Using Old Schröder-Reuleaux Models in Modern Kinematics Lectures

The paper deals with the use for educational purposes of kinematic models of the Schroder/Reuleax collection preserved at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of Politecnico di Torino. The article first traces a brief history of the models, which were acquired at the end of the 19th C. by the Regio Museo Industriale of Turin. Four straight-line mechanisms of the collection, employed in modern kinematics lectures, are presented in detail. The didactic method adopted starts from the analysis of the models of the collection and leads the students to develop schemes and software models, in a process of transition from real to virtual. The simulation results are then interpreted and correlated with the functioning of the real model.