1- MEMBERS

New members have been nominated for period 1998-2001 and now the PC for History of TMM has 31 members from 27 countries (two are not yet IFToMM members). The list is in the Enclosure n.1a of the attached minutes.

2- MEETINGS AND VISITS

The members of the Commission have met in a meeting during the International Conference on History of Machines and Mechanisms - HMM2000 in Cassino, Italy. In 2001 a meeting will be held in Taiwan. Prof. Ceccarelli visited several members also with the aim to discuss personally on History of TMM. Also members exchanged visits and gave lectures on History of TMM.

3- DISCUSSION AND ACTIVITY

An Agenda for discussion has been communicated and the members have discussed the subjects by e-mail and in personal contacts. Several members held lecturing activity on History of TMM.

A proposal has been formulated for the IFToMM Archive. A proposal has been discussed to update the objectives of the Commission. Papers on History of TMM are now accepted as regular paper in the IFToMM Journal Mechanism and Machine Theory in agreement with the Editor-in Chief prof. Terry S. Shoup and some papers have been recently published.

4- CONFERENCE HMM200

As a major initiative to re-invigorating the field of History of TMM, International Conference on History of Machines and Mechanisms - HMM2000 has been organised and celebrated successfully at University of Cassino, Italy, from 11 to 13 May 2000. The Proceedings have been published by the International Editor Kluwer. A copy has been given to the IFToMM Archive at CISM in Udine.

4- FUTURE ACTIVITY

A promoting activity will be carried out in order to have historical papers mainly in the IFToMM World Congress and in IFToMM Journal Mechanism and Machine Theory through letters and personal contacts. The PC members will increase the Lecturing activity and co-operation in research work in the field of History of TMM. Probably the HMM Symposium will be repeated in the year 2004. Probably a web page will be created as a source of information on the History of TMM and activity of the PC for History of TMM.

The above mentioned activities have been reported and discussed at the meeting 2000 of the IFToMM Commission for History of TMM. The minutes is enclosed.

Cassino 12 June, 2000

prof. Marco Ceccarelli

Chairman of IFToMM Commission for History of TMM

Dipartimento di Meccanica, Strutture, Ambiente e Territorio

Università di Cassino, Via Di Biasio 43, 03043 Cassino (Fr), Italy

Telephone +39-0776-299663 fax +39-0776-299711 e-mail: ceccarelli@ unicas.it

To Members

of IFToMM Commission for History of TMM

cimar@cimar.me.ufl.edu; efilemon@mm.bme.hu; kkimura@mei.titech.ac.jp; teun@cs.vu.nl; marek.kujath@dal.ca; jean-pierre.merlet@inria.fr; ipopescu@mecanica.ucv.ro; jsrao@mech.iitd.ernet.in; shoham@tx.technion.ac.il; jkshim@kuccnx.korea.ac.kr; hsyan@mail.ncku.edu.tw; herman.bruyninckx@mech.kuleuven.ac.be; jcuadrad@mcm.upv.es; Jian.Dai.@kcl.ac.uk; H.Kerle@tu-bs.de; irina@mx.bmstu.ru; lhzhou@public1.tpt.tj.cn; macevedo@mixcoac.upmx.mx; public@ifdtung.if.ua; husty@unileoben.ac.at; zhen_luh@yahoo.com; mavro@jove.rutgers.edu; ja.gal@uws.edu.au; r.dunlop@canterbury.ac.nz; cajun@sunserver.uaq.mx; jcmendes@mecanica.ufu.br; mhseo@kkucc.konkuk.ac.kr; yuri@inmash.bas-net.by; jorge@dem.ist.utl.pt; Havlik@bb.sanet.sk; ceccarelli@unicas.it

ref: rel2k

Dear Colleagues:

please find enclosed the minutes of the meeting of the IFToMM Commission for History of TMM held on May Friday 12 at 18.00 during the HMM2000 in Cassino, Italy.

Sincerely Yours

Cassino, 12 June 2000

Marco Ceccarelli

prof. Marco Ceccarelli

Chairman of the Commission for History of TMM

Dipartimento di Meccanica, Strutture, Ambiente e Territorio

Università di Cassino, Via Di Biasio 43, 03043 Cassino (Fr), Italy

MINUTES OF the meeting of the IFToMM Commission for History of TMM held in Cassino, Italy, on May 12, 2000.

