A Historical Study of Rope Applications in Mechanical Devices in Three Eastern Countries

摘要

Ropes have been widely used in mechanical devices for a long time as a unique component with characteristics of flexibility and rigidity. Many records in ancient books show the applications of rope in the machines to a variety of transmission purposes. From the viewpoint of mechanisms, 15 devices in Chinese, Arabian, and Japanese ancient books are analyzed and classified based on its mechanical characteristic of flexibility and rigidity.