Renaissance Bookwheel

Students installing reading wheel, 2019.

A Collaboration with the Kate Gleason College of Engineering Senior Design Project

Date and Time
Location
Wallace Library, 2nd floor

In 2018, a team of RIT undergraduate engineering students, Ian Kurtz, Reese Salen, Matthew Nygren, and Maher Abdelkawi, set out to build two bookwheels using Ramelli’s design for their senior Mechanical Engineering design project. It was based on a 1588 design by Italian military engineer Agostino Ramelli (1531–c.1610). Bookwheels were useful for those interested in reading multiple books at once—think of how useful it is having the ability to have multiple web tabs open at the same time. Ramelli’s bookwheel design was never made during his lifetime. However, it is likely his design inspired similar bookwheels that were built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Other bookwheel designs predate Ramelli’s, such as horizontal ones which operated more like a lazy Susan than a Ferris wheel. Ramelli’s knowledge of gears allowed him to envision his more complicated mechanism, and the team of RIT students brought it to life! The team made two bookwheels. One is housed in the Cary Collection at RIT, the other is in the Hope Robbins Library at the University of Rochester.

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Image Gallery

Image of Agostino Ramelli's original design, found in his 1588 work Le diverse et artificiose machine del Capitano Agostino Ramelli.
Drawing of assembled bookwheel, with measurements.
An image of three students using CNC (computer numerical control) machine to cut wood for the bookwheel. From left to right: Matthew Nygren, Reese Salen, Ian Kurtz
Four students with gears made for bookwheel. From left to right: Matthew Nygren, Maher Abdelkawi, Ian Kurtz, Reese Salen.
Two students working on attaching the handrail to the bookwheel. From left to right: Reese Salen, Matthew Nygren.
Four people with side of bookwheel, with gears in their positions. From left to right: Susan Farnand, Matthew Nygren, Ian Kurtz, Maher Abdelkawi.
Students installing reading wheel, 2019.
An image of two students with the finished bookwheel. From left to right: Ian Kurtz, Reese Salen.