Thorough, clear, and concise, this Navy training manual leaves nothing to be desired. Prepared with ease-of-use and pragmatism in mind, Basic Machines and How They Work is a one-stop resource on the function and design of a huge range of mechanical devices from simple levers to combustion engines and powertrains. With the Echo Point Books & Media 1994 Complete Edition you are also privy to valuable practice materials to test your understanding.

Logically organized from simplest to most complicated, Basic Machines opens with a discussion of the lever. Moving on to discussions of the block and tackle (pulleys and hoists), wheel and axle, the inclined plane and the wedge, the screw, and different types of gears (simple, spur, bevel, herringbone, spiral, worm, etc.). Next comes a chapter on the concept of work and how work, friction, and efficiency can be measured. The following chapters discuss power, force, and pressure, detailing the function of scales, balances, gauges and barometers. Hydrostatic and hydraulic machines (such as hydraulic braking systems) are covered in detail before turning to machine elements (bearings and springs), basic mechanisms (gear differential, couplings, cams, clutches), and the internal combustion engine.

Including more than 200 diagrams, drawings, and cross-sections that illuminate the inner-workings of the machines at hand, Basic Machines and How They Work is written with clear, simple language so that anyone with even the slightest mechanical inclination can glean every ounce of wisdom from its pages. Originally written as a text for use in U.S. Naval Training schools, this book is perfect for mechanical engineering students of any kind and any layman or homeowner who desires a basic knowledge of mechanics.