Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-01-07
PERPETUAL MOTTO .MPOS-
SIBLE.
Insurmountable Obstacles In the way o.
Making an Ideal Machine.

Insurmountable Obstacles in the way OF
Making an Ideal Machine.
The reply to the question, Is per-
Detual motion possible? depends en-
tirely npon the limitations put upon
the term perpetual notion II we
understand these words TO mean
machine that would start itself, fur
nish power for doing work and con-
tinue in operation so long as required
or until worn out, without the assist
ance of any external agency, the
Scientific American thinks we way
say with the utmost confidence per-
petual motion is impossible. If, on
the other hand we define perpetual
motion as a machine dependent for
its action upon the variability OF one
or more of the forces of nature, we
may say perpetual motion is possible.
The thermal motor, in which ex-
pansion and contraction are produced
by natural changes of temperature, is
an example of motor of this kind.
In this machine the changes in vol
ume in body are made to store
energy to be used in continuous regu-
lar 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 sufficient size with
suitable storage system could furnish
lon in, oil
part Of the world; success being a
question of hours of sunshine and
capacities of motor and storage
system. OF course, what is said with
regard to the sun motor applies with
equal force to water wheels, wind
mills, tide and wave motors. With
out doubt, all of these prime movers
will come more and more into use as
time advances and storage systems
are perfected. Still they do not satisfy
the seeker for the ideal perpetual
motion. This should fill the condi-
tions first mentioned; but, as we
have already said, this is an imp0s-
sibiity The first and strongest rea-
son for making this positive assertion
in regard to the ideal perpetual mo-
tion is found in the fact that never
in the history of man has he been
able to make a single atom of matter
or create the smallest fraction of
unit Of energy.
All the works Of man, Of Whate yer
name or nature, have been construct
ed of materials already in existence,
and all the work done by man and
his enginery has been accomplished
by using current natural forces, such
as the graVitatiOn of water, the power
of the wind and the heat energy OF
the sun, or the stored energy of coal
and other fuels, or Of chemicals.
Having the command of some of ma
lures forces, Inventors have sought
to circumvent natures laws so as to
make water 4run up hill" to cause
masses of matter to act alternately
in accordance with and in opposition
to she law of gravitatiOn; in short, to
deprive matter Of gravity while as
cending, and to cause it to act with
the full force Of gravity while de-
scending
Among perpetual motion devices,
of this class, proposed az tried, is
the one having weights arranged on
wheel in such way as to fall out
waIdly and increase the leverage on
one side Of the wheel, while they
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
weights on the side where the lever
age is the least exactly balances the
weights at the ends Of the extended
arms. This is true Of all the m0did-
cations of this type Of machine.
Although the efforts of inventors
results Of The kind aimed at, yet
their labor has not been fruitless;
many experimenters who considered
actual trial better than any amount
of study or calculation have learned
| that knowledge comes Of eXperience,
| anu Nhilc uloOONNiIhS lllC luiioNJ "
the 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-mOying will not accede to New
tons statement that faction and re-
action are equal and opposite" (third
law Of motiOn9, and that there is a
perfect and wonderful balance in the
forces Of nature, let him thoroughly
acQuant himself with the principles
Of physics, and lie will ere long be
able to say with certainty just how
the balance will occur in any and
every perpetual motion machine OF
the ideal kind, and admit that he
has not the power of creating energy.
af.fa tr.. ~