Are You Able to Solve It? The Overlooked Netherlands Invention That Forged our Modern Globe
One can find numerous contenders for the designation as “planet’s greatest innovation.” The wheel. The movable type. The combustion motor.
As per a new book, however, that honor belongs to a automated sawmill invented by Dutchman Corneliszoon van Uitgeest in 1593.
“Before automated sawing, building a modest trading ship necessitated approximately 10 sawyers laboring for three months,” notes the author. “With wind-driven lumber mills, an identical amount of cut lumber might be manufactured in less than a week.”
Owing to this speedy mechanical saw, that converted logs into boards using almost no human effort, the Dutch could build vessels faster than anyone else, which sparked a century of Netherlands maritime, economic and artistic dominance in the continent and the globe.
The First Genuine Manufacturing Machine
The inventor's lumber mill, contends Dávila, represented “humanity’s initial authentic industrial machine.” A windmill rotated a gear. A single part converted the rotary movement into vertical motion for the cutting blade. Another component changed that same rotary movement into a lateral motion advancing the log to the cutter. A ratchet system shifted the wood forward a measured step per cycle.
“Each element was simple on its own. Corneliszoon’s genius was to integrate these parts in order that the machine operated within a perfectly controlled sequence, cutting on every downward motion while advancing with each upward stroke. This constituted a remarkably intelligent application of basic parts.”
Which leads us to today’s challenge. I’d like you to reimagine a key the basic concepts behind this historic invention.
Round and Up
Construct a machine that turns circular motion to vertical action. Your available these items only: A rotating disc. Two pegs. Two rods. A “guide”, which is a tube or housing through which one of the bars will fit snugly. (Assume it is possible to put things on a base, so that the components do not fall down.)
I’ll be back at 5pm UK with the solution.
In the interim, NO SPOILERS. Rather, please propose (less celebrated) candidates as the planet’s most impactful creation.
