From Chief to Ball

"Well, since this is the case, what kind of changes can this theorem or this principle bring to the world? This time, I invite everyone to gather around and take a closer look."

After receiving the invitation, everyone gathered around one after another. Many people couldn't see from behind, so they simply put the small wooden stools under their feet and asked the people in the first row to sit down.

There was a group of people surrounded by blackness, and there were more people outside who wanted to rush in.

Chen Jian finally took out an "artifact" carefully, a set of artifacts composed of glass tubes, wood pieces, copper rivets, connecting rods, copper tubes, eucommia rubber tubes, and water glass tubes.

People looked curiously at this extremely strange object with an indescribable mechanical and geometric beauty, not knowing why.

One end of the glass tube is sealed, the other end is plugged, and it is very strong after being glued with water glass.

A hole was opened in the center of the plug, and a copper pipe protruded through the hole of the plug. Chen Jian was applying castor oil to the copper pipe.

There is a very light wooden piston on the light copper tube that goes deep into the glass tube. Two thin copper tubes and Eucommia rubber tubes are connected to the two ends of the glass tube. The place where the tubes are connected is a very precise linkage device. There is an air inlet and an air outlet.

The copper tubes to the pistons and the copper tubes to the intake linkage are connected side by side to a light runner, making for a perfect linkage.

Some people who have studied simple hydraulic machinery can tell at a glance that once the copper pipe connected to the piston moves back and forth, the small wheel will turn.

Likewise, as soon as the small wheel turns, the parallel set of connecting rods on the side also moves, thereby constantly blocking one of the two air inlets leading into the glass tube, and perfectly ensuring that the piston is only released after it has reached one end. The exhaust port will be exposed.

This is a very exquisite, but very simple, little machine or toy without any practical value.

Beside this little machine, a set of small brass boilers was in place, connected to the inlet pipe of the diverter box, and carefully prepared for sealing.

Chen Jian took out a piece of homemade briquette mixed with saltpeter, drew a phosphorus sulfide match, and lit the briquette with half a sheet of paper.

Briquettes and matches are no longer enough to arouse these people’s amazement, because they have no mind, because their brains and logical thinking told them a terrible and unimaginable consequence: the steam in this copper boiler will make this piston move !

This is evident from those perfectly fitting connecting rods, and from the just-proved experiment of air compression being powerful.

They even believed that if a butcher who slaughtered pigs and cattle blew on the snorkel with his mouth, the piston would move back and forth!

Chapter 82 Obtaining knowledge through investigation ([-])

This is a simple logical reasoning, based on the previous experiments and the application of hydraulic mechanical linkages, it is not difficult to draw conclusions.

Everyone held their breath and stared motionlessly at the burning briquettes.

After a while, Chen Jian turned the wheel slightly, and the piston started to move.It was a little slow at first, but it got faster and faster, and finally couldn't stop.

"Turn! Turn!"

I don’t know who it is, shouting out in the crowd, but more people are staring at the simple toy-like machine, the connecting rods and the beauty of the mechanism every time they move, listening to the sound of the copper furnace. The humming sound of the middle water made me intoxicated.

A set of ingenious self-feedback mechanism, there is no part that cannot be made now.

The piston drives the connecting rod, the connecting rod drives the runner, the other side of the runner drives the connecting rod, and the connecting rod drives the split air intake and exhaust device.

Every time steam comes in from the first air inlet, the other side of the glass tube just exposes the air hole; when the piston moves to the other side, the driven feedback link automatically blocks the first air inlet, Open the second air intake.

A small part of the energy brought by the piston is used to control the connecting rod of the split air hole, and more energy is used to drive the rotation of the runner.

This is the simplest model of a reciprocating steam engine. The cylinder is made of glass that can be observed intuitively. Those people guessed it right. The most delicate and perfect state of this model is that it can be blown by a person's mouth.

However, although there are only two words between the model steam engine and the practical steam engine, these two words cannot be easily crossed.

But at this time, no one thought about the natural moat, and was completely conquered by this set of mechanical toys.Those who have never been in contact with hydraulic machinery are still thinking about how the connecting rods operate, while those who have been in contact with hydraulic machinery are already thinking about what kind of connecting rods can be replaced to drive many machines.

Chen Jian looked at the reciprocating piston, extinguished the coal fire, and pulled everyone's thoughts back to reality.

It’s a good thing that there aren’t too many surprises like seeing ghosts and gods. It proves that the top group of people in these groups use logical thinking and experience to understand that this is not driven by gods, but just a complex and perfect machine.

After stopping, there was a long silence.

Finally, who knows who took the lead to puff up the palms, and then the applause was deafening, accompanied by many cheers.

Chen Jian bowed and saluted, walked around in a circle, and finally stopped the applause.

