Jocular Engineering

Gearbox Design

Novice gearbox designer: Due to the lack of free space in my gearbox I had to put one gearshaft between the teeth of a gear on another shaft.

Contributed by Evgeny Yantovsky, April 2009

Resultant Force

Engineering Professor: In your project to design a large workshop with many heavy benches and lathes the floor is rather thin; how can you have this without supporting pillars?

Student: It's very simple. I found the resultant force of the equipment weight; it acts through the centre of the floor. I designed a hole at that position, so that the resultant force has nothing to act on.

Contributed by Evgeny Yantovsky, April 2009

Fish Smell

Q: How do you stop a fish from smelling?

A: Fit it with a nose cone.

Energy Saving Washing Instructions

Contributed by Fergal McGovern, June 2010

Laugh or Cry

Q: How do you make an engineer laugh?

A: Tell them their calculations are wrong.

Q: How do you make them cry?

A: Prove it to them.

© Jim McGovern 2009–2013