| Common Era |
Event |
|
| 85 |
'Five simple machines' described: lever, wedge, pulley, screw, and winch, for lifting weights. (Hero via Pappus, Alexandria) |
31 |
| 200 ca. |
Wheel barrow known in China. (China) |
36 |
| 400 - 500 |
Mineral oil used as lubricant: Chinese work refers to its use (difficult to be certain about earlier references). (China) |
35 |
| 830 ca. |
Crank mentioned on Utrecht Psalter: used with rotary grindstone. (western world) |
33 |
| 985 |
Hand crank on organistrom (hurdy gurdy). |
33 |
| 1300 - 1399 |
Earliest crackshafts appear (1335 Guido da Vigevano illustrates paddle boat). |
34 |
| 1400 ca. |
Crank in common use. (worldwide) |
34 |
| 1400 - 1499 |
Flywheel recorded as a machine in 15th-century manuscript. |
34 |
| 1421 - 1434 |
German manuscript depicts early crank and connecting rod system. (Munich) |
34 |
| 1480 - 1518 |
Continuous rotary action analyzed: especially friction, motion, and power. (Leonardo da Vinci, Italy) |
34 |
| 1500 |
Wheel-lock invented in Italy. (Italy) |
33 |
| 1500 ca. |
CODEX manuscripts present advanced friction studies, including roller bearing: discovered in 1960s. (Leonardo da Vinci) |
35 |
| 1515 - 1519 |
German wheel-lock rifles for sports. (Germany) |
33 |
| 1534 ca. |
Ball thrust bearing introduced: free wheeling and made of wood. (Benvenuto Cellini, Italy) |
35 |
| 1550 |
Universal joint described in physics treatise: DE SUBTILITATE (1550), DE RERUM (1557). (Geronimo Cardano, Italy) |
34 |
| 1559 |
Patent granted for wheel-related machines: includes the only patent for perpetual motion. (Jacopo Aconcio, Britain) |
34 |
| 1562 |
Dredgers of the Chinese chain-pump type used in Low Countries. (Germany) |
37 |
| 1589 |
Early version of mud hopper proved impractical. (Simon Stevin, Holland) |
36 |
| 1621 ca. |
Ribbon loom invented (also mention of 1579 ribbon loom at Danzig); spreads through Europe. (Leyden, Holland) |
36 |
| 1650 ca. |
Horse-powered cog-and-rung gin invented: to raise coal from mine shaft (improved by Whim Gin). |
36 |
| 1655 ca. |
Epicycloidal profile for gear-wheel teeth developed. (Gerard Desargues) |
34 |
| 1695 - 1703 |
Dry friction laws developed; thermometry studied; Clepsydra improved; optical telegraph developed. (G Amontons, Paris) |
35 |
|
18th Century |
|
| 1745 |
Fan tail and shutter sail mechanisms patented: used to regulate windmills. (Edmund Lee, Britain) |
33 |
| 1777 - 1781 |
Sun-and-planet gearing devised for Watt rotative engine. (Wm Murdock, Soho, Britain) |
34 |
| 1785 - 1795 |
Mechanized flour mill introduces automated factory: bucket elevators, conveyors, and hopper boy. (Oliver Evans, Wilmington, Del) |
36 |
| 1787 |
Lift tenter perfected (tentering gear for regulating windmill speed). (Thomas Mead, Britain) |
34 |
| 1790 ca. |
Laws of friction established in experiments to improve vehicle performance (soil mechanics). (C A de Coulomb) |
35 |
| 1793 |
Rotary shearing engine, with spiral knives working against a bed plate, for textile industry. (US) |
36 |
|
19th Century |
|
| 1800 ca. |
Metal replaces wood as major bearing material; bronze and split journal bearings important. (US) |
35 |
| 1829 |
Bigelow finishes writing ELEMENTS OF TECHNOLOGY. (John Bigelow, US) |
33 |
| 1830 ca. |
Man-engine* devised to transport miners up and down shafts in Harz Mountain mines. (West Germany) |
35 |
| 1830 - 1839 |
English factories begin to use direct-plunger elevators: similar to hydraulic press. (Britain) |
