Product Description
The book describes, and where possible illustrates, historic mechanical engineering landmarks, representing the accomplishments of mechanical engineers over the past 250 years-from the steam engine of Thomas Newcomen (1712), which launched the Industrial Revolution, to the Saturn V rocket (1967). Some of them are recognizable to us all, such as Xerography, Sikorsky's helicopter, and Disneyland's monorail. Others work behind the scenes or have been superseded, such as the Owens "AR" bottle machine and the Jackson Ferry Shot Tower. The landmarks are grouped into such categories as mechanical power production, power transmission, minerals extraction and refining, food processing, environmental control, transportation, biomedical engineering, and communications and data processing. Each section is introduced by an essay that helps place each landmark into the context of technical and general history. While some of these landmarks have not survived intact, others can be visited, and travel information is provided. The machines that shape our society help educate us about an important facet of human history and how technology has influenced it. ASME International's landmarks program identifies and recognizes artifacts of significance before they disappear. This roster of landmarks tells a magnificent story of people and places and of innovation and discovery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting history
Interesting "short subjects" about a large variety of machines and mechanical systems.The photos in the paperback version are not very clear.Good book for someone generally curious about machnical engineering.Gives addresses and indicates whether or not you may tour the site or visit the piece of eqipment. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Science and Technology of the Han Dynasty. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 170. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Han Dynasty (206 BCE 220 CE) of ancient China, divided between the eras of Western Han (206 BCE 9 CE, when the capital was at Chang'an), Xin Dynasty of Wang Mang (r. 923 CE), and Eastern Han (25220 CE, when the capital was at Luoyang, and after 196 CE at Xuchang), witnessed some of the most significant advancements in premodern Chinese science and technology. There were great innovations in metallurgy. In addition to Zhou-dynasty China's (c. 1050 BCE 256 BCE) previous inventions of the blast furnace and cupola furnace to make pig iron and cast iron, respectively, the Han period saw the development of steel and wrought iron by use of the finery forge and puddling process. With the drilling of deep boreholes into the earth, the Chinese used not only derricks to lift brine up to the surface to be boiled into salt, but also set up bamboo-crafted pipeline transport systems which brought natural gas as fuel to the furnaces. Smelting techniques were enhanced with inventions such as the waterwheel-powered bellows; the resulting widespread distribution of iron tools facilitated the growth of agriculture. For tilling the soil and planting straight rows of crops, the improved heavy-moldboard plough with three iron plowshares and sturdy multiple-tube iron seed drill were invented in the Han, which greatly enhanced production yields and thus sustained population growth. The method of supplying irrigation ditches with water was improved with the invention of the mechanical chain pump powered by the rotation of a waterwheel or draft animals, which could transport irrigation water up elevated terrains. The waterwheel was also used for operating trip hammers in pounding ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=21620577 ... Read more