The discussion followed the items of AGENDA N.1-2000 (first communicated on Nov. 10^th, 1999)

1. Communications
2. Reports of activity from members
3. Report on HMM2000 Symposium
4. Members and membership requirements (duty of the PC)
5. A Web page on History of TMM
6. Promoting activity for papers on History of TMM
7. Proposal for initiatives
8. Next meeting
9. Other business

1) Opening by prof. Marco Ceccarelli and communications

Prof. Ceccarelli welcomes the present members proff Cuadrado, Filemon, Golovin, Husty, Kerle, Koetsier, Kujath, Merlet, Rao, Zhen; he reported the apologizes from absent members Acevedo, Dai, Duffy, Kopey, Popescu, Shoham, Lihua, Yan.

Prof Ceccarelli informed of the death of prof. Dimarogonas and asked one minute of silence in his memory.

Attached please find the up-dated list of the members, including new members proff Gal, Mendes, Soliterman, Dunlop, Lopez-Cajun, Seo, who are nominated at the moment based on previous communications (Enclosure n.1a).

Prof. Ceccarelli stressed that the goal of meetings for the IFToMM Commission for History of TMM should be to have short and clear discussion with possibility to end with decisions and/or official documents when preliminary exchange of opinions, comments and suggestions are carried out among all the members, preferably by e-mail.

In addition, Prof. Ceccarelli announces the publishing historical papers as regular papers in the IFToMM Journal Mechanism and Machine Theory in agreement with the Editor-in Chief prof. Terry S. Shoup.

2) Reports of activity from members

The members of the Commission have successfully worked for promoting activities, which can be summarized as:

• to establish a Commission with several members (Enclosure n.1a);
• to exchange personal contacts among members (several visits and meetings among members have been held during the year, including some lecturing activity on historical subjects);
• to solicit papers on History of TMM (SEE point 6);
• to circulate information on the Commission;
• to exchange opinions among the members of the Commission, mainly by e-mail;
• to organize the Symposium HMM2000 (SEE point 3).

However, more promoting activities should be scheduled as:

• to exchange visits among the members of the Commission;
• to organize lectures and/or Workshop on History of TMM;
• to establish collaboration for historical investigations.

Prof. Ceccarelli reported the activity in collaboration with prof. Bianchi to outline the status of the IFToMM Archive at CISM (Udine, Italy) and its future service (Enclosures n.2a). Prof. Koetsier remarked the difficulties that when he was Chairman, he had in contacting and having reply with CISM about IFToMM Archive. After having mentioned that no documents are in the IFTomM Archive, prof Filemon reminded that when she lasted her mandate as IFToMM Secretary-in-General she passed the documents of the secretariat to the new secretary. After some discussion, the members expressed the opinion that CISM can be still proposed as location for the IFToMM Archive when the duty and operation are made clear as in the letter in Enclosure 2a).

Prof. Ceccarelli tried to establish a link with the ASME committee on heritage and history of mechanical engineering and also received interest to cooperate by The Machinery History Institution of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society (Enclosure n. 2b).

3) Report on HMM2000

Prof. Ceccarelli illustrates the activity during the HMM2000 Symposium (Enclosure n.3a, b and c).

In particular financial support has been obtained by University of Cassino, IFToMM and Chamber of Commerce of Frosinone Province. Past IFToMM Presidents have been invited to give a speech on IFToMM History. The Editor Kluwer expressed great appreciation to prof Ceccarelli for the work and considered the content of the Proceedings very valuable. It has been said that HMM2000 was successful and members asked to repeat the event in the future. It has been decided that the Chairman of HMM2000 Symposium (prof Ceccarelli) will send a letter to prof Waldron, IFToMM President to report the activity for HMM2000.

4) Members and membership requirements

Prof. Ceccarelli reminds the current objectives of the Commission from IFToMM Constitution and By Laws (1995):

• to work for the preservation for the preservation and duplication of important literary works, models and teaching aids;
• to facilitate the republishing of classical works of reference;
• to collect the basic information concerning the results of technical and scientific meetings of TMM.

