Sketches of gears and geared mechanisms abound in Codex Atlanticus.
Building on the classical knowledge of gears developed by Greek mechanics in the third century BCE, da Vinci placed his faith in the mechanical advantage offered by gears to transfer water power to industrial machines, to spin blades on horse drawn war chariots, and to theoretically enable people to power machines like ornithopters and military tanks.
In the 1940s, Arthur Bishop AM studied engineering at Sydney Technical College (later the University of Technology Sydney). Sometimes referred to as Australia’s da Vinci, Bishop’s variable ratio rack and pinion gear patented in 1970 has revolutionised automotive steering technology worldwide.
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Photo: Jaromire Chalabala / Shutterstock.com
Arthur Bishop’s variable ration rack and pinion for automotive steering
Courtesy Bishop Steering Technology Limited