Research & Sources
Books
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507 Mechanical Movements: Mechanisms and Devices by Henry T. Brown (1868)
"This collection of illustrations and descriptions was originally published in the "American Artisan," a publication edited by Mr. Henry T. Brown, a prominent patent attorney, nationally known. Mr. Brown was the senior member of Brown & Seward, patent attorneys, at 270 Broadway, New York City." (from forward to book of Clark Collection)
- 1800 Mechanical Movements, Devices and Appliances by Gardner D. Hiscox (1899)
- Mechanisms, Linkages and Mechanical Controls by Chironis, Nicholas P. ed (1965)
- Mechanisms and Mechanical Devices Sourcebook, 5th Edition by Neil Sclater (1991)
- Machine Devices and instrumentation by Nicholas P. Chironis (1966)
- Mechanisms And Mechanical Movements: A Treatise On Different Types Of Mechanisms And Various Methods Of Transmitting, Controlling And Modifying Motion by Franklin Day Jones (1918)
- Basic Machines and How They Work by Naval Education And Training Program (1965)
- Mechanical engineering for Beginners by R. S. McLaren (1908)
- Robotics: Designing the Mechanisms for Automated Machinery by Ben Zion Sandler
- Dictionary of mechanical engineering by G.H.F. Nayler (1996) (multiple other versions)
- The Way Things Work by David Macaulay and Neil Ardley
- Theory of Machines by Sadhu Singh
- The LEGO Power Functions Idea Book, Volume 1: Machines and Mechanisms by Yoshihito Isogawa
- The LEGO Technic Idea Book: Simple Machines by Yoshihito Isogawa
- The LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor Idea Book by Yoshihito Isogawa
- Engineering in Plain Sight An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment by Grady Hillhouse
- Leonardo da Vinci: Extraordinary Machines by David Hawcock
- Engines: The Inner Workings of Machines That Move the World by Theodore Gray
- How Things Work: The Inner Life of Everyday Machines by Theodore Gray
- Making Things Move DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists, and Artists
- Make: Mechanical Engineering for Makers: A Hands-on Guide to Designing and Making Physical Things By Brian Bunnell and Samer Najia
- The Beginner's Guide to Engineering: Mechanical Engineering by Mark Huber
- A Dictionary of Mechanical Engineering by Tony Atkins and Marcel Escudier
- Rubber Band Engineer by Lance Akiyama
- Big Book of Gizmos & Gadgets: Expert Advice and 15 All-Time Favorite Projects and Patterns by Editors of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
- Making Wooden Gear Clocks: 6 Cool Contraptions That Really Keep Time by Editors of Scroll Saw Woodworking & Crafts
Books In Public Domain (may also be available for purchase)
Books In Print
Videos
- Ralph Steiner's 1930 short film Mechanical Principles
- YesYen videos
- Grady Hillhouse video series Practical Engineering
- Educational Mechanics YouTube
- 20 Mechanical Principles combined in a Useless Lego Machine
- Wolfshaft Unveiling Mechanical Marvels
- TheFACTsofMechanicalDesign
- Art of Rendering
- JBV Creative videos
- Yoshihito Isogawa
Museums
Contains list of mechanical museum collections around the world.
The Clark Collection of Mechanical Movement (at Boston Museum of Science)
- This exhibit is on display, but sadly, not very visible online.
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The Exhibit, originally titled "Mechanical Wonderland," was made by W. M. Clark in the early
1900s. According to the New York Times, Sept. 30, 1928, the
collection of 160 models were displayed at the Museums of the Peaceful Arts on West 40th St.
From his early youth Mr. Clark has been interested in machines and
has always had a great desire to visualize the science of mechanics.
His work of twenty years or more in perfecting the exhibit was
inspired by a wish to give inventors and to all who deal in machine
technique a short cut to their various ends.
(from forward to book of Clark Collection written by W. M. Clark) Mr. Clark, through the help of the "Mechanical Movements" book by Henry T. Brown, acquired the foundation for a mechanical education, without schooling in the regular way.
This exhibit visualizes the art and science of mechanics, so that those, like himself, who had no opportunity to get this education in the schools, can now get a quick grasp of it.
The Exhibit, "Mechanical Wonderland," is a collection of over 200 mechanical movements, devices and combinations of movements, showing every movement used in this art, either separately or in combination.
Several of these exhibits have been built, the first one being in the Science Museum of New York City, the last one being purchased by Mr. Louis Bamberger of Newark, New Jersey, and presented to the Newark Museum for permanent installation, where it has been viewed and studied by thousands of craftsmen, scientists, inventors, teachers and educational bodies, schools and colleges, together with those prominent in industries in the metropolitan area.
Over 135,000 people saw it in the "Grand Central Palace" in New York City in one week's period, when exhibited there. - Hand Held video of Clark Collection of Mechanical Movement on YouTube
- L. Eckstein's blog page on history of William M. Clark's series of mechanical models
- 1954 Catalog to the Clark Collection in Newark Museum
Cornell University Kinematics Models for Design Digital Library (KMODDL)
An open access, multimedia resource for learning and teaching about kinematics - the geometry of pure motion and the history and theory of machines. The core of KMODDL is the Reuleaux Collection of Mechanisms and Machines, an important collection of 19th-century machine elements held by Cornell University's Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
- Animated GIFs of mechanical models, with comments
- Brochure by ASME
- Reuleaux Kinematic Mechanisms Collection on JSTOR
- The KMODDL site is available on the wayback machine
- In 2002 the KMODDL library was digitized, holdings, including images, videos, and 3D printable files.
- Example file
- Books and articles related to KMODDL
- The Reuleaux Models: Creating an International Digital Library of Kinematics History by Francis C. Moon
- Novel Mechanical Mechanisms for the Development of Undergraduate Knowledge by Michael L. Stern
John M. Mossman Lock Collection (at The General Society of Mechanics & Tradesmen of the City of New York)
"One of the most complete anthologies of bank and vault locks in the world.""
Mechanical, Art and Design Museum (Stratford Upon Avon,England)
UK Science Museum Group Online Collection
The Kyoto University Museum, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Precision Mechanics
Museo Storico dei Motori e dei Meccanismi (Palermo, Italy) ASME Brochure
Museo Archivio Politecnico Torino, Italy
- Schroder/Reuleax collection preserved at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of Politecnico di Torino
- Mechanism and Machine Science Educational Workshop Based on Schröder-Reuleaux Ancient Models of Politecnico di Torino
- Mechanism and Machine Science Educational Workshop Based on Schröder-Reuleaux Ancient Models of Politecnico di Torino Has table listing museum collections around the world.
Cabinet of Practical Mechanics from Saint-Petersburg Imperial University (aka Saint-Petersburg State University)
Sites
- 507 Mechanical Movements - colored ones are animated
- Bartosz Ciechanowski's Mechanical Watch- amazing 3D demonstration
- Animated Engines
- Lego simple machines
- Home Model Engine Machinist Forum