General Theater of Machines

An ornamental woodcut emblem featuring a circular frame surrounded by baroque scrollwork. Inside the circle, a man is depicted using a long lever to lift a large, heavy rectangular block. Above the scene, a banner reads: "Art achieves much more than strength" original: "Vielmehr schafft Kunst als Kraft".

Chapter I.

What Mechanics is, and what is necessary to know beforehand regarding a machine.

MECHANICS, or the Art of Motion, is not only a science that teaches how to move something by gaining an advantage in either force or time; it is also an art through which one can invent and skillfully put into practice all imaginable machines and tools for every task in human life—not only for necessity, but also for convenience and pleasure—according to the laws of motion.

(1.) It is true that the word Mechanics, in the opinion of mathematicians original: "Mathematicorum", indicates only the rules of motion; however, the term is extended original: "extendiret" so far that one understands Mechanics to include not only the manufacturing of all kinds of machines through which mechanical movements occur, but also every instrument and manual work. Thus, someone who can merely make a compass original: "Circkel" or another geometric instrument is called a Mechanic original: "Mechanicus", even if he otherwise understands not the slightest foundation of mechanical science; indeed, even the most common craftsmen are counted toward Mechanics.

A Mechanic, however, (of whom we speak here,) should be a person who not only understands all manual labor well and thoroughly—such as how to treat wood, steel, iron, brass, silver, gold, glass, and all such materials according to the art—but who also knows how to judge from physical foundations original: "physicalischen Fundamenten" how far each material, according to its nature and properties, is sufficient or fit to perform original: "præstiren" and endure this or that. This is so that everything attains its necessary proportion, strength, and convenience, and that neither too much nor too little is done to the matter. Furthermore, he must be able to arrange every required proportion or effect according to the available or given power or load, following mechanical sciences or rules; for which purpose he must also have learned the necessary skills from Geometry and Arithmetic for calculation in the distribution of machines. And if he wishes to truly understand his profession, he should be well-acquainted with all the arts and professions for which he intends to make and invent machines; for otherwise, he does not know what he is doing, nor is he capable of improving anything or inventing something new, which is the primary concern of this General Part original: "Pars Generalis".