Remarks: The current issue is very poor for a Commission that should promote the field of History of TMM. In fact, the republishing and duplication of classical works are usually achieved by individuals or small groups of persons (who indeed the Commission can and did stimulate), mainly through a collaboration with interested international Publishers. The collection of basic information is not well defined since it is not said where or who should preserve it and what for.

Therefore we have proposed to update the objectives of the Commission as the following:

• to promote and facilitate the republishing and reviewing of classical works of reference;
• to promote and facilitate the collection and circulation of material and information in the field of TMM, mainly for the IFToMM archive;
• to promote and initiate activities and works in the field of History of TMM.

Motivations: if the field of History of TMM is recognized of interest within IFToMM, the Commission should work to promote and initiate activities, such as conference, workshop, investigations and publishing of articles. Any library can easily do the only collection of material.

But IFToMM officers included in the changes also the item

• to maintain the IFToMM archive

Prof. Ceccarelli already replied to IFToMM officers ( Enclosure 4a) asking to re-think and have time to discuss the subject with members. He also solicited in march 2000 the members to express their opinion by e-mail. Summarizing the opinions received by e-mail and the discussion held at this meeting, the charge to take care of the IFToMM archive is not acceptable as a duty of the PC for History of TMM (SEE also Enclosure 2a). However, it has been stressed that the IFToMM archive could be stand at the minimum level by storing only: - documents from the IFToMM Secretariat; - the reports of PCs and TCs. The collection of Proceedings of Congress activity held under the auspicious or support of IFToMM is not necessary and in any case should be under the supervision of the PC for Publications.

Opinions have been expressed to ask to the members real activity in the field of History of TMM such as publication of papers, organization of workshops and lectures.

It has been noted that it should be convenient to have in the PC representatives of all the IFToMM nation members. Therefore the Chairman will ask once more for that to the IFToMM nation delegates to whom he will send also the minutes of this meeting. Observers will be accepted from those nations that are not yet in the IFToMM Federation, as the case of prof Dunlop from NewZealand, also with the aim to promote new affiliations to the Federation.

5) A Web page on History of TMM

Prof. Ceccarelli reported that he received expression of interest from several persons on a project to have a web page on the History of TMM. In particular, he recalls again the kind availability of prof Cuadrado to take care of such a project if he will have proper funds. However, prof. Ceccarelli expressed his personal opinion that, besides the idea is very interesting and attractive, it is a titanic task and at the moment seems not be not feasible because the following main reasons (that have been discussed together with members at this meeting):

• the field is very huge and not well defined (see Enclosure 5a)
• specific scientific committee should work to select valuable works/documents from the early past to recent days published everywhere in the world and in any language;
• considerable financial resources are needed;
• sources (web pages, museums, libraries) already exist where one can find works of historical heritage on mechanical engineering and particularly TMM;

However, after discussion it has been suggested to try to define a web page with minimum content level, which could be identified mainly in links to suitable sources for the history of TMM. Prof. Merlet and Rao proposed to look for cooperation with other institutions. Prof Merlet declared to be available to work to install a web page of this form. Finally it was decided to think for specific proposals on the form and content from any member and then the Chairman will synthesize a proposal for the web page.

6 ) Promoting activity for papers on History of TMM

7 ) Proposal for initiatives

Prof. Ceccarelli introduced the discussion by recalling that future initiatives should confirm the past activity and they can be recognized mainly in:

• organization of session(s) at the next IFToMM World Congress in 2003 in Tianjin, China;
• organization of session(s) at the other Congresses in the field of Mechanical Engineering.

Many members expressed the opinion that HMM Symposium should be established as a series of symposia, which can be the main reference event for the PC for History of TMM and for the IFToMM Community in the field of History of TMM. Prof Ceccarelli and Koetsier asked to delay the final decision, also with the aim to look for a proper scientific committee which could be formed even by members of the PC for history of TMM but should be not directly function of the PC for History (similarly to other conferences that are linked to other TCs and PCs). However it was decided that the PC for history will work for having very probably another HMM Symposium in 2004.

