古中國傳動機械解密

顏鴻森名譽講座

國立成功大學機械工程學系

東華書局

2021

ISBN 978-986-5522-73-5

摘要

     15世紀前的古中國，雖有不少傑出的機械創作，然零散出現在古籍中，未能有系統的紀錄與保存。直到20世紀，才有機械史專著問世；然，不少具有傳動功能的古機械，文獻敘述不詳、插圖繪製不清、加以創作實物失傳，後人難以了解其作動機理。本書為復原解密古中國傳動機械(即機構)之構造的專著，包括汲水器械、農業機械、紡織機械、水排、弩、指南車、計里鼓車、蘇頌水輪秤漏擒縱器、及張衡候風地動儀等古機械，並輔以機構簡圖、示意圖、三維模型、電腦建模、動畫模擬、復原模型、復原實物及其二維條碼作動呈現。全書計12章。第01-03章為傳動機械概論，以為後續章節論述的依據。第04-12章，以上述機械創作的人物為緯，系統化介紹其歷史發展、古籍記載、及復原設計，分析構造明確者，復原解密構造不明確者，並以歷史年代為經，呈現其千百年來的發展脈動。本書可為大專校院機械本科及相關科系有關機構學、機械原理、機械史課程的補充教材，亦可為一般讀者了解古中國重要傳動機械發明的社會背景、工藝水平、及創作人物的讀本，並期鑑古證今、舊為今用、溫故知新。

Decoding Ancient Chinese Transmission Machines

Yan, Hong-Sen

Abstract

    Before the 15th century, ancient China had many outstanding mechanical creations that appeared scattered in ancient books and were not systematically recorded and preserved. It was not until the 20th century that there were no monographs on the history of ancient Chinese machines. However, many ancient machines with transmission functions have unknown literature descriptions, unclear illustrations, and even lost the subjects. It is difficult for future generations to understand their mechanical theory behind.

      This book focuses on reconstructing and deciphering the structure of ancient Chinese transmission machines (mechanisms), including water-lifting devices, agricultural machines, textile machines, water-driven wind box, crossbows, south-pointing chariots, hodometers, Su Song’s escapement regulator, and Zhang Heng seismoscope, supplemented by mechanism diagrams, schematic diagrams, 3D models, computer modeling, animation simulations, reconstructed models, reconstructed objects and their 2D barcode actions. The book consists of 12 chapters. Chapter 01-03 is an introduction to transmission machines. Chapters 04-12, based on the figures and things created by the above-mentioned machines, systematically introduce their historical development, ancient book records, and reconstruction designs. Those designs with clear structure of mechanisms are analyzed. Those designs with unclear structure of mechanisms are reconstructed. And, based on the historical era, the development steps for the past thousands of years is presented.

      This book can be used as a supplementary textbook for mechanical undergraduates and related departments of colleges and universities on the courses of theory of mechanisms and Machines, and history of machines. It can also be used for general readers for understanding the social background, technological level, and creative figures of important transmission machines invented in ancient China. It is hope to examining the past to verify the present, making the olds reusable, and reviewing the past to foresee the future.