I often get asked which of the many clues that are associated with Bessler are the best in my opinion, and which do I think will lead us to success.
There are textual clues as well as graphic, but I tend to favour the graphic ones, although there are a couple of pieces of text which in my opinion offer the most useful information and could help in our search for success. But a single clue taken in isolation is hard to fathom and in my opinion is best understood when considered in conjunction with others. Bessler had no desire to lie, if only because it would reflect badly upon him at a later date, even if the wheel was sold and accepted as a success. But he could and did write ambiguously. Much of his text when referring to the wheels, appeared to be either contradictory or even nonsensensical, but a search for anything constructive while attempting to accept the apparent meaning in an experimental way has led me to some interesting understandings. Here are some of my preferred clues, not in any particular order of merit for me.
For instance Bessler says, "...these
weights are themselves the PM device, the 'essential constituent parts' which
must of necessity continue to exercise their motive force so long as they keep
away from the centre of gravity." This tells me that whatever arrangement is responsible for continuous rotation, it has to be ultimately gravity which enables it.
-and, “Alternately gravitating to the centre and climbing back up again." this seems obvious but is ambiguous, look for an alternative meaning which fits the words.
Or these ones, “'Lightly' cause a heavy weight to fly upwards!”
“I don't want to go into the details here of how suddenly the ‘excess’ weight
is caused to rise."
“The inward structure is so arranged that by disposed weights once in rotation
they gain force from their own swinging."
“This pressure of two fingers was applied until the moment when a single one of
the weights present inside the body of the device began to fall.”
.
The above four quotes give me a feel for the mechanical action, but no detail. The next one does give a little detail: "So then, a work of this kind of craftsmanship has, as its basis of motion, many separate pieces of lead. These come in pairs, such that, as one of them takes upan outer position, the other takes up a position nearer the axle. Later, they swap places, and so they go on and on changingplaces all the time." Very informative, and as before, don't take the words at face value, look for alternative ways to understand what he says.
This following text is the most sensible piece of advice given out by Bessler and I think it applies to almost all designs currently being worked on; "Many would-be Mobile-makers think that if they can arrange for some of
the weights to be a little more distant from the center than the others, then the thing will surely revolve. I learned all about this the hard
way. One has to learn through bitter experience.” It seems as though the design features he is dismissing are an absolute necessity for a gravity-enabled wheel to revolve continuously, but as it stands, his advice appears to rule it out utterly. Do not be fooled, he admits elsewhere that his design relies on weights being a little more distant from the center than the others,so how do we explain this? It's another example of his textual sleight-of-hand; it comes down to working out how you get the weights to be a little more distant from the center than the others.
There are many other clues in the text but the following one is my absolute favourite and one which is a supreme example of Bessler's deviousness, containing ambiguity, apparent nonsense and absolute truth, if you can work it out. "A great craftsman would be that man who can "lightly" cause a heavy weight to fly upwards! Who can make a pound-weight rise as 4 ounces fall, or 4 pounds rise as 16 ounces fall". I understand it completely with the proviso that there are two possible outcomes either of which it can argued, he meant but which hands-on building will resolve. There are other translations available but I like this one the best and they are each decipherable in the same way.
I'll discuss the graphic clues in my next blog, but I warn you I shan't be giving much away.
JC