"Everyone, this is just a toy, and there is still a long way to go before it can be used. Today, this little machine has at most the power of a mouse."

"But the biggest difference between this and a mouse is that it is created by us and can grow. Today it is a mouse, tomorrow it may be a rabbit, the day after tomorrow it will be a cow, and the day after tomorrow it may be a kun that can travel thousands of miles."

"Big bigger, thicker. Turn glass into iron, small pots into big pots... there's always a way to make it grow."

"The road to growing up is very long, so long that it can be completed in one year or two years. It is close at hand and far away, but at least we know another way."

"I saw decades later, the whole of China was shrouded in billowing soot; I saw huge flywheels spinning and dancing in steam. Think about it, everyone. Soot, steam, loud noise, black steel , rumbling machines, what a wonderful future."

"What can this do? When it grows up, it can do all the things that hydraulic machinery can do today. For example, a huge hydraulic hammer becomes a steam hammer, such as pulling the water row of the iron bellows into a piston pull, such as stepping The waterwheel that fetches water becomes the waterwheel that steam lifts water..."

"Those places that seem unsuitable for building workshops today can be built. A hired worker who knows how to fill coal can replace ten cows. This is the meaning of our school, and this is the change that knowledge brings to the world. "

"I think you have also heard about my husband's story about wheat. Just imagine, what will our future look like? We can produce a thousand catties of grain per mu, and one person can replace ten cows... How much will we create? Grain, cotton cloth, coal and iron, wealth?"

"Isn't the talk about overpopulation killing some ridiculous in this future? Those who think learning is useless are hopeless in the future, and those who think academies cost a lot of money think that some disciplines can be shut down Should members of the council get out of the council?"

"Indeed, this is just a toy, but it is a toy that can grow up. All of you who are watching here today have learned how to cast cannons, so can the way you cast cannons and the scraper lathe used to scrape the bore of the cannon be used? To make an iron cylinder instead of glass? If you have learned hydraulic mechanical connecting rods, can you prepare new connecting rods and new machinery that conforms to this reciprocating motion for this kind of coal-powered machinery in advance?"

"Of course, there are other things that can be considered. For example, within a few decades, coal and iron will become the first choice for the construction of workshops. The old Yucheng will be rejuvenated because of those open-pit iron mines. It will be the place where the soot is densest. If I have money, I am ready to buy a mine or a house there, maybe the land price for my children and grandchildren will be even higher than that of the current capital.”

A group of people laughed out loud at the joke, but they didn't think it was unreasonable.They believe that this seemingly fragile and powerless machine in front of them can really grow up. Compared with the idea of ​​many people who spend their lives hoping to change the world, this is at least closer to hope.

The principle has been clearly demonstrated, and the structure has basically been thought out. Whether it is condensing vacuum or reciprocating mechanical feedback, it is all feasible.

Many people feel that they have witnessed history, even no less than the young age when fishing net farming was just started that was recorded in the history books a long time ago.

After listening to Chen Jian's words, many people yelled: "Lite another piece of coal and let it turn for a while."

Chen Jian shook his head and smiled wryly: "I still have a lot to say, I'm afraid I won't be able to finish it in three to five days, and we are not in a hurry. I will give this machine to the academy, and you can read it at any time in the future."

This sentence was still three or five days away, and the crowd immediately exploded. Looking at the boxes piled up behind Chen Jian, they couldn't help but want to open those boxes now to see what else is inside.

"Everyone, I don't know what you thought of when you saw the machine just now? You can think of anything, just talk about it."

After a moment of silence, the group of people began to talk about their ideas, which made Chen Jian startled for a while.

"If you ask me, since compressed gas has such a force, maybe cannons or muskets can be propelled without powder. They can be compressed air, or propelled by steam, such as cannonballs pressed out by the pressure of steam."

"The previous method of pumping water by forming a vacuum is not as good as this. If this is bigger, you can use the connecting rod to drive the water lifter. I have already thought of the structure, like a hydraulic hammer that nods up and down, or drives The winch can completely lift the water higher, and three feet is not a problem."

"If you want to make it into iron, it may blow up, and the number of deaths is not necessarily less than that of cast cannon."

"This thing should be able to replace horses. Maybe it will turn the carriage into a coal-burning vehicle in the future. At that time, there will be no fodder in the post station, but coal. After entering, the postman will directly throw coal on the cart with a shovel."

"If this is the case, gunpowder can be used instead in the future. Think about it, if some gunpowder is put on one end of the glass tube, the piston will move forward with a bang, and then the connecting rod will also be filled with gunpowder on the opposite side. Wait until the piston reaches the opposite side. Then light it up..."

... All kinds of strange brain holes are gradually flying towards the unknown, or they are overexcited or quick thinking, and all kinds of strange ideas are more and more smug.