASTING AND COMPOSING

WRITING BY MACHINE

CHAPTER XX

IRON IN ANCIENT DAYS

DISCOVERY OF COKE

ALLOYS OF CARBON AND IRON

MECHANICAL HANDLING OF ORE

THE MODERN BLAST FURNACE

BURNING OUT THE CARBON

OPEN HEARTH FURNACES

ROLLING INGOTS INTO RAILS

STEEL FOR BIG GUNS

SQUEEZING OUT THE “PIPES”

CHAPTER XXI

MATHEMATICAL MACHINES

HEARING AND TALKING WITH A MECHANICAL “EAR”

MACHINES THAT PICTURE MOTION

INVENTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM

MACHINES THAT SEE

A MACHINE THAT READS PRINT

THE WILLFUL GYROSCOPE

FORCES DEVELOPED IN A GYROSCOPE

THE GYROSCOPE AS A COMPASS

PREVENTING SHIPS FROM ROLLING

THE MONO-RAIL CAR

THE AUTOMATIC AEROPLANE PILOT

CHAPTER XXII

ABSOLUTE ZERO

EARLY USES OF LOW TEMPERATURES

HEAT AND MECHANICAL ENERGY

COLD AIR MACHINES

LATENT HEAT

VACUUM MACHINES

THE ABSORPTION PROCESS

THE COMPRESSION SYSTEM

CHAPTER XXIII

PRIMITIVE “ENGINES” OF WAR

INVENTION OF GUNPOWDER

THE SPINNING BULLET

MACHINE GUNS

UTILIZING THE KICK OF A GUN

COOLING THE GUN BARREL

A GUN THAT FANS ITSELF

POCKET-SIZED MACHINE GUN

ARTILLERY VS. ARMOR

GUNS, MORTARS, AND HOWITZERS

THE 76-MILE GUN

A 121-MILE GUN

TIMED AND PERCUSSION SHELLS

AERIAL BOMBS

AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF SUBMARINE TORPEDOES

CHAPTER XXIV

1801-1810

1811-1820

1821-1830

1831-1840

1841-1850

1851-1860

1861-1870

1871-1880

1881-1890

1891-1900

1901-1910

1911-1920