The automatic maid
This was a human-like robot in the form of a
maid which in her right hand held a jug of wine. When the visitor placed a cup
in the palm of her left hand, she automatically poured wine initially and then
she poured water into the cup mixing it when desired.
Description of the operation: Inside the
maid,there are two airtight containers (with wine and water, respectively). At
their bottom there are two tubes leading their content through her right hand
to the lip of the jug of wine. Two air pipes start at the top of the
containers, go through their bottom and lead curved into her stomach. Her left
arm is linked, through the articulation, to her shoulders, while a winding rod
(spring) that is positioned in extension of the restraining rod raises it. Two
pipes start at the same point (joint) and come down (going through and freeing
the curved perforated ends of the air pipes). The pipes of the joint have two
holes or tears at their ends, with the hole in contact with the container of
wine preceding that which is connected with the water container. When the cup
is placed into the maid's palm, her hand comes down and the tubes of the joint
are lifted. The hole in one pipe is aligned with the air pipe of the wine
container, air enters the container and wine flows from the tube into the cup.
When the cup of wine is half- full, the hand (due to weight) descends further,
the passage of the air pipe of wine obstructs and the flow stops. At the same
time the other tube is aligned with the air pipe of the water container and it
begins to flow thus diluting the wine. When the cup is full, the hand (due to
weight) descends further, the passage of the air pipe with water obstructs and
the flow stops. Also, if the cup is removed at any moment, the left hand rises,
the tubes of the joint descend, cutting off the air pipes, creating vacuum in
the containers and stopping the liquid flow. The maid then fills the cup with
wine or diluted with water of desired quantity depending on the time it is
pulled from her palm.
SOURCES: ''Philon of Byzandium,
Pneumatics''
The ingenious wine-jug
It was a jug (conception of Philon of
Byzantium) from which water, wine or watered-wine, depending on the will of
cupbearer, was poured automatically.
It consisted of a vertical diaphragm that
separated the jug into the compartments of water and wine and the outlet fluid
pipes which, however, were found one inside the other so that outside the jug
they appeared as one. The jug had an airtight lid which made it impossible for
the fluids to flow at its inversion because of the vacuum that was created by
the inability to substitute the outlet fluids with air. Two tubes began in the
middle of the jug and reached the neck so that they formed its handle. At the
sides of the tubes there were air holes which the cupbearer covered with his
finger. With the combinational disclosure of the air hole of the water
compartment, wine compartment or even the two simultaneously, the cupbearer
allowed the incoming air into the corresponding compartments and the flow of
water, wine or watered-wine according to the wish of the visitor.
SOURCES: "Philon of Byzandium,
Pneumatics"
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