Guest Editor's introduction

Journal of Minerals, Metals and Material Sciences., 1997

Mid-l8th century American blacksmiths developed a felling ax that was revolutionary in design and function. To understand this radical technological change, the blacksmithing processes of the American wedge ax and two of its ancestral forms were reconstructed. This was done through experimentation by journeymen blacksmiths with appropriate period processes, raw materials, fuel, and tools.

Estonian Journal of Archaeology, 2006

The paper's aim is to present the work flow that we followed and the approaches used in a collaborative working task meaning the redesign of an existing jigsaw. This task is foreseen in VRL-KCiP program, JRA-WP4-T300. In this task our team managed the conceptual design phase for a jigsaw and using the axiomatic and systematic approaches we proposed a number of solutions for mechanical transmission of the jigsaw. We analyzed the possible constructive solutions to improve the actual model of the jigsaw and in a further work we will take into account all the presentations and discussions that we have with other participants regarding the constraints this task and use them like guidance for the conceptual design phase.

Teknomekanik, 2021

Shovel, hoe, fork hoe, and hole digger are commonly used in various material handling work manually. So far, only a few studies have been done for special ergonomically designed tool that will serve the purposes of the shovel, hoe, fork hoe, and hole digger. This research examined the efficiency of specifically combined tools shovel, hoe, fork hoe, and hole digger named as multifunction shovel for digging, lifting, and moving bulk materials such as soil, coal, gravel and sand. This project was built to minimize physical workload, reduce the time taken to perform this task, and mitigate health and safety risks. There were 20 respondents involved in this study and they were required to test the project before completing observation checklists and questionnaires. The findings revealed that the students had strong approval on each function and feature of the project. There were a few recommendations on how the project could be improved to be safer and more efficient.

The focus of this article is scythes in Sweden, in a combination of a close study of ethnographical material and archaeological finds. The theoretical idea is that in the history of technology specific problems have only a restricted number of solutions. Spades and rakes are also used as examples. On p. 7 I also have a map over the major ethnographical works with images of implements in Europe, covering late 19th and early 20th century – this is the basis for every close study of European peasant technology as this is perhaps the most well described and research period of folk culture in history.

IEEE Pervasive Computing, 2014

The Wise Chisel: The Rise of the Smart Handheld Tool T he vision behind smart handheld tools isn't new; stories and legends abound about tools whose capabilities extend beyond their native performance. Moses' staff, Thor's hammer, King Arthur's Excalibur, and the many gadgets of the Japanese manga character Doraemon are all archetypes of instruments that empower their possessors. These instruments often have their own intelligence and purpose and perform in a unique, extended way that far surpasses the standard tools of their kind. These tools also reflect cultural narratives of technology and its limitations, contrasting technical appearance with fictional capabilities. Twentieth century science fiction contributed a new twist to smart tools lore: devices that allow for extended operation using highly sophisticated technology. In his 1950 short story, "The Little Black Bag," Cyril M. Kornbluth describes a smart medical tool kit. The kit's tools assisted a surgeon by preventing him from hurting healthy tissue during operations. This fictional vision foresaw a factual revolution in the medical field that both changed medical technologies and let experts work in symbiosis with technological assistance. Later, in a 1988 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, we were introduced to an "unusually shaped wood-sculpting tool" that let unskilled people sculpt wood (this tool was one of the inspirations for the hand-held devices we discuss later). Today, digital technologies let us augment handheld tools, creating new capabilities and interactions. New research is underway to develop and study smart, handheld devices that augment the precision of autonomous tooling with on-the-fly creative expression and critical human judgment (see Figure 1). Here, we trace and explore the emerging field of smart handheld tools that have been inspired by mythical images, technical need, and new technological opportunities. We also present a survey of contemporary and early work in the field (by industrial and academic groups, including our own), focusing on smart handheld devices used for fabrication, painting, printing, and maintenance. Smart Handheld Tools The Oxford dictionary defines a tool as "a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function." James K. Feibleman adds that "a tool is a material object intended to move other material objects." 1 He continues, noting the connection between tools and skills: The more complex the culture, the greater the knowledge needed to develop the tools and the lesser the manual skills… Automation tends to build skills into the machine so that it does its work without an operator. Thus the perfection of tools may act to eliminate the necessity for skills…. In certain cases skills can be transferred from men to their tools. A recent spur of academic and industrial efforts has given rise to a new field of research in HCI devoted to smart handheld tools. This survey discusses such tools' origins and reviews prominent related work in fabrication, painting, printing, and maintenance.