8) Next Meeting

Another meeting can be organized during the 2000 ASME Technical Conferences in Baltimore, USA, in September 2000. This is in agreement with the idea to take advantage of any opportunity or Conference where several members of the PC could meet, even for short meeting. However, the Chairman will inform in advance on the dates, place and agenda for any meeting.

prof. Marco Ceccarelli

Chairman of the Commission for History of TMM

Dipartimento di Meccanica, Strutture, Ambiente e Territorio

Università di Cassino, Via Di Biasio 43, 03043 Cassino (Fr), Italy

members of the IFToMM Commission for History of TMM

prof. Marco Ceccarelli

Chairman of Commission for History of TMM

Dipartimento di Meccanica, Strutture, Ambiente e Territorio, Università di Cassino

Via Di Biasio 43, 03043 Cassino (Fr), Italy

Tel + 39-0776299663 fax +39-0776-299711

e-mail: ceccarelli@ing.unicas.it

prof. Mario Acevedo

Universidad Panamericana

Augusto Rodìn 498 Insurgentes Mixoac

03920 Mexico D.F., Mexico

Tel + 525-4821600 Fax + 525-4821717

e-mail: macevedo@mixcoac.upmx.mx

prof. Jorge A. C. Ambrosio

(observer)

IDMEC/IST

Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal

Tel. +351-21-8417680 fax +351-21-8417915

e-mail: jorge@dem.ist.utl.pt

Dr. Herman Bruyninckx

Departement of Mechanical Engineering

Division PMA, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Celestijnenlaan 300B B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium

Fax : +32 16 32 29 87 tel +32 16 32 2528

e-mail : herman.bruyninck@xmech.kuleuven.ac.be

Prof. Juan Ignacio Cuadrado Iglesias

Departament d’Enginyeria Mecànica i de Materials

Universitat Politècnica de València

Cami de vera, s/n.,46022 València, Spain

e-mail: jcuadrad@mcm.upv.es

Dr.Jian S. Dai

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

King’s College, University of London

Strand, London WC2R 2LS, U.K.

tel +44-207-8482321Fax +44-207-8482932

E-mail : Jian.Dai.@kcl.ac.uk

prof. Joseph Duffy

Dept of Mechanical Engineering

University of Florida, 300 Mech. Eng. Bldg.

Gainesville, Florida 32611, U.S.A.

fax +1-352-3921071

e-mail: cimar@cimar.me.ufl.edu

prof Reginald. G. Dunlop

(observer)

Dept of Mechnical Engineering, University of Canterbury

Christchurch, New Zealand

Fax 64-3-364 2078

Email: r.dunlop@canterbury.ac.nz

Dept. of Technical Mechanics,

Technical University of Budapest

Muegyetem rkp5, 1111 Budapest, Hungary

ph +36-1-4631367 fax +36-1-4633471

e-mail: efilemon@mm.bme.hu

prof John A. Gal

Mechatronic Engineering Dept.

