3j'.

THEORY OF
ARCHITECTURE.
Book
IL
have 20 X
3-1416 X
2= 125-664, the tircuinfereiice of
the power; and
125-664 to
{,
or 251-;i28 to 1,
is
the t'oice of the screw alone. Again, 1
8 : 2 or 9:1,
being the proportion of the wheels to the pinions, and
there being three of them, 93
: 1 or 729 : 1
is the
power gained by the wheels.
1329.
Conse(jiiently 251
-328
x 729 to 1 ,
or 18321
8^
to 1 nearly, is the ratio of the power to the
weight
arising from the joint advantage of the screw and the
wheels. The power, however, is 1 50 pounds
;
there-
fore 150 y 183218^
or 27482716 pounds is the weight
the man can sustain, e(]ual to 12269 tons.
1330. It must he observed, that the power has to
overcome not only the weight, but at the same time
the friction
undergone by the screw, which in some
cases is so great as to be equal to the weight itself;
for it is sometimes sufficient to sustain the weight
when the power is taken off.
OI' lUlCTlON.
1331. niough in a preceding page we have slightly
touched on the effect of friction, it is to
lie kept
in mind that the foregoing observations and rules
have assumed the mechanical powers to be without
weight and friction. This is far from the fact
;
and,
however theoretically true all that has hitherto been
advanced, very great allowances must be made in
""
practice when power is applied to mechanical purposes, in which a great portion of their
effect is lost by friction, inertia, &e. The word friction, properly meaning the act of
one body rubbing on another, is in mechanics used to denote the degree of retardation or
obstruction to motion which arises from one surface rubbing against another. A heavy
body placed upon another is not in a state of etpiilibrium between all the forces which act
upon it, otherwise it could be moved by the application of the smallest force in a direction
parallel to the plane. This want of equilibrium results from unbalanced force occasioned
by the friction on a level surface. Now if a new force of equal magnitude be applied to
counterpoise such unbalanced force, the body will obey the smallest impulse in such direc-
tion, and the force thus employed will exactly measure the retarding force of friction. It
has been well observed, that friction destroys, but never generates motion
;
being therein un-
like gravity or the other forces, wliich, though they may retard motion in one direction,
always accelerate it in the opposite. Thus the law of friction violates the law of con-
tinuity, and cannot be accurately expressed by any geometrical line, nor by any algebraic
formula. The a-athor (Playfair, Outlines
of
Natural Philosophy) just quoted, continues :
"
Though friction destroys motion and generates none, it is of essential use in mechanics.
It is the cause of stability in the structure of machines, and it is necessary to the exertion
of the force of animals. A nail or screw or a bolt could give no firmness to the parts of a
machine, or of any other structure, without friction. A nimals could not walk, or exert their
force anyhow, without the support which it affords. l\othing could have any stability, but
in the lowest possible situation ;
and an arch, which could sustain the greatest load when
pro])erly distributed, might be thrown down by the weight of a single ounce, if not placed
with mathematical exactness at the very point which it ought to occupy."
1332. Many authors have ajiplied themselves to the subject of friction, but the most satis-
factory results have attended the investigations of the celebrated Coulomt) in its application
to practical mechanics; and it is to tiiat author we are indebted for the few following suc-
cinct observations.
I. In the friction of wood upon wood in the direction of the fibres after remaining in
contact for one or two minutes, the following mean results were obtained :

Oak against oak

-
.,,j^
=friction in parts of the weight.
Oak against fir
-
Fir against fir -
Elm against elm
When oak rubbed upon oak, and the surfaces in contact were reduced to the smallest pos
glble dimensions, the friction was
^..^^
0.40)
,f:^'-
-
1
1 m
= ditto.
-
I
= ditto.
-
1
2 18
= ditto.