This project is the design and construction of double acting hacksaw for Cutting wood and metal to different length. The power is given by a motor it drives the pulley which holds the main screw. The main screw holds two connecting rods. The other ends of the connecting rods are connected to the frame of the hack saws. The hacksaws are constrained to move in a straight path with the help of sliders. The frame is designed to provide the necessary motion . In this double acting hacksaw machine we can able to cut materials such as wood, steel, etc. This machine makes the cutting operation much easier and also it reduces the production time. Since two work pieces can be cut at the same time the total time is also reduced. The handling of the machine is much simple.

Evolutionary anthropology, 2018

The Acheulean handaxe is one of the longest-known and longest-surviving artifacts of the Palaeolithic and, despite its experimentally tested functionality, is often regarded as puzzling. It is unnecessary to invoke a unique-for-mammals genetic mechanism to explain the handaxe phenomenon. Instead, we propose that two nongenetic processes are sufficient. The first is a set of ergonomic design principles linked to the production of sturdy, hand-held cutting tools in the context of a knapped-stone technology that lacked hafting. The second is an esthetic preference for regular forms with gradual curves and pleasing proportions. Neither process is a cultural meme but, operating together in a cultural context, they can account for all of the supposedly puzzling time-space patterns presented by handaxes.

2001

The Early Iron Age socketed axes in Britain, 2015

Abstract This thesis examines metalwork deposition, distribution and association in the British Early Iron Age (800-600BC) through the medium of the socketed axe. Out of 1412 known Early Iron Age axes, 954 specimens were analysed in detail for this thesis: 680 associated finds and 274 single finds. The methodology was governed by two main objectives: firstly, to propose a reworked and more comprehensive typology of Early Iron Age cast copper-alloy and wrought iron socketed axes in conjunction with their metallurgy, distribution and deposition, and secondly, to discuss their place within Early Iron Age society and what part they may have played in the people’s life, work, trade and exchange, ritual and death. As a result, this thesis introduces, defines and discusses 12 new types of transitional and Early Iron Age socketed axes. While the transitional type can be dated to the Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age transition (c. 850-750BC), the remaining 11 types can be dated to the fully developed Early Iron Age (800-600BC). The 11 types of bronze Early Iron Age socketed axes display a great variety of decoration, shape, size, weight and colour. While Late Bronze Age axes are plain or simply ribbed, almost all Early Iron Age socketed axes are decorated with ribs-and-pellets, ribs-and-circlets or a more elaborate version thereof. Some axe have a shiny silver surface colour (Portland, Blandford, East Rudham and Hindon types). More than three quarters of Early Iron Age socketed axes were found in association with other metalwork. These hoards can be divided into two main groups: axe hoards and mixed hoards. The eight geographical regions outlined in this thesis are defined by different contexts, associations and the predominance of different Early Iron Age axe types, and in terms of depositional contexts this research suggests that the depositional contexts of Early Iron Age hoards containing socketed axes was different from the deposition of single finds: while hoards were often found in retrievable places, single finds were not. The survival of a large number of complete and almost undamaged bronze axes suggests that in the British Early Iron Age socketed axes were not just commonplace tools that were in use until they reached the end of their life. The changes in looks and shape, and consequently the adaption of a new and improved typology of socketed axes in the British Early Iron Age were accompanied by a change in conceptualisation and the overall meaning of socketed axes. Even when used in a different context their basic, very recognisable socketed-axe-shape was always maintained, that is a wedge of different dimensions with a socket and a small side loop for suspension or possible attachment of other items of metalwork. Throughout British prehistory axes were one of the most familiar objects in daily use: as a tool, socketed axes were omnipresent and thus an established part of British Late Bronze Age life – a life that appeared to be foremost practical rather than ritual, with the majority of Late Bronze Age socketed axes showing clear signs of use and resharpening. In the Early Iron Age socketed axes adopted a previously unseen duality in function and meaning (that is materialistic and symbolic). Thus, while Late Bronze Age axe may have been regarded as common woodworking tool, types of Early Iron Age axes were understood as ingots, weapons, or objects needed for certain displays or performances, with their unique ornaments communicating their role in both display and society as well as perhaps their users regional identity and status.