jan 1, 302 BC - the cam

Description:

a rotating or sliding piece in a mechanical linkage used especially in transforming rotary motion into linear motion or vice versa. It is often a part of a rotating wheel or shaft that strikes a lever at one or more points on its circular path. The cam can be a simple tooth, as is used to deliver pulses of power to a steam hammer, for example, or an eccentric disc or other shape (like an egg) that produces a smooth reciprocating (back and forth) motion in the lever making contact with the cam.

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