I 'believe' Bessler's wheel did exist and did perform as claimed. The
historical information we have supports this belief.
Bessler's earlier wheels only rotated in one direction (which ever it was
designed to, I guess). These early wheels had to be immobilised by
attaching a cord to the rim of the wheel, when not in use. Bessler
redesigned his later wheels so that they would rotate in any direction -
these later wheels required a slight push, in either direction, to start
them rotating. This design change was intended to satisfy critics that the
wheel was not 'wound up' in some fashon.
Speed and diameter: Besslers first 3 foot diameter wheel rotated at around
50 RPM. His large 12 foot diameter wheel rotated at around 20 - 26 RPM. In
general, the large the wheel, the slower the speed. One interesting point:
In experiments I have conducted with a 3 foot diameter wheel, I found that
any free to move weight within the wheel would be pinned at the rim at the
claimed 50 RPM by the centripatal force of rotation.
Thickness: The thickness of the wheel increases with the diameter. 3 foot
diameter wheel was 4 inches thick, 12 foot diameter wheel was 18 inches
thick. It should be noted that when Bessler redesigned his wheel's so that
they would turn in either direction, the wheel thickness was, on average,
double that of the unidirectional design. If the 12 foot wheel was of the
unidirectional design, it would have a probable thickness of about 9 inches.
Bessler stated he used springs, but not in the way his detractors suggested.
I would recommend John Collins book on this subject for the serious
brainstormer.
Regards, Bill.
At 15:58 13/09/98 -3, Marcelo Puhl wrote:
>Some questions :
>
>1. Does this wheel existed ? Or it was another hoax ?
>
>2. It spins CW or CCW ? Or both ?
>
>3. Its rotational speed is diameter independent ?
>
>4. Is there any relation between its thickness and its diameter ?
>
>5. Is there any kind of spring involved ?
>
>Just brainstorming ...
>
>---
>Marcelo Puhl
>mark@plug-in.com.br
>
>