The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1868-02-08
Perpetual Motion.


1
From th- LendOn WOrkingmAl.
The discovery Of a perpetual motion In o
problem which hes puzzled the ingenious
tor more than 2,000 years. We do not mean
BY It the invention of machine that will
act forever, but one that will continue 4
move, aud even be Q source Of motion, with
out the aid Of any external agent, until it is
gradually worn out in consequence Of the
natural destructibility Of lis materials Per-
petual motion, far from being an impossibil-
ity IN itself, is illustrated BY numerous ex-
amples on every side Of us for the heavenly
bodies are, in the strictest sense, instances
of il; since they move ut this very moment,
by virtue Of impulses which thev received,
1t is impossible to say how many thous |.
ands or millions Of years ago. Indeed mo-
tion is never lost; it is mersly transferred
from one body to another, or neantEAlized by
union with motion Of an opposite kind. But
for friction and the resiskxms Of the cir
even the machines that We construct would
move for ever-but for friction and the re-
sistance Of the air these ars-Simple words,
but they express obstacles that ne YER can be
overcome. aa
However ingeniously machine may be
devised, or however skilfully constructed,
the force which itself consumes must be re-
placed or it will sooner or later cease to
move. There Is no such thing On earth as
perfect smoothness there is no such thing,
therefore, as machinery without friction. All
the motion We produce takes place in re-
sisting medium even that which is effected
in our so-calied Udcutfm, and the moving
this medium out OF our way requires an
effort. There are, therefore, tso uuavoida-
Die des.-aYers Of force always in, operation,
which will infalibly absorb it, however great
Il may be; aud hence, to keep . machine in
motion, we mus either act upon%s external-
YIN which case the motion wtuld not be
perpetudi-or we must have. .Eecourse to
, some arrangement Of the parts, which is the
method adopted. But the very attempt re-
veais an ignorance of the fundamental laws
Of mechanics. e.
Since machine will modify force, but cao-
not create it, it will enable Us with certain
power, to move large weight slowly, or .
sspffall weignt with great velocity; bet W.
cannot by means Of II add In the least de-
gree to the amount of motion at our dispo-
salon the contrary, from the functions oi
the parts and the resistance Of the cir, II
cannot return to as even as much moHon as
we impart 10 II and, therefore, 10 is . loss
to US TO be obliged 70 use 1t. however sim
pie it may be. As well might we expect
vessel, from which the fluid is continually
l flowing, to remain constantly full, as q ma
chine 10 remain Of itself constantly in mo
ton. The machine is 10 motion what ths
vessel Is to fiuid--a mere receptacle for it
We may withdraw the liquid slowly or sud
denly, but the emptying Of the vessel 10 |
mere question Of time; we may take from
q machine the motion we have stored up II
il, either instantaneously or By the stoves
degrees, but sooner or later the whole Of |
VIII have been exhausted. The force VI
impart to watch or 4 clock, during th'
Short time we ore winding Il, 10 gwen bacl
in form more suited to our purpose; bu
however long II may 20 without being wcun'
again, il will stop vt last. merely from fric
ton of lie parts, and resistance Of the me
dunn in which ii 10 placed; and 70 10 mus
ever be, whatever the mechanism em
\ ployed. lo ta
Those who nave atssaptsd las dapcoysr
of perpetual motions hare, indeed sougt
to attain their object By calling 10 the aid