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what's the best/most useful mechanical invention ever?


02GF74

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I'd propose the humble bolt - very versatile but probably at no. 1 is the pnuematic wheel - not immediately obvious that riding on a cushio of air is better than solid rubber or wood (well, not at the time it was invented anyway)

The wheel itself?

Chris

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I'd propose the humble bolt - very versatile but probably at no. 1 is the pnuematic wheel - not immediately obvious that riding on a cushio of air is better than solid rubber or wood (well, not at the time it was invented anyway)

Anne Summers Rabbit B)

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It's got to be the inclined plane, it was lifting blocks for the pyramids, holding wheels on when they arrived (as MOG said), and is still alive and well today in the form of every bolt and screw on the planet. it's versatile, cheap and dependable.

Must be the first mechanical invention, if not the best.

that, or the lever.

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Glass.......

Without glass half of us would be virtually blind, our homes would be very cold or dark.

Cars would probably not be possible!. How would you see where to go.. A hole maybe, but never dry, cold, windy.... No goggles, no glass!

(I know, I hear you all thinking.. It would be a Land Rover...)

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the ball bearing

it apppears in just about every major mechanical invention somewhere, and almost all machinery rely on them. We would have no transport, no communications, no weapons, no major buildings, no infrastructure, in fact almost nothing past mud huts without ball bearings.

It's wasn't for no reason that the allies spend so much energy, resources and time in the second world war trying to bomb all the German ball bearing factories!

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the ball bearing

it apppears in just about every major mechanical invention somewhere, and almost all machinery rely on them. We would have no transport, no communications, no weapons, no major buildings, no infrastructure, in fact almost nothing past mud huts without ball bearings.

It's wasn't for no reason that the allies spend so much energy, resources and time in the second world war trying to bomb all the German ball bearing factories!

are they really that indespensible? can not all the components run on plain bush bearing, ok, may need to be bigger or on roller bearings (ok, that is a bit of a cheat) B)

I suppose another invention one is lubrication :ph34r:

BTW the wheel is not an invention but a discovery

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