The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-14
Whether Possible or Not Depends
Upon the Situation of the
Terms.
In The Usual Acceptation of tho
Words It IL Certainly Inn
possible.
A Perpetual Clock, Dependent Upon Nat
ursi Changes Of Temperature. Has
Been MRde-ThermaI Motor,

AOPAy w liz AU0bSAOu u0pbuuB eU-
tirely upon the limitations put upon the
term perpetual motion" II We under
stand these words to mean . machine that
would start itself, furnish powe for doing
work, and continue in operation so long ~
required, or until worn out. without the as
sistance of any external agency, We may
say with the utmost confidence perpetual
motion ID impossible.
If, on the other hand, We define perpetual
motion as a machine dependent for It's ao.
tion upon the variability of one OF the forces
Of nature, We may say perpetual motion IL
possible. The thermal motor, in which ex-
pansion and contraction are produced BY
natural changes Of temperature, is an ex-
ample of . motor Of this kind. In this ma
chine, the changes in volume in q body are
made to store energy to be used in contiau-
Gus regular work. A perpetual clock has
been made on this principle.
Sun motors of various forms have been
devised, which might be used in connection
with storage mechanism for furnishing
power continuously. A sun motor of sufi-
cient size with a suitable storage system,
could furnish power the year round in al
most any part Of the world; success being
y question of hours Of sunshine and capaci-
ties of motor and storage system.
NJ VOuIbOb WAAb 40 8hiu Will 628Iu 10 v06
sun motor applies with equal force to water
wheels, windmills, tide and wave motors.
| Without doubt. all of these prime movers
will come more and more into use as time
advances, and storage systems are perfected.
stiil the, DO net ss:isfy the s.: seeker fo. II:
the conditions 6rst mentioned; bat, a. We
have already said, this il an impossibility.
The first and strongest reason for making
this positive assertion in regard to the ideal
perpetual motion IL found in the fact that
never in the history of man has he been
able to make. a sin gle atom of matter. OF
create the smallest fraction of q unit of
energy.
All the works of man, of whatever name
I or nature, have been constructed of mate
rails already in existence. and all the work
done by man and bis enginery has been ao-
complished by using current natural forces,
such az the gravitation of water, the power
Of the wind. and the heat energy Of the
fun, or the stored energy of coal and other
fuels or of chemicals.
HaYipg command of natures forces, in
ventors have sought to circumvsnt natures
laws. 90 as to make water run up hill" to
cause masses of matter to act alternately
in accordance with and in opposition to the
law of gravitation; in short. TO deprive
matter of gravity while ascending and
cause ii to act with the full force of gravity
while descending.
Among perpetual motion devices of this
class, proposed and tried, is the one having
weights arranged on q wheel in such a way
10 to fall outwardly and increase the lever
age on one side of the wheel, while thew
fold in and diminish the leverage on the
opposite side of the wheel. This machine,
it is needless to say. has never moved on
its own account, although it has become
classic.
In this device, the superior number of
weights on the side where the leverage 10
1 lanai aYA0flv halanNAa tho Uayuhka ~ Aha
extended arms. This 10 true of all the
notifications of this type Of machine.
A ~favorite device of the perpetual motion
inventor ia that Of weights arranged around
the periphery Of a wheel and oountsrbal-
anced by springs on which gravity has no
effect. Such weights, being balanced, are
supposed to be capable of being moved up
wardly in opposition to gravity without the
expenditure of much power. After having
beer elevated the weight, while maintaining
causing the rotation Of the wheel. After it
has done its work the weight must be re-
stored to its original position before the
operation can be repeated. and here comes
the rub. Many very ingenious plans have
been tried to accomplish this, but the re-
suit has always been a perfect balance.
In another device the attempt is made to
utilize the Arohimsdoan screw to elevate
water to be used for driving itself. The
inventors in this case fail to notice that al
though the water il running wi an in
slime in the screw, this incline 10 always
being elevated, so that the water must be
actually carried up an inclined plane by a
force rs great as it would exert if allowed
to descend through tho same distance. In
all these cases friction 10 left out Of the
question.
elevsting a liquid to be used as a motive
agent, but in this case, ~ in all others. the
defeating element 10 pressnt-the surface
tension of the liquid prevents detaohing the
liquid from the upper end Of the capillary
conductor.
1t seems strange that in these DAYS the
proposition should be made to run an cleo
i trio motor with q current from a dynamo
and to operate the dynamo by the power
derived from the electric motor, yet, absurd
AZ this proposition is, it has often been
broached in good faith: A more superficial
examination Of this subject shows that the
losses incurred in transforming the current
into motive power. and Woe versa. are such
Is to defeat any attempts OF this kind.
The permanent magnet appears TO have
suggested itself to many az q possible solu-
have searched the world over 10 find an in
sulator OF magnetism to act a. q cut-od for
releasing the armRture after ii has been
drawn forward toward the magnet; but no
such material has been found. Nature, in
this case IA in all others. refuses to yield
oAptAy u A0AA VNAAvaAoue VI eucE-
Nv in some other form, and the law Of the
conservation Of energy il found to hold
good.
We have mentioned but a few OF tho null
tituds of devices constructed with the hope,
not to say expectation, of producing a SELF
moving machine by utilizing natures con-
slant and unvarying forces.
Although the efforts of inventors in this
direction have been barren Of results of the
kind aimed at. yet their labor has not been
fruitless; many experimsnters who oonsid-
erod actual trial better than any amount OF
study or calculation have learned that
knowledge comes of experience" and
while discovering the fallacy of tho ideal
perpetual motion. they have been led TO
consider more practical subjects; making
inventions which have proved beneficial to
the world and profitable TO themselves.
If the inventor of machines intended TO
be self. moving will not noceds to Newton's
statement that faction and reaction are
equal and opposite fthird Law of notion.
and that there is a perfect and wonderful
balance in the forces of nature. let him
thoroughly aoquaint himself with the prin-
oiples Of physio and he will erslong be- able
to say with certainty just how the balance
will ooour In any and every perpetual mo.
ton machine of the ideal kind, aud admit
that he has not the power Of creating
Au0rpv.