“Bicycles & tricycles; an elementary treatise on their design and construction, with examples and tables“, Archibald Sharp (1896).
Phillips, Decker and Canadian Pack Saddles
October 4, 2010 by Filed Under: Cargo, Knots, Pack animals, Pack horses, Random, Travel
Reader BG Hearns writes: “While your link to the 1916 pack manual is of historical interest, what you ought to know is that low-tech packing has advanced considerably over that publication and anyone who wishes to pack with animals should know that there are much superior options available today. The manual describes a very difficult to use piece of equipment that is so easy to get wrong that only a few experts could ever use it properly.
What your readers ought to know is that in 1924, the US army adopted the Phillips Pack Saddle which was much simpler and easier to use. Other advances in pack saddles since then are the Decker style (more) and the Canadian saddle pack, neither of which require complex knots, both of which incorporate simple, effective new design ideas, and both of which could be easily made in a small shop. Perfect for low-tech affictionados.”
Thanks for the note, BG. I have added some more links to your comment.
Wooden Stave Pipes
“This book is intended to furnish general information regarding the construction, the advantages and the use of our wooden stave pipe”. “Wooden stave pipes“, Redwood Manufacturers Company, 1911. Via Arquitectura y Madera. Wooden pipes were (and occasionally still are) used for domestic water supply, irrigation, sewer systems and hydraulic power stations. Summary below the fold.
Wind Powered Trikes
July 19, 2010 by Filed Under: Bicycles, Bikes, Human power, Pedal power, Random, Recumbent tricycles, Travel, Tricycles, Trikes, Wind Power, Wind powered vehicles
Pterosail Trike Systems is sailing and cycling over 3,000 miles from coast to coast across the USA this summer. The Pterosail is a street-legal recumbent tricycle with sails. It can reach up to 40 mph in good winds. No wind? Pedal. See also, below: the Whike, a Dutch made sail assisted trike.
Related: Guido Vigevano’s wind car / Sailing rockets / Kiteboating / Velomobiles.
Tandem Cargo Tricycle (1940) & More Vintage Dutch Carrier Bikes
June 19, 2010 by Filed Under: Bicycles, Bikes, Cargo, Cargo cycles, Pedal power, Random, Travel, Tricycles, Trikes
Mechanics from the Dutch telecom department PTT (1940). Found at Transportfiets. The blog has more pictures of old Dutch carrier bikes, some of them below.
The Wonders of Industry (1873-1877)
June 15, 2010 by Filed Under: Books & Reference, History, Louis Figuier, Mining, Obsolete technology, Random
“Les merveilles de l’industrie, ou description des principales industries modernes”, Louis Figuier (1873-1877). The 4-volume book is in French, but the engravings are indeed wonderful: Part 1 (750 pages), Part 2 (736 pages), Part 3 (687 pages) & Part 4 (744 pages). A sample of the illustrations of part one and four can be found here and here. Below: salt mines in Wieliska, Poland (extra large illustration). Related: Three thousand pages of 19th century technology.
