Accession No
6197
Brief Description
centrifugal force demonstration apparatus, by Deleuil, French, c. 1820 - c. 1900
Origin
France; Paris
Maker
Deleuil
Class
demonstration; physics
Earliest Date
1820
Latest Date
1893
Inscription Date
Material
wood (mahogany?); metal (brass); rope (cord); organic (horn or ivory?)
Dimensions
length 845mm; width 160mm; height 190mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Philip Lamoussiere, Le Clos de la Tour, 33920 St. Christoly de Blaye, France on or before 16/11/2007.
Inscription
DELEUIL
A PARIS
Description Notes
Centrifugal force demonstration apparatus, by Deleuil, French, c.1820 - c. 1900.
Varnished rectangular mahogany(?) base, upon which sits at one end a brass wheel (horizontal to the base surface) with wood handle for turning the wheel. Around the edge of this wheel runs a cord, which is connected at the other end of the base to a smaller wheel. This smaller wheel is attached to a large brass t-bar above it. the ends of this t-bar point up vertically and between these two ends is attached a brass beam of circular diameter. This beam contains two spherical weights (one white, one red - probably of horn or ivory) which the beam passes through the centre of. As such, these weights are free to move back and forth along the beam.
If the weights are place at the centre of the beam and the handle turned, the T-bar + beam rotates and the resultant centrifugal force exerted on the weights forces them apart and each weight moves along the beam to opposite ends.
References
Events
Description
When an object revolves around a centre of rotation a centrifugal force is exerted on the object in an outward direction, directly away from the centre of rotation. As such a body revolving around a centre tends to fly away from that centre.
This 19th century French apparatus is designed to demonstrate the phenomena of centrifugal force, and was probably intended for use in a classroom or lecture theatre. When the handle is turned at one end of the apparatus the large T-bar at the other end is rotated rapidly. Initially the two red and white weighted balls are positioned at the centre of the bar, where they are held in place by the force of friction between their surface and the bars surface. However, centrifugal force increases with speed of rotation, and once the bar begins to rotate rapidly enough centrifugal force will become larger than the force of friction, resulting in the balls rapidly moving out to either end of the bar, away from the centre of rotation.
This particular instrument is signed: DELEUIL, A PARIS
Louis Joseph Deleuil began trading in scientific instruments in the early 1820s and by the middle of the century his reputation had become international. He produced a variety of instruments, including precision scales and medical apparatus. In 1847 Louis Joseph’s son, Jean Adrien, became director of the firm and by 1878 it was employing 35 people. In 1893 Jules Velter and Andre Pillon succeeded Deleuil, trading under the name Maison Deleuil Velter & Cie, Successeurs. This name changed in the early C20th to Societe industrielle d’instruments de precision.
31/01/2008
Created by: Joshua Nall on 31/01/2008
FM:46667
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