Brancas Engine

“In 1629 Giovanni Branca, an Italian, contrived a machine which was employed for the various purposes of raising water, of sawing timber and pounding materials. His machine consisted of a wheel furnished with flat vanes around its circumference, like the boards of a paddle-wheel. Upon these vanes, steam was propelled from a close vessel, called an eolipile. A rotary motion was produced, and communicated to appropriate machinery. The results, however, of these and other discoveries made about this period, have never been rendered applicable to the purposes for which the modern steam engine is adapted.” —Comstock, 1850

Downloads