Can You Crack It? The Overlooked Dutch Invention That Shaped our Modern Globe
There are numerous contenders for the designation as “planet’s greatest invention.” The wheel. The printing press. The steam engine.
As per a new book, though, that title should go to the mechanised timber mill invented through Dutchman Cornelis Corneliszoon in 1593.
“Prior to mechanised cutting, constructing a modest merchant vessel necessitated around 10 lumberjacks laboring for three months,” notes the author. “With wind-driven lumber mills, an identical quantity of cut lumber could be produced in less than a week.”
Thanks to this speedy automated saw, that turned timber to boards with virtually no human effort, Dutch builders could build ships faster compared to any other nation, which unleashed a century of Netherlands maritime, economic and artistic supremacy in the continent and the globe.
The First True Industrial Device
The inventor's sawmill, contends Dávila, represented “mankind’s first authentic factory apparatus.” A wind turbine rotated a gear. A single part transformed the circular movement into vertical action to power the cutting blade. Another component transformed the rotary movement into a lateral motion advancing the timber to the blade. A geared mechanism moved the wood forward one precise increment per stroke.
“Each element was modest on its own. The Dutchman’s genius lay in how to combine these parts so they acted within a perfectly controlled order, cutting with each downward motion and advancing on every return stroke. It was a remarkably clever application of fundamental parts.”
Which brings us to today’s challenge. The task is you to reinvent one of the fundamental ideas behind Corneliszoon’s machine.
Round and Up
Design a mechanism that turns circular movement to vertical motion. Your available these components exclusively: A rotating disc. Two pegs. Two bars. A “guide”, that is a cylinder or sleeve into which one of the rods will fit perfectly. (Assume it is possible to put things on a base, so the parts don’t fall down.)
I’ll be back later today UK featuring the solution.
In the interim, NO SPOILERS. Instead, feel free to propose (non obvious) contenders for the planet’s greatest invention.
