My grandfather (O. Wright, 1880-1930) left behind a perpetual motion machine invention of his own design (find link to drawing of it below). Let me tell you about it.

It consisted of a spoked wooden wheel, probably bicycle size, with no tire attached. Spaced all along the perimeter of the wooden rim were small rectangular blocks attached by metal hinges. Inside these blocks were hollowed-out grooves in which weighted metal balls could move freely back and forth parallel to the wheel rim; the grooves were plugged with cork.

The idea was for the wheel, once it had been set on an axle of some kind, to be set in motion, causing the wooden blocks to open outward & downward from their hinges (aided by the metal balls inside) and force the wheel around and around, in perpetuity, with their weight.

I know this idea may sound silly. I know all the physicists and other scientists assure us there is no such thing as perpetual motion, due to friction, etc., and I have absolutely no reason to disagree with them. It's just that my grandfather's little invention fascinated me at a very young age, and I just want to share it with others now. Who knows, maybe some greater mind, a mind more grounded in true science, can take this old idea and apply it to some other application. I hope so. And if it does, let me hear about it.

Provenance of my grandfather's perpetual motion invention:

Grandfather died in 1930, and the machine remained with my grandmother (O. Wright, 1885-1966), and when she passed away, it was left to my uncle (H. Wright 1907-1971), who had always remained with his mother, taking care of her; when he died, it came into my immediate family. It was lost, thrown away, or left behind when we moved away in 1978. That's the last any of us ever saw of it.

A: Rectangular wood block; these ran all around the perimeter of the wheel

B: Hollowed-out groove in which a freely moving weighted metal ball was placed; these were inside all the wooden blocks

C: Metal hinge; block shown beginning to act

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