The following clues are the beginning to an understanding of how the Orffyreus perpetual motion machine worked. More will be posted as they are determined.

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• - #1 (GREED) = Duckweed (the shape of the plant)
• - #2 (Anvil) = Anything on which blows are laid. As one of the smallest bones of the ear.
• - #3 (Driver drives) = The main wheel by which motion is communicated.
• - #4 (Runner runs) = That on which a thing runs or slides.
• - #5 (Seer sees) = In India, a weight which varies in value with the locality in which it is used.
• - #6 (Buyer buys) = Anything merchantable of his "Principal Gravity"
• - #7 (Drips) = To let the weights fall in drops.
• - #8 (Snow Falls) = The shape of the "Crystals of Snow." (Falls) = The act of dropping or descending from a higher to a lower place by the fluid of "Gravity".
• - #9 (The Shotgun Shoots) = To send out or fourth with a sudden or violent motion, to let fly or be driven with force.
• - #10 (The Bow Twangs) = To cause to bend, To cause to turn or incline; To exercise great influence upon anything bent or in the form of a curve. "The Runners are curved inside the "WHEEL".
• - #11 (Herd, Fat) = To associate; To become one of a number or a party of "WEIGHTS." Fat - big fat weights.
• - #12 (Wanders)= To travel or move from place to place without any fixed purpose. "WEIGHTS"
• - #13 (Flail) = A wooden instrument for threshing or beating grain from the ear by hand - consisting of a "Staff joined to the swingel or swiple" which beats the grain "By a strap, rope, or other device." Could be a reference to a connection to the shaft or axle to move weights to their proper place.
• - #13a (Flail) = "Ball Joint"; "cables that move in any direction"
• - #14 The wheel is supported between two broken columns; "Cut out for bearings"
• - #15 (Fleet) = To skim the surface, to pass over rapidly; "to move or cause to move."
• - #16 (Nimble) = Light and quick in motion; moving with ease; celerity.
• - #17 (Snatches) = A broken or interrupted action; a short fit or turn; "As to move by snatches".
• - #18a (Kennel) = A little Canal or channel "to keep or confine in a channel." It is in reference to "Cylinder weights being confined between runners in a cylinder."
• - #18b (Stretch) = The extent to which anything may be stretched; hence the utmost extent or reach of meaning power, or the like; "A continuous period of time"; a frame for expanding. One of the rods in an umbrella attached at one end to one of the ribs. This meaning how far the Weights can extend in the cylinders.
• - #19 (Nick - Nack same as Knickknackery) = The collection itself; a trick toy
• - #19a (please) = What next I bring shall please; "Freed From Motoral Laws With Ease"
• - #20 (Wags) = To cause to move up and down, backwards and forward, or from side to side alternately. As a small body jointed, attached, or connected with a larger one; to cause to move in one way and another, "AS on a Pivot", joint, or on or from something by which the body is supported; To cause to shake, oscillate or vibrate slightly; "From the quick jerky or abrupt Motion.
• - #20a (Creeps) = An instrument of iron with hooks or claws for bringing up what may be there. Part of how the weights are pulled up.
• - #20b (Hoop) = An old English measure of capacity, The casting around a pair of millstones, a band around the rotating millstones.
• - #20c (Pat) = A light quick blow or stroke with or some flat Instrument.
• - #20d (Paws) = To fondle in an awkward or rough manner.
• - #20e (Stiff) = Drawn very tight; tense; as a stiff cord.
• - #21 (Wheel) = To change direction as if moving on a pivot or center, To make circular or spiral flight.
• - #21a (Appears) = To come into the light of publicity; to become generally noticed or known.
• - #21b (Normal) = According to the rule; principle, or the norm; obeying what is believed to be the established "LAW."
• - #21c (Rim) = To slit the sides of, to give the appearance of flatness.
• - #22 (Revolves) = To move in a curved course around the center, to fall back; to return.
• - #22a (Without) = on the outside of; not within; "Externally Outward".
• - #22b (Inside) = In a circular or "OVAL" , the track laying nearest to the "CONCAVE EDGE".
• - #22c (OUTSIDE) = The extreme; the utmost; the farthest limit, or estimate.
• - #22d (Weights) = To raise or bear up; to lift so that it hangs in the air; to examine by a "Balance and standard counter-poise." (This is where a floating weight that does the cocking of the weights plays a big part in this simple machine)
• - #22e (Wind) = To have a circular or spiral direction; to crook; to bend; "To have a course marked by bending or windings." (How to wind the ropes.)
• - #22f (Springs) = "Elastic power or force"

A description of the forces operating in this machine will be useful.

1 - Gravity

It's already been explained that the machine uses GRAVITY with the falling WEIGHT'S.

2 - Kinetic Energy

That energy of a body which results from it's motion; it is equal to half the product of it's mass and the square of it's velocity. This is where the flywheel becomes important.

3 - CentriFUGAL

Moving or tending to move away from the center. This is where the weights become important as they fly through their piston-like tubes-within-tubes, "at the first apex", connected by strap, chain, rope. (The dog creeps out of the kennel just as far as his chain will stretch) behind the tubes are springs and the dog pins that a lever must release, then the SHOTGUN SHOOTS, the weights hit the rim of the wheel, and only at the first Apex. At this point, you must protect the rim with the anvil. (Think of a ball point pen as it cocks and holds and on the next stroke it pops out.)

4 - CentriPETAL

Moving or tending to move toward the center. This is where all the little tricks are played, the cocking mechanism must lock the weights at the second apex to be unbalanced from the falling weights or a weight put into place by a locking dog pin in some type of oval track.

Some thoughts on how the Engine worked - 12/13/97

Subject: Orffyreus
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 1997 10:27:20 -0000

Hi Jerry,

Please fell free to post my comments on the clues page.

It has occurred to me that if the weights worked in pairs (as Orffyreus stated they did), then suspended weights on opposite sides of the wheel would be joined together (by rope?)

So that as the weight on the downside is pulled out to the rim by gravity, the weight on the opposite side would be pulled into the axis by the joining rope.

The weights would be suspended on folding arms like an adjustable reading lamp which would permit the arm to fold into the axis.

Alternatively, each suspended weight is attached by rope to the next weight in line so that as gravity pulls the downside weights down the others all follow it, this means the weights on the opposite side are automatically pulled into the axis.

Dog pins could be used to secure them in position, on the downside gravity would cause the dog pins to drop out allowing the weight to drop.

I'll keep in touch - Regards