1st c. A.D. Archives - Kotsanas Museum

The “aeolosphere” of Heron

admino — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:08:35 +0000

It is the precursor of the steam-turbine which, with the addition of a pulley, would have led the Hellenistic Era (had it not been interrupted by the political, economical and social factors) to the Industrial Revolution with unforeseeable consequences for humanity. It consisted of a sphere (with two curved nozzles) which rested on the curved ends of two pipes connected to the top of an airtight boiler. When the water in the boiler was heated, it turned into steam. Then, it entered the sphere and came out with speed from the two nozzles forcing the opposite continuous rotation of the sphere.

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The (automatic) magic fountain of Heron

admino — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:07:46 +0000

It was a brilliant fountain which shot recycled water higher than the available level of its reservoir defying ostensibly the principles of hydrostatic pressure and communicating vessels. It consisted of one open and two airtight containers placed one above the other. The middle airtight container was full with water and a pipette began a little above its bottom and led to a nozzle above the upper open container. When some water was poured into the upper open container, this, through a pipe, flowed into the lower airtight container. The confined air therein was pressed and through another pipe it displaced the water of the middle container, forcing it to rise to the nozzle and to shape a small spurt. The spurt of water supplemented the water of the upper container (maintaining the level constant). Thus, this process was self-supporting and it continued automatically until all the water from the middle container emptied.

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The mobile automaton of Heron of Alexandria

admino — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:08:27 +0000

“A precise reconstruction of Heron’s mobile automatic theatre that presents the myth of Dionysus.
1st scene: The vehicle moves automatically to another programmed position, doing compilations of rectilinear and circular movements.
2nd scene: Fire is lit on the altar in front of Dionysus. Water gushes forth from his holy staff (thyrsus) and wine from his cup is poured onto the small panther.
3rd scene: The place around the four columns of the base is crowned with flowers. The sound of drums and cymbals are heard while the six Bacches move dancing around the temple.
4th scene: The musical instruments stop and Dionysus turns to the other side of the temple. The winged Nike (Victory), who is on the roof, turns with him.
5th scene: Fire is lit on the other altar of the temple and from Dionysus’ thyrsus water gushes forth again and from his cup wine is poured onto the small panther.
6th scene: The sound of drums and cymbals is heard again while the six Bacches move backwards dancing around the temple.
7th scene: The musical instruments stop and the mobile vehicle moves automatically to its initial position by moving backwards, doing compilations of rectilinear and circular movements.
All of these are accomplished automatically by the movement of tens of metres — wisely timed (=programmed) — threads that are pulled from the force of a lead weight, which falls at a steady pace in a clepsydra with millet. With the clockwise, the releasing and the counter-clockwise winding of the threads around shafts and reels, the following is accomplished: a) the forward movement (rectilinear or circular) of the automaton and the clockwise turns of the mechanisms, b) stillness and c) the backward movement (rectilinear or circular) of the automaton and the counter-clockwise turns of the mechanisms. To start the performance, the rope from the front side of the base needs only to be pulled.”

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The nut fabrication machine of Heron

admino — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:11:27 +0000

It was an instrument that allowed the opening up of screw threads in holes. It consisted of a strong base with a longitudinal hole which had pins circumferentially (instead of a female screw) for the driving of the worm screw. At the end of the worm screw there was, transversely, a triangular cutting point (adjustable wedge). The base was fitted onto the perforated processed piece with the worm screw of the base aligned with the hole of the piece. The screw, with the use of hand levers, was turned and consecutively driven within the hole of the piece opening up internal screw threads with its cutting edge.

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The pantograph of Heron

admino — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:08:03 +0000

It was an impressive instrument used for copying drawings and figures with the possibility of reduction or enlargement. It consisted of a plane base with two connected toothed wheels (with the possibility of rotation around a single axle which went through their common centre) and two parallel toothed rulers (that were always in contact with the toothed wheels sliding inside two grooved rods). The latter were transversely connected on one arm rotating round the centre of the toothed wheels. Two rods soldered perpendicularly at the end of the two toothed rulers had, at their ends, the reading pointer and the copy writer aligned with the centre of the toothed wheels. When the operator of the instrument followed the outline of the drawing with the reading pointer, the copy writer drew the copy in scale proportional to the ratio of the cogwheels.

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The rotating chirping bird

admino — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:10:21 +0000

This was a shrine (temple reliquary) which automatically displayed a bird rotating and singing as the faithful turned the exterior wheel of the case when entering the temple. It consisted of two axles which had two radial wheels that engaged each other and a singing disposition that was mounted on an inverted concave container. This could be immersed into a container with water. The vertical axis had at the top, the model of the bird while the horizontal axis had at one end, the driving wheel and at the other end, a reel with wrapped rope from which the inverted container hung. The singing disposition consisted of a bent sound pipe (with a side reed) whose inlet communicated with the base of the inverted container while its outlet slightly penetrated a water dish. By turning the wheel the bird rotated quickly and the inverted container immersed in the water container so the trapped air escaped from the pipe whistling. Due to the water surface vibration (by the air pressure) at the outlet of the pipe, its sound length fluctuated; therefore, the resulting sounds changed frequency so as to produce a true bird chirp.

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The sound alarm of Heron

admino — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 10:08:19 +0000

It was a sound device which was activated by the opening of the door which it protected, constituting the first sound alarm worldwide. It consisted of a trumpet adapted to a concave hemispherical container that was suspended from an articulated bar. With the opening of the door, a rope allowed the inclination of the bar and consequently the descent of the trumpet. The hemispherical container was immersed into a container with water and the enclosed air in this forced the trumpet to sound.

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