Rube Goldberg

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Rube Goldberg

• A Look at an intriguing man, his work, and
  devices inspired by his cartoons.

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Rueben Lucius Goldberg

• Born in San Francisco in 1883 (died 1970)
• Graduated from University of California at
  Berkeley with a degree in Engineering
• Worked as a cartoonist (won Pulitzer Prize), also
  an author and a sculptor
• Famous for cartoons that show simple tasks being
  done in a complex manner

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How to Keep Shop Windows Clean

• Description Passing man (A) slips on banana
  peel (B) causing him to fall on rake (C).   As
  handle of rake rises it throws horseshoe (D) onto
  rope (E) which sags, thereby tilting sprinkling
  can (F).  Water (G) saturates mop (H).  Pickle
  terrier (I) thinks it is raining, gets up to run
  into house and upsets sign (J) throwing it
  against non-tipping cigar ash receiver (K) which
  causes it to swing back and forth and swish the
  mop against window pane, wiping it clean.If man
  breaks his neck by fall move away before cop
  arrives.
• Information gotten at www.rube-goldberg.com

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Example Cartoons

• Each example consists of a cartoon with a
  detailed description of the chain reaction of
  events that complete the task at hand.
• Cartoon 1 How to Keep Shop Windows Clean
• Cartoon 2 Keep the Boss from Knowing Youre Late

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Keep the Boss from Knowing YoureLate
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Rube Goldberg Devices

• Rubes famous cartoons have inspired inventors,
  students, and bored people to create real devices
  similar to those shown in his cartoons
• A Rube Goldberg device performs a simple task
  (like popping a balloon), but it does it in a
  round about, complex fashion.

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Example Devices

• Honda ad http//multimedia.honda-eu.com/accord/
• Some 8th grade ideas http//www.larkspurschools.
  org/hall/projects/rgoldberg/

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How to build your device

• First decide on the purpose of your device
• Then, think of different simple machines and
  steps that you want to include (i.e. pendulum,
  funnel, pulley, spring, screw, lever etc.)
• Make sure you can get the materials for your
  steps!!
• Design your device then start building!

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A Group Exercise

• With materials in the classroom each group will
  be given the task to see how they can make a
  pulley, a screw, a wedge, an inclined plane, a
  wheel and axel and a lever.