Abstract
Linkwork, in its early applications, consisted mainly of revolute-connected members and was widely used for converting the continuous rotation of a water wheel into a reciprocating motion suited to piston pumps. The piston-cylinder combination at the end of the line represents a prismatic pair, of course, but ahead of this there are only the revolute connections generally associated with linkwork. Agricola's arrangements show wheel and pump-power source and point of work-fairly close together. Such compactness did not always prevail; link-works of magnificent proportions were also part of the past. A linkwork is a means of power transmission as well as being a motion transformer. Before the introduction of rope transmissions and the now universal electric wire, linkwork was employed for long-distance transmission of power. Gigantic linkages, principally for mine pumping operations, connected water wheels at the riverbank to pumps high up on the hillside.