Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

CRANK

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V07, Page 375 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

CRANK , a word of somewhat obscure See also:

etymology, probably connected with a See also:root meaning " crooked," and appearing in the Ger. krank, See also:ill, a figurative use of the See also:original word; among other words in See also:English containing the same original meaning are " cringe " and " crinkle." In See also:mechanics, a crank is a See also:device by which reciprocating See also:motion is converted into circular motion or See also:vice versa, consisting of a crank-See also:arm, one end of which is fastened rigidly at right angles to the rotating See also:shaft or See also:axis, while the other end bears a crank-See also:pin, projecting from it at right angles and parallel to the shaft. When the reciprocating See also:part of a See also:machine, as the See also:piston and piston-See also:rod of a FIG. 8.—The facial See also:angle of the See also:Frankfort Agreement is shown in the crania of :—A, a New See also:steam See also:engine, is linked to this See also:Guinea native (male) 75°; B, a See also:European (woman) 930; C, a new-See also:born See also:infant (93°). crank by a crank-rod or connecting to a See also:system devised in 1859 by Karl E. actually a return von See also:Baer. The See also:fourth subdivision of See also:craniometry is closely allied to that which has just been described, and it deals with the comparison of the prehistoric and the See also:recent types of mankind. The methods are exactly similar to those employed in the comparison of living races; but in some particular instances where the pre-historic individual is represented only by a comparatively See also:minute portion of the See also:skull, some See also:special modifications of the usual procedures have been necessitated. In this See also:field the See also:works of W. His and L. Rutimeyer on the prehistoric races of See also:Switzerland, those of Ecker (See also:South See also:Germany), of See also:Broca in See also:France, of Thurnam and See also:Davis in See also:England, must be cited. G. Schwalbe, Kramberger, angle of See also:Camper (cf. fig.

I). W. J. Sollas and H. Klaatsch are the most recent contributors to this See also:

department of craniometry. Thus the complexity of craniometric studies has inevitably increased. In the hands of von Torok of See also:Budapest, as in those of M. Benedikt of See also:Vienna at an earlier date, the number of measurements regarded as necessary for the See also:complete " diagnosis " of a skull has reached a See also:colossal See also:total. Of the trend and progress of craniometry at the See also:present See also:day, three particular developments are noteworthy. First come the attempts made at various times to co-See also:ordinate the systems of measurements so as to ensure uniformity among all observers; of these attempts two, viz. that of the See also:German anthropologists at Frankfort in 1882 (See also:figs. 7 and 8), and that of the Anthropometric See also:Committee of the See also:British Association (1906) seem to require at least a See also:record. In the second See also:place, the application of the methods of statistical See also:science in dealing with large See also:numbers of craniometric data has been richly rewarded in Prof.

Karl See also:

Pearson's hands. Thirdly, and in connexion with such methods, there may be mentioned the See also:extension of these systems of measurement, and of the methods of dealing with them on statistical principles, to the study of large numbers of the skulls of domestic and feral animals, such as See also:white rats or the varieties of the See also:horse. And lastly no See also:account of craniometry would be complete without mention of the revolt, headed by the See also:Italian anthropologist Sergi, against metrical methods of all kinds. It cannot, however, be alleged that the substitutes offered by the adherents of Sergi's principles encourage others to forsake the more orthodox numerical methods. Crank is also the name given to a labour machine used in prisons as a means of See also:punishment (see TREAD-See also:MILL). Other uses of the word, connected with the See also:primary meaning, are for a crooked path, a crevice or chink; and a freakish turn of thought or speech, as in See also:Milton's phrase " quips and cranks." It is also used as a See also:slang expression, See also:American in origin, for a harmless lunatic, or a faddist, whose See also:enthusiasm for some one See also:idea or See also:hobby becomes a monomania. " Crank " or " crank-sided " is a nautical See also:term used of a See also:ship which by See also:reason of her build or from want of See also:balance is liable to overturn. This strictly nautical sense is often confused with " crank " or " cranky," that is, rickety or shaky, probably derived See also:direct from the German krank, weak or ill.

End of Article: CRANK

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
CRANIOMETRY 		[next]
CRANKCASE SUSPENSION PLATE

Site © 2006 - Net Industries