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There are numerous candidates to claim the designation as “world’s most significant innovation.” The circular axle. The printing press. The combustion motor.

According to a new book, however, that title belongs to the automated timber mill conceived through Dutchman Cornelis Corneliszoon during 1593.

“Prior to mechanised sawing, building a modest trading ship necessitated approximately 10 lumberjacks working over 90 days,” writes Jaime Dávila. “With wind-powered lumber mills, the same amount of cut lumber might be manufactured in less than a week.”

Thanks to this speedy mechanical cutter, which converted timber into planks with virtually no manual labor, Dutch builders could build ships more quickly compared to anyone else, an advantage that sparked one hundred years of Netherlands maritime, financial as well as cultural dominance across Europe and the globe.

The Original True Industrial Machine

Corneliszoon’s lumber mill, argues the writer, was “humanity’s initial true industrial machine.” A wind turbine rotated a wheel. A single part converted the rotary motion into vertical motion to power the cutting blade. A separate mechanism changed the rotary movement into a lateral movement feeding the timber toward the blade. A ratchet system shifted the log ahead one precise increment each cycle.

“Each element seemed simple by itself. The Dutchman’s brilliance lay in how to integrate these parts so the machine operated within a perfectly controlled sequence, sawing with each descending motion while advancing with each return motion. This constituted an astonishingly intelligent use of basic parts.”

A fact that brings us to today’s challenge. I’d like you to reimagine a key the fundamental concepts behind this historic machine.

Circular to Vertical

Design a mechanism which converts circular motion into vertical action. Your available these items only: A spinning wheel. Two pegs. Two bars. A “sleeve”, that is a cylinder or housing into which a single the rods will fit snugly. (Assume it is possible to mount components on a stand, so that the parts don’t fall down.)

I’ll be back at 5pm UK with the solution.

Meanwhile, NO SPOILERS. Rather, please propose (less celebrated) candidates for the world’s most impactful creation.