• CN:11-2187/TH
  • ISSN:0577-6686

›› 1959, Vol. 7 ›› Issue (2): 1-10.

• 论文 •    下一篇

中国古代对于齿轮系的高度应用

刘仙洲;王旭蕴   

  1. 清华大学
  • 发布日期:1955-06-01

ON THE SKILLFUL UTILIZATION OF GEAR TRAINS IN ANCIENT CHINA

Liu Xianzou;Wang Xuweng   

  1. Tsinghua University
  • Published:1955-06-01

摘要: 本文主叙述中国古代对于齿轮系的巧妙应用。详细地分析了三个实例,并将由中国历史博物馆古代技术工作室把它们都复原出来,在中国历史博物馆里陈列。第一个实例是汉代张衡在公元130年(永建五年)左右发明的水力天文仪器;第二个实例是唐代一行和梁今瓒在公元725年(开元十三年)发明的水力天文仪器;第三个实例是宋代吴德仁在公元1107年(大观元年)发明的指南车。根据这三个实例,可以知道中国古代的科学家们早已掌握了下列有关齿轮系的原理:1.由不同齿数的若干个齿轮系可以得到很规律的减速运动;2.由一个原动轮的回转运动,可以传达到两个,三个,甚至更多的从动轮,得到彼此不同速度不同不同方向的运动;3.由一个中轮的嵌入或离开,可以任意使从动轮联系或不联系;4.由嵌入中轮的作用,可以任意变更从动轮回转方向井可大大缩小全机构所占的空间;5.两个齿数相同的齿轮,中间嵌入一个中轮,可以使它们按同一速度和同一方向回转等。根据上边所说的一切,我们可以很清楚地看出,所有一般有关齿轮系的主要原理都早已被我国古代科学家们发现了。

Abstract: The present article deals chiefly with the skillful utilization of gear trains in ancient China. The authors analyze three examples, all of which will be reconstructed for exhibition by the Historical Museum of China.The first example is the water-powered astronomical apparatus equipped with clock-work indicating the day of the month, which was invented by Chang Heng in the Han dynasty, about 130 A.D. The second example is the same kind of apparatus invented by I-Hsing and Liang Ling-tsan in the Tang dynasty, in the year 725 A.D. And the third example is the south-pointing carriage invented by Wu Te-jen in the Sung dynasty in the year 1107 A.D.From the above examples, we see that the ancient Chinese scientists already knew the following principles: l. by using a kind of gear train mechanism, that is, by the combination of a number of toothed wheels with different number of teeth, they could obtain a regular and uniform reduction of rotary motion; 2. By using gear trains they could transmit motion from one driver to two or more different followers with different speeds and directions; 3. By putting in or taking out an idler (or an intermediate wheel) between two toothed wheels, they could make the follower connect or disconnect with the driver; 4. By putting in one or several intermediate wheels between the driver and the follower, they could easily change the direction of rotation of the follower and reduce the total space needed by the whole train; 5. By putting in one intermediate wheel between two toothed wheels having the same number of teeth, they could get them to rotate with the same speed and direction. From all this, we can clearly see that, almost all the important principles relating to gear trains were discovered by our ancient scientists.