36 |
| 1835 |
Teagle elevator in use in multistory English factories: driven from line shafting. (Britain) |
36 |
| 1839 |
Patent for tin-based bearing alloys initiates rolling element bearing industry. (Isaac Babbitt, US) |
35 |
| 1841 |
Flat wire ropes introduced into coal mine machinery: replace flat rope made of hemp. (Britain) |
34 |
| 1843 |
Torsion and beam design studied; theory of plasticity studied. (Saint Venant) |
36 |
| 1845 |
Antifriction bearing metal, known as Babbitt metal, patented. (Joseph Dixon and I S Hill, Massachusetts) |
35 |
| 1846 |
Hydraulic crane, precursor of hydraulic elevator, developed: uses reservoir head. (Wm Geo Armstrong, Britain) |
36 |
| 1847 |
Round-wire ropes introduced into British coal mines: replace flat wire. (Britain) |
34 |
| 1847 |
Studies on journal bearings completed. (Gustave A Hirn, Paris) |
35 |
| 1849 |
Boat lifter invented. (Abraham Lincoln, US) |
36 |
| 1850 ca. |
Three-dimensional stress systems studied. (James C Maxwell, Britain) |
35 |
| 1851 |
First workable elevator mechanism produced to prevent falling in case of rope failure. (Elisha G Otis, Yonkers, NY) |
36 |
| 1854 |
Elevator with safety device demonstrated at Crystal Palace Exhibition in New York City. (Elisha G Otis, Yonkers, NY) |
36 |
| 1855 - 1871 |
Theory of sliding friction of rotating bearing published in 1871: best work, pioneer in engineering research. (Robt H Thurston, Stevens Institute, Hoboken) |
35 |
| 1855 |
First complete elevator machine in the US built: complex and inefficient, for freight. (US) |
36 |
| 1856 |
Multiple-rope drive for factories introduced. (Britain) |
34 |
| 1857 |
Three-moment equation published: based on continuous-beam analysis. (Clapeyron, France) |
31 |
| 1857 |
Otis installs first US passenger elevator on Broadway and Broome Street. (Otis, New York City) |
36 |
| 1860 - 1899 |
Design handbook published 1861; KINEMATICS OF MACHINES published 1875 on theoretical kinematics: had significant world impact, encouraged simplicity in design. (Franz Reuleaux, Germany) |
31 |
| 1861 |
ELIZABETH WATTS: first petroleum cargo to cross Atlantic (wooden barrels in the brig). |
36 |
| 1867 |
FIVE HUNDRED AND SEVEN MECHANICAL MOVEMENTS from THE AMERICAN ARTISAN published. (ed. Henry Brown, US) |
31 |
| 1870 - 1889 |
Petrov's law of friction torques in journal bearings resolves railroad problems. (Nikolay Petrov, USSR) |
35 |
| 1870 - 1900 |
High-carbon chromium steel, common in ball and roller bearings, finds limited use: probably first low-alloysteel. |
35 |
| 1870 - 1899 |
Steam elevator refined: valving and control systems improved but limited in rise by cable length. (US) |
36 |
| 1875 - 1880 |
True variable toothed-gear drive developed (simultaneously), when two calculators invented. (Frank Baldwin, T Odhner (Swede), US, USSR) |
34 |
| 1876 - 1880 |
Rope-geared hydraulic elevator becomes standard elevator form: US was dominant. |
36 |
| 1877 |
First tanker, ZOROASTER, designed specifically to transport oil, built for Caspian Sea Trade. |
36 |
| 1880 ca. |
Elasticity in impact of materials studied: later used to determine loads in ball bearings. (Heinrich Hertz, Berlin) |
35 |
| 1880 |
Electricity first applied to elevator propulsion: not considered reasonable until 1888. (W von Siemens, Germany) |
36 |
| 1880 |
Cable conveyor designed and built (one of first). (Allan Stirling, Deseronto, Ontario) |
36 |
| 1883 - 1886 |
