Abstract
III. BEFORE leaving the Peaucellier cell and its modifications, I must point out another important property they possess besides that of furnishing us with exact rectilinear motion. We have seen that our simplest linkwork enables us to describe a circle of any radius, and if we wished to describe one often miles radius the proper course would be to have a ten mile link, but as that would be, to say the least, cumbrous, it is satisfactory to know that we can effect our purpose with a much smaller apparatus. When the Peaucellier cell is mounted for the purpose of describing a straight line, as I told you, the distance between the fixed pivots must be 'the same as the length of the "extra"link. If this distance be not the same we shall not get straight lines described by the pencil, but circles. If the difference be slight the circles described will be of enormous magnitude, decreasing in size as the difference increases. If the distance Q O, Fig. 6, be made greater than Q'C, the convexity of the portion of the circle described by the pencil (for if the circles are large it will of course be only a portion which is described) will be towards O, if less the concavity. To a mathematician, who knows that the inverse of a circle is a circle, this will be clear, but it may not be amiss to give here a short proof of the proposition. Peaucellier cell and its modifications, I must point out another important property they possess besides that of furnishing us with exact rectilinear motion. We have seen that our simplest linkwork enables us to describe a circle of any radius, and if we wished to describe one often miles radius the proper course would be to have a ten mile link, but as that would be, to say the least, cumbrous, it is satisfactory to know that we can effect our purpose with a much smaller apparatus. When the Peaucellier cell is mounted for the purpose of describing a straight line, as I told you, the distance between the fixed pivots must be 'the same as the length of the "extra"link. If this distance be not the same we shall not get straight lines described by the pencil, but circles. If the difference be slight the circles described will be of enormous magnitude, decreasing in size as the difference increases. If the distance Q O, Fig. 6, be made greater than Q'C, the convexity of the portion of the circle described by the pencil (for if the circles are large it will of course be only a portion which is described) will be towards O, if less the concavity. To a mathematician, who knows that the inverse of a circle is a circle, this will be clear, but it may not be amiss to give here a short proof of the proposition.
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How to Draw a Straight Line 1 . Nature 16, 125–127 (1877). https://doi.org/10.1038/016125a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/016125a0