University of Western Sydney, Nepean, Bldg X

PO Box 10, Kingswood NSW 2747, Australia

Tel +61-2-47360976 fax +61-2-47360129

e-mail: ja.gal@uws.edu.au

prof. Alexander Alexandrovich Golovin

Moscow State Technical University

2-nd Baumanskaya Str. 5, Moscow 107005, Russia

Tel.: (095) 261-40-55;Fax: (095) 267-98-93

E-mail: irina@mx.bmstu.ru; aalgol@mail.ru

prof. Stefan Havlik

Institute of Control Theory and Robotics,

Slovak Academy of Sciences,

Severná 5, 974 00 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

Tel.: +421-88-4152366, Fax.: +421-88-4152364

e-mail: Havlik@bb.sanet.sk

prof. Hanfried Kerle

Institute of Machine Tools and Production Engineering

Technical University Braunschweig

P.O. Box 3329, D-38023 Braunschweig, Germany

TEL+49-531-3917602 FAX+49-531-3915842

e-mail: H.Kerle@tu-bs.de

prof. Koji Kimura

Dept of Mechanical and Environmental Informatics

Tokyo Institute of Technology

Ookyama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 152-8552 Japan

fax +81-3-5734-3179

e-mail: kkimura@mei.titech.ac.jp

Dept. of Mathematics and Computers Sciences

De Boelelaan, Vrije University of Amsterdam

Postbus 7161, 1081 Amsterdam, The Netherlands

tel +31-20-4447684; fax +31-20-6427705

e-mail: teun@cs.vu.nl

prof. Bohdan Kopey

Ivano-Frankivsk State Technical University of Oil and Gas

15, Karpatska str., Ivano-Frankivsk, 2840019 Ukraine

Ph. +380-3422-42353 fax+380-3422-42139

e-mail: public@ifdtung.if.ua

prof. Marek Kujath

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Dalhousie University

P.O. Box 1000 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J-2X4

tel +902-420-7811 fax +902-423-6711

e-mail: marek.kujath@dal.ca

prof. Carlos S. Lopez Cajùn

Facultad de Ingenieria

Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro

Cerro de las Campanassnc, 76010 Santiago de Queretaro

QRO, Mexico

e-mail: cajun@sunserver.uaq.mx

prof. Constantinos Mavroidis

Rutgers University, The State Univesrity of New Jersey

98 Brett Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8058, U.S.A.

fax +1-732-4453124; tel +1-732-4450732

e-mail: mavro@jove.rutgers.edu

Dr Jean Pierre Merlet

INRIA Sophia Antipolis

2004 route des Lucioles

06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

ph.+33-93-657777 fax +33-93657765

e-mail: jean-pierre.merlet@inria.fr

prof. Iulian Popescu

Faculatatea de Mecanica

Calea Bucuresti 165, 1100 Craiova, Romania

fax:+40-51-416630

e-mail: ipopescu@mecanica.ucv.ro

prof. J.S. Rao

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Indian Insititute of Technology

New Delhi 110016, India

ph+91-11-6591062 fax +91-11-6862037/6862325

e-mail: jsrao@mech.iitd.ernet.in

peof Moon Hwo Seo

Dept of Textile Engineering

Konkuk University

1. Mojindong Kwangjin, Seoul, 133-701 Korea

Tel +82-2-4503512 fax +82-2-4445005

e-mail: mhseo@kkucc.konkuk.ac.kr

prof. Moshe Shoham

Robotic Laboratory

Technion Israel Institute of Technology

Technion City, Haifa 32000 Israel

fax 972-4324533

e-mail: shoham@tx.technion.ac.il

prof. Jae-Kyung Shim

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University

5ka-1 Anam-dong, Sungbuk-ku, Seoul 136-701, Korea

tel:+82-2-920-1433 fax:+82-2-926-9290

e-mail: jkshim@kuccnx.korea.ac.kr

Dr Yuri Soliterman

Institute of Machine Reliability

National Academy of Sciences

12, Academicheskaya St., 220072 Minsk,

Republic of Belarus

Fax +00375-172842409

e-mail: berest@bas25.basnet.minsk.by

prof. Zhen Lu

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Beijing Universityv of Aero. & Astro.

Beijing, 100083 P.R. China

TEL+86-10-82317741 FAX+86-10-82316100

e-mail: zhen_luh@ yahoo.com

prof. Lihua Zhou

School of Mechanical Engineering

Tianjin University

Tianjin, 300072 P.R. China

TEL+86-22-27401009 FAX+86-22-27403434

e-mail: lhzhou@public1.tpt.tj.cn

prof. Hong-Sen Yan

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

National Cheng Kung University

Tainan 70101, Taiwan

tel +886-(6)2757575 fax +886(6)2084972

e-mail: hsyan@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Cassino, 12 June 2000

Prof Kennet J. Waldron

IFToMM President

prof. Jorge Angeles

Past IFToMM President

Prof. Giovanni Bianchi

Secretary of CISM

c/c Prof. Tatu Leinonen

IFToMM Secretary-in-General

c/c prof. Teun Koetsier

Past Chairman

Commission for History of TMM

e-mail addresses

Ref: IFToMM Archive at CISM, Udine

Dear prof. Waldron

Dear prof. Angeles

Dear prof Bianchi

This is to report the status and possible future of the IFToMM Archive at CISM in Udine, Italy, in agreement with the mandate given to prof Bianchi and me during the meeting of the IFToMM EC in 1999.

