What is the history of China's ancient mechanical invention?

In the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, the invention and creation of China ancient working people in the field of mechanical engineering is particularly prominent. Most inventions come from the needs of survival, life and production, some are the needs of war, and some are the needs of exploring science and technology. 500,000 years ago, Chinese apes learned to make pointed stone tools. Stone tools with a cutting angle of 60 ~ 75 were found in Zhoukoudian site of China. 200,000 years ago, apes living in Ziyang, Sichuan, China learned to make bone instruments such as bone needles and bone cones. 15,000 years ago, ancient humans learned to make complicated-shaped instruments with bones, horns, teeth and clam shells, and learned the polishing technology. Five thousand years ago, ancient humans entered the Neolithic Age. In Xi 'an Banpo site, a large number of important bone implements were found, and their manufacturing technology was very high. Four thousand years ago, the ancients discovered metals and learned smelting technology. China has entered the metal age. Soon, a bronze ware made of copper-tin alloy was invented. Metal instruments gradually replaced stone and bone instruments. Two thousand years ago, iron metal was discovered again, and smelting technology and manufacturing technology were mastered. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, China had entered the Iron Age. Various complicated tools and simple machines were invented one after another, and mechanical engineering developed rapidly in China.

From the evolution of China's ancient inventions, we can know that any kind of mechanical inventions have gone through the process from coarse to fine, and gradually improved and developed. For example, the machine for processing grain (Figure 2-2) initially puts the grain on a big stone, rubs it with the smaller stone in hand, and then blows off the chaff to get rice; The second step invented Chu Jiu; The third step is to invent the pedal hammer, which works by using part of the human body's gravity; The fourth step invented the grinding and grinding using human and animal power; In the fifth step, we invented grinding and grinding by wind and water, which not only realized continuous work, saved manpower and improved efficiency, but also learned to use natural forces to complete the evolution process from tools to machinery.

Figure 2-2 Evolution of grain processing tools in weapons field, from slingshots to bows and arrows to crossbows; After the invention of gunpowder, it developed from human bows and arrows to rockets until it developed into a wrinkled missile and a wrinkled second-stage rocket. These are recorded in a large number of actual combat in China's ancient wars.

The invention, use and development of ancient machinery in China are far ahead of the world level. However, due to the long-term feudal rule, the development of productivity and science and technology was limited. In recent four or five hundred years, China has lagged behind western powers in the development of mechanical engineering. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in a short period of more than ten years, the Chinese people have developed the machinery industry that can only do a little repair and assembly work into a machinery industry that can produce automobiles, trains, ships, metal cutting machine tools, large generators and other mechanical equipment. Especially since the reform and opening up, the machinery industry has developed more rapidly, the gap with developed countries is narrowing, and some products have been ahead of the world level.

In the past thousands of years, the Chinese nation has made brilliant achievements in the field of mechanical engineering. Not only a large number of inventions, but also high quality and early invention time. Our past history is brilliant. In order to make the Chinese nation brilliant again, our task is arduous. In the past few years, the invention and use of machinery have prospered human society and promoted the development of human civilization. Today, with the rapid development of high technology, there are more and more types of machinery and more advanced performance. Many advanced high-tech machines, such as manipulator, robot, intelligent machine integrating light, electricity and liquid, office automation machine, are changing human life and work. I hope that young people who are interested in mechanical engineering will inherit the glorious tradition of their ancestors, invent and create more and better new machinery, and work hard to build China into a powerful socialist country.

In addition to the four well-known inventions of papermaking, printing, compass and gunpowder, China's inventions in the field of mechanical engineering in ancient times were also brilliant. Because ancient China was in a feudal society for a long time, the development of science and technology was relatively slow. Before Qin and Han Dynasties, more attention was paid to all kinds of inventions and creations, and there were also many achievements in this period. According to Zhou Li Kao Gong, a wise man creates things and a skillful craftsman tells them. The world he keeps is called a work, and everything he does is the work of a saint. But there are also different opinions. Laozi said: the people are many sharp weapons, and the country is unconscious. Many people have many skills, and strange things happen. Never give up profits, thieves have nothing. Since Qin and Han dynasties, except for inventions beneficial to agricultural production, other inventions have been generally despised and even convicted for inventions. According to the records in Volume 25 of Ming History, Tiansi supervisor found two puppet men who could beat drums on time in Ming Taizu Plain. Mao broke it because it was useless. Because of the prejudice of the rulers, it greatly affected the development of the creative ability of the ancient working people.

In addition, in ancient China, we didn't attach importance to the drawing of invented instruments, and many inventions were difficult to understand without the help of drawing. However, the people who really invented and created things or themselves did not record them in words, or because of social neglect, which affected the progress of ancient science and technology in China. Nevertheless, China's ancient science and technology is still ahead of the world, and it is worthy of the title of ancient civilization power. The following is a brief description of China's typical inventions in different periods.