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Cider Press
Device used to make acceleration above 1 gravity more tolerable for groundhogs. (Read the full article)
| " Wouldn't any sort fluid actually make G-forces that much harder to take? I mean instead of simply getting crushed by Gs you're also getting squashed by a column of water!" (Christian Delavie 9/30/2004 2:02:13 AM ) |
| "This is the earliest description I know of for this kind of thing.
***The Project Gutenberg Etext of Jules Verne's Classic Books****
******From the Earth to the Moon. . .and. . .Round the Moon******
c.1865
...
The projectile had now to be filled to the depth of three feet
with a bed of water, intended to support a water-tight wooden
disc, which worked easily within the walls of the projectile.
It was upon this kind of raft that the travelers were to take
their place. This body of water was divided by horizontal
partitions, which the shock of the departure would have to break
in succession. Then each sheet of the water, from the lowest
to the highest, running off into escape tubes toward the top of
the projectile, constituted a kind of spring; and the wooden
disc, supplied with extremely powerful plugs, could not strike
the lowest plate except after breaking successively the
different partitions. Undoubtedly the travelers would still
have to encounter a violent recoil after the complete escapement
of the water; but the first shock would be almost entirely
destroyed by this powerful spring.
... " (Mike P 10/15/2004 9:55:42 AM ) |
| "Christian - I think the intent is to spread the accelerating force across as much surface area of the body as possible; also, as you sank into it, it would provide support as well." (Bill Christensen 10/15/2004 12:22:54 PM ) |
| "Mike - Hmmm. I do recall reading about it... I think I decided not to include it because the device is used to cushion the initial impact. The projectile is accelerated with a single explosive charge; in the case of the cider press, it allows a passenger to relieve the constant acceleration applied to a ship in flight. Also, the Jules Verne device appears to cushion the entire contents of the ship against the impact. But, you're right; it is a device that helps passengers cope with acceleration forces." (Bill Christensen 10/15/2004 12:24:20 PM ) |
| "People of the future must be real wussies - you pull more than two g's on a typical rollercoaster!
" ( 9/2/2005 4:08:50 PM ) |
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