At CISM in Udine the material listed in the Enclosure is present. The Publications are stored properly and can be easily consulted .

After discussion with members of the IFToMM Commission for History of TMM and the Direction of CISM, in my capacity of Chairman of the PC for History of TMM I will suggest to keep the IFToMM Archive at the minimum level by storing only: - documents from the IFToMM Secretariat; - the reports of PCs and TCs.

It is not necessary to archive the Proceedings of the Congress activity held under the auspicious or support of IFToMM, since one can find them easily as published publications. However the archiving of Proceedings should be in any case under the supervision of the PC for Publications.

Finally, I think that the location of the IFToMM Archive at CISM in Udine can be maintained efficiently long in the future too, since CISM will offer the archive service in the above-mentioned minimum level form without any financial charge to IFToMM.

Sincerely Yours

Cassino .......

Marco Ceccarelli

prof. Marco Ceccarelli

Chairman of IFToMM Commission for History of TMM

Dip di Meccanica, Strutture, Ambiente e Territorio

Università di Cassino

Via Di Biasio 43 - 03043 Cassino (Fr), Italy

Ph. +39-0776-299663 fax +39-0776-299711

e-mail: ceccarelli@ ing.unicas.it

4^th CISM-IFToMM Symposium on Theory and Practice of Robots and Manipulators, Zaborow, Warsaw, 1981

cism@cism.it

http://www.cism.it

SCIENTIFIC CONTENTS AND GOALS FOR HMM2000 SYMPOSIUM

The International Symposium on History of Machines and Mechanisms HMM2000 has been intended mainly to the scientific community of IFToMM (International Federation of Theory of Machines and Mechanisms).

The initiative for the HMM2000 Symposium has been promoted within activities of IFToMM and particularly IFToMM Commission for History of TMM (Theory of Machines and Mechanisms), whose Chairman for the period 1998-2001 is prof. Marco Ceccarelli.

The goal for HMM2000 Symposium was to have a specific conference which facilitates meeting of experts and technicians who are interested on the History of TMM and present historical-technical papers containing results of investigation or experience. In fact the aim of HMM2000 Symposium has been to stimulate mainly from IFToMM experts and technicians studies and papers on the History of TMM which have contents not only from historical viewpoint but also with scientific and technical details on the evolution of mechanical engineering at large.

Therefore, specific topics for HMM2000 Symposium have been individuated and papers on historical subjects were solicited and not only in the following topics:

The Organising Committee, whose Chairman is prof. Marco Ceccarelli of University of Cassino, was composed by prof Teun Koetsier (Netherlands), prof Andrew Dimarogonas (U.S.A.) e prof Hong-Sen Yan (Taiwan), who are members of the IFToMM Commission for History of TMM, and by prof. Pietro Corsi and prof. Michela Cigola of University of Cassino, who are people working in the field of History of Science.

HMM2000 Symposium has been a first conference on History of TMM cosponsored by IFToMM.

ATTENDANCE

The number of attendees at HMM2000 Symposium was fifty-six (56) with oral presentations by authors from all around the world and mainly from countries whose national associations are members of IFToMM. In addition grants were available to help the participation of people from former eastern and far east countries by using funds that were asked for this purpose.

APPROVALS AND INTERNATIONAL CIRCULATION

The assent to HMM2000 Symposium was obtained by means of approval of personalities of academic and no academic institutions. Representatives of these approvals formed the International Steering Committee, whose purpose was also to help in the promotion activity and paper revision for HMM2000 Symposium.

