Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-02-26

aaH
acton the same length of lever, and con-
sequently the impetus they give TO the
oachinery which is attached TO the wheel
will not be in proportion to The weight OF
each respectively, but in proportion to
their weight multiplied into their, dis
lance from the plane oil the inclination OF
the axis. II then an additional impetus
10 the machinery is required, it cannot be
obtained in proportion TO the increase OF
teams on the wheel. For although the
power is increased in proportion to the
increase of weight on the wheel, yet the
additional power acts with shorter lever.
/ any two or more animals walk abreast
OF each other, the one tina. walks nearest
the centre Of motion acts upon the short
est lever, but he walks proportionably
slower. Any Improvement in the con-
struction ofthe wheel which should make
the length of the levers upon which the
power is applied, more equal, without
obliging the animals to walk faster,
would be very valuable. This has been
in some measure effected by Col. James
Thomas, of St. Clair county. His i'm
provement consists in making two in
clined planes, one above the other, on
the same shaft He has built one mill on
this plan, which answers the fullest ex-
pcctation which had been raised of it.
1t will be readily seen that on this plan
the centre Of gravity of the team collec-
lively will be at greater distance from
the plane of the inclination of the axis of
the wheels, than if they were all placed
on one wheel OF the same size. But on
neither plan will more than one animal
on each wheel act with lever equal to
the radius of the wheel.
The verticle wheel has been long in
Ose-it has been used much longer than
the inclined wheel. In this plan the
rim or band is very large, and supported
by arms extended from the horizontal
shaft. On the inside of this rim or bar
rel is firm floor on which the animals
walk or tread. In attempting ito walk
forward the wheel revolves. The arms
from the shaft to the barrel were, till very
lately, always placed ON each side, and
the animals walked between them. But
great difficulty was experienced by
not having any fixed point to which the
animals might be tied. This gave rise
to Tilford's improvement, which consists
in having but one set of arms, and those
extending to the middle of the rim, and
having the team placed on each side of
them. This allows OF fixed beam or
shaft extending into the barrel on each
side to which the animals may be tied
This improved plan possesses consdera-
BILE merit. Buttoo much merit has been
attached to it-for some have even sup
posed that an animal may walk at
greater angle of elevation within this
wheel, than ON an inclined wheel. But
this is perfectly absurd, and deserves not
the trouble Of refutation. Those who
-.rs', enrcrsain the idea, would refer to
Relcherand's theory of walking. The
team cannot walk with any greater ease,
because the surface on which they walk
is concave. Experience has even proved
that they cannot walk as well on plane
OF equal elevation, they being liable to
stumble often with their fore feet, so
that their knees become in short time
sore with their frequent falls. And if
they cannot walk easier on a concave
surface, they cannot walk on a sleeper
ascent. They can walk at such an elc- |
walton, that line dropped perpendicu-
larly from the centre of gravity, of their
bodies, shall strike the wheel eleven de-
grees FROM the lowest point of the wheel. |
And this,is the point Oh which the power
operates. "A line touching the circle of
this point will be elevated eleven degrees
above the horizon. A radius drawn
through the centre of gravity, and con-
tinued to the circumference, will meet
1t several degrees farther from the low
est point; and this place of meeting may
have been taken fer the point on which |
the power operates, and may thus have
given rise to some false deductions
in calculating the power of this kind of
wheel.
Several mechanical gentlemen have
suggested to me an improvement of the |
virtica wheel, which consists in placing
the team on the outside, rather than on |
the inside of the barrel. But have late
ly learned that this has been tried long
ago without success.-That when placed
on the outside, the animals stumbled
with their hind feet in the same way that
they did with their fore feet when placed
on the inside. Indeed / cannot see that
the plan of placing the team on the out
side possesses any advantage over that of
placing them on the inside, unless it can
be proved that they can walk better on a
convex surface than on concave one,