rolling double cone and arms

Made:
1740-1760 in unknown place
Rolling double cone and arms Rolling double cone and arms Rolling double cone and arms Rolling double cone and arms

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Rolling double cone and arms
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Rolling double cone and arms
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Rolling double cone and arms
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Rolling double cone and arms
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

Rolling double cone and arms, maker and place of production unknown, but made during the mid-eighteenth century (1740-60) and owned by Stephen Demainbray. The rolling double cone was used in demonstrations of natural philosophy.

The only rolling double cone and arms made of brass of the three in the King George III Collection. It was itemised in the Queen's Catalogue and therefore believed to have belonged to Stephen Demainbray. Demainbray worked as superintendent at the King's observatory at Kew from 1768 and his collection of instruments and apparatus was absorbed into the King's own collection. The rolling double cone was used to demonstrate the paradox in which the cone can be made to appear to roll up the incline created by the arms when they are raised slightly at the open end. This demonstration was popular in courses of natural philosophy during the mid-eighteenth century and was first described in Lebourn's 'Recreations of Divers Kinds' in 1694.

Details

Category:
King George III
Object Number:
1927-1104
Materials:
brass
Measurements:
arms (closed): H 66mm x W 488mm x D 28mm, 0.44kg; double cone: D 125mm x Dia 47mm, approx., 0.48kg; overall: 0.92kg
depth: 125mm
diameter: 47mm
weight: 0.48kg
weight: 1.05822lbs
type:
scientific equipment
credit:
King's College, London