Abstract
Through the construction of a simple apparatus, consisting of two pendulums -which oscillate at the same time-it is possible to graphically reproduce Lissajous’ experiments on the commuting vibrations of the diapasons. This equipment was first built by Samuel Charles Tisley (London 1829-Unknown), under the name of harmonographer. Similar apparatuses were produced in the nineteenth century and subsequently, a list -limited to the first nineteenth-century phase- is proposed in the contribution that illustrates the essential characteristics of the harmonograph. Born as a means of analysing vibrations- but which, by its principle belongs to mechanics, for its applications to acoustic science and geometry for the ability to draw a wide variety of “harmonious” curves, which in the paper are referred to as Lissajous curves “damped”.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Gay, F.: Intorno agli omolografi, strumenti e modelli per la geometria descrittiva. In: Quaderni IUAV.13.2000, DPA, Venezia (2000)
Goold, J., Benham, C.E., Kerr, R., Wilberforce, L.R.: Harmonic Vibrations and Vibration Figures. Herbert C. Newton – Newton & Co. Scientific Instrument Makers, London (1909)
Privat-Deschanel, A., de Ochoa y Ronna, E.: Tratado elemental de física, pp. 696–697. Hachette, Paris (1872)
Poleni, G.: Epistolarum mathematicarum fasciculus. Giovanni Manfrè, Padova (1729)
Suardi, G.B.: Nuovi istromenti per la descrizione di diverse curve antiche e moderne, e di molte altre, che servir possono alla speculazione de’ Geometri, ed all’uso de’ Pratici. Col progetto di due nuove macchine per la nautica ed una per la meccanica, e con alcune Osservazioni sopra de’ Poligoni rettilinei regolari. G.M. Rizzardi, Brescia (1752)
Tisley, S.C.: On a Compound-Pendulum Apparatus. Report of the British Association for the Advacement of Science (1873)
Tissandier, G.: Le Ricreazioni Scientifiche, ovvero l’insegnamento coi giuochi, Treves, Milano (1897)
Whitaker, R.J.: Harmonographs. I. Pendulum design. Am. J. Phys. 69(2), 162–173 (2001)
Whitty, H.I.: The Harmonograph. Jarrold & Sons, London (1893)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Gallozzi, A., Strollo, R.M. (2022). Drawing the Vibrations of Sound. In: Ceccarelli, M., López-García, R. (eds) Explorations in the History and Heritage of Machines and Mechanisms. HMM 2022. History of Mechanism and Machine Science, vol 40. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98499-1_25
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98499-1_25
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-98498-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-98499-1
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)