Can You Solve This? The Forgotten Dutch Invention That Forged the Modern Globe

One can find many contenders to claim the designation as “world’s most significant innovation.” The circular axle. The movable type. The combustion motor.

According to a new book, however, that title belongs to the automated timber mill invented through Dutchman Cornelis Corneliszoon in 1593.

“Prior to mechanised sawing, building a modest trading ship required around 10 sawyers working for three months,” notes the author. “With wind-powered sawmills, the same amount of processed timber could be manufactured in less than a week.”

Owing to this rapid automated cutter, that turned timber into planks using almost no human effort, the Dutch could build vessels more quickly than any other nation, which sparked a century of Netherlands maritime, financial as well as artistic supremacy in Europe and the globe.

The First Genuine Industrial Device

Corneliszoon’s lumber mill, argues the writer, represented “humanity’s initial authentic industrial apparatus.” A windmill turned a gear. One component converted its circular movement into up-and-down action to power the cutting blade. Another component transformed the rotary motion into a lateral movement advancing the timber toward the blade. A geared mechanism shifted the log ahead one precise increment each stroke.

“Each element seemed simple on its own. Corneliszoon’s genius lay in how to integrate these parts so they acted in a precisely synchronized order, sawing on every descending stroke while moving on every return motion. It was a remarkably intelligent application of basic components.”

A fact that brings us up to today’s challenge. I’d like you to reimagine a key the fundamental ideas behind Corneliszoon’s invention.

Circular to Vertical

Construct a mechanism which converts circular movement to up-and-down motion. You have these components only: A spinning wheel. Two pegs. Two bars. A “guide”, that is a tube or sleeve through which a single the rods can slide perfectly. (Consider that you can mount components on a stand, so that the components do not fall down.)

I’ll be back at 5pm UK time featuring the solution.

Meanwhile, PLEASE NO HINTS. Rather, feel free to suggest (non obvious) contenders for the world’s most impactful creation.