Modern tribology science, especially fluid film lubrication, founded; fluid motion and quantifying methods demonstrated. (Osborne Reynolds, Univ of Manchester) |
35 |
| 1883 |
A TREATISE ON CRANES published. (Henry R Towne, Connecticut) |
36 |
| 1887 - 1921 |
Automatic ore-loading machine and other materials handling devices developed. (George Hulett, Cleveland, Ohio) |
36 |
| 1889 |
Two Otis elevators installed in Demarest building: uses electric worm-drive drum machine. (Otis, New York) |
36 |
| 1889 - 1912 |
Hydraulic elevators seating forty persons on changing incline installed in Eiffel Tower. (Otis, T Brown Jr, Paris, US) |
36 |
| 1890 |
Forced lubrication demonstrated: oil on journal bearing. (Beauchamp Tower, Britain?) |
35 |
| 1890 |
Rix Compressed Air Machinery Company established: introduces air-lift test plant, supercharger air compressor. (Edward A Rix, San Francisco) |
36 |
| 1892 |
THE GENERAL PROBLEM OF THE STABILITY OF MOTION published: includes nonlinear application (Univ Khar'kov). (Alex. M Liapunov, St Petersburg) |
31 |
| 1895 |
Electromagnet for handling pig iron and scrap steel patented: used worldwide. (Samuel TWellman, Cleveland) |
36 |
| 1897 |
Double-reduction helical gearing, for turbine-powered ships, developed: introduced 1900-40. (de Laval, Britain) |
34 |
| 1898 |
Taper roller bearing patented. (Henry Timken, St Louis) |
35 |
|
20th Century |
|
| 1900 ca. |
Simultaneous introduction of first tilting-pad thrust bearing*: applies Reynolds' work. (Kingsbury; Michell, Pittsburgh; Australia) |
35 |
| 1900 ca. |
Escalator (similar to conveyor belt) appears better than elevator for short lifts. |
36 |
| 1904 |
First gearless traction elevator installed by Otis in a Chicago theater: no drum. (Otis, Chicago) |
36 |
| 1905 |
Pit-Cast jib crane* improved with use of electric motors. (American Cast Iron Pipe, Birmingham, Ala) |
36 |
| 1909 - 1966 |
Experiments on friction coefficient: major contribution in elastohydrodynamic lubrication. (Mayo Dyer Hersey, US) |
35 |
| 1911 - 1916 |
Steel ball bearings manufactured with high accuracy using new lathe: Fafnir and SKF. (E G Hoffmann) |
35 |
| 1917 |
Corrosion fatigue studied: used for pump and blower design. (A P Haigh) |
35 |
| 1920 ca. |
Hydraulic torque converter (Vulcan hydraulic coupling) devised before precision gearing. (Dr. H Fottinger, Hamburg) |
34 |
| 1920 ca. |
Fluid coupling, or fluid flywheel, developed for automobile and railcar transmissions. |
34 |
| 1920 |
Williams Janney variable-speed gear incorporates hydrostatic transmission. |
34 |
| 1920 ca. |
Focus on lubrication and fluid-film bearings produce well-stated principles and design guide. (Ludwig Gumbel, Germany) |
35 |
| 1921 |
First elevator code issued. (ASME, US) |
36 |
| 1923 |
3-point linkage developed: mounted tractor implements controlled by oil hydraulic servo mechanism. (Harry Ferguson) |
34 |
| 1930 - 1939 |
Automobile door-lock mechanism handles diecast: zinc alloy used. (W Breeden, Parkes, Britain) |
33 |
| 1930 ca. |
Internal combustion engine led to development of mobile cranes, stackers, and fork-lift trucks in factories and warehouses. |
36 |
| 1950 ca. |
Fluid-flow studies for gas turbines and hovercraft design resulted in general use of air-lubricated bearings for machines and to use of vortex flow theory to turbine blade design. |
35 |
| 1959 |
Container crane introduced for shipping: reduces unloading time substantially. (Paceco, Alameda, Calif) |
36 |