The members of the International Steering Committee were the following:

J. Angeles (Canada)

E. Baker (Australia)

R. Bansevicius (Lithuania)

M. Ceccarelli (Italy)

I. Cuadrado (Spain)

A. Dimarogonas (U.S.A.)

T. Koetsier (Netherlands)

Y. Hori (Japan)

V. Marchis (Italy)

A. Mezentsev (Russia)

A. Morecki (Poland)

S. Paipetis (Greece)

J.S. Rao (India)

B. Roth (U.S.A.)

M. Shoam (Israel)

K.Takeno (Japan)

I. Tempea (Romania)

H.S. Yan (Taiwan)

The circulation of the papers presented at HMM2000 Symposium will be ensured in the international circuit by means of the publication of the Proceedings which contain the papers accepted after revision. The Proceedings of HMM2000 Symposium were given to registered participants and will be further circulated by the International Editor Kluwer that published the book. However the co-sponsorship by IFToMM is expected to give a wide circulation of the initiative and the Proceedings in the IFToMM community at large.

COSPONSORS AND FUNDS

In order to have a large and qualified attendance at HMM2000 Symposium economic support was required and was asked mainly to University of Cassino. Other institution, as IFToMM, Chamber of Commerce of Frosinone (where Cassino is located), were contacted for cosponsorship and gave contributions.

SECRETARIAT ACTIVITY

Promotion activity supported by a secretariat work was started at the beginning of 1998. In July 1998 at the meeting of IFToMM EC the Symposium was approved as cultural initiative and obtained the patronage and financial support of IFToMM. Since march 1998 there was an intense activity to promote the initiative by contacting persons, institutions and Universities. A web page http://www.unicas.it/ingegneria/hmm2000/index.htm was constructed and installed to better promote the initiative. An intense mailing was carried out in order to circulate the information about HMM2000 not only in the IFToMM Community. The Secretariat was active since February 1998 and lasted with the Symposium.

PROGRAM OF HMM2000 SYMPOSIUM

The program for HMM2000 Symposium was scheduled with oral presentations of accepted papers at the School of Engineering, social and cultural activities as a visit to Montecassino Abbey, welcome party, conference dinner and a social dinner in agreement with the available funds of the Organising Committee and local Organisers at the School of Engineering of University of Cassino in Cassino. The oral presentation of the papers that were accepted after revision was given in English and lasted in 15 minutes with 5 minutes more for discussion to facilitate opinions interchange and comments. The HMM2000 Symposium was scheduled in one parallel session in the School of Engineering of Cassino.

The whole program for HMM2000 Symposium ran from the Thursday evening may 10th to Saturday noon may 13th, 2000. Enclosed find the final program.

Cassino, May 12, 2000

Prof. Marco Ceccarelli

Chairman for HMM2000

international symposium on history of machines and mechanisms HMM2000

Cassino, Italy: May 11-13, 2000

Symposiun Site: Aula Magna "Luigi Papa" at the School of Engineering in Via Di Biasio 43, Cassino

Time for presentation : 15 min plus 5 min for discussion.

Welcome addresses by

Prof. Oronzo Pecere, Rector of University of Cassino

Prof. Kenneth J. Waldron, IFToMM President

Prof. Guglielmo Rubinacci, Dean of the School of Engineering

Prof. Marco Ceccarelli (Symposium Chairman)

Chairman: prof. Marek Kujath (Canada)

T. Koetsier: Mechanism and machine science: its history and its identity

Chairman: prof. Marco Ceccarelli (Italy) (Chairman of IFToMM Commission for History of TMM))

B. Roth: IFToMM from a personal perspective

A. Morecki: Past, present and possible future. - Some remarks on personal activity

A.P. Bessonov: Role and activities of scientists of the USSR and Russia in the history of formation and development of IFToMM

Chairman: prof. Lu Zhen (China-Beijing)

H.S. Yan, H.H. Huang: On the spring configurations of ancient Chinese locks

V. Strizhak, I. Penkov: Distribution of axial load on bolt and nut threads

FRIDAY 12

Introduced by prof. Bernard Roth (U.S.A.)

Chairman: prof. Elisabeth Filemon (Hungary)

L. Zhen, G. Xuan: The development of water-powered machines of China in 10-14^th Century

Chairman: prof. Hong-Sen Yan (Taiwan)

Chairman: prof. Jean-Pierre Merlet (France)

J.S. Rao: Iron age of ancient India

R. Bansevicius, R.T. Tolocka: Modern history of piezomechanics in Lithuania

I. Tempea, P. Antonescu: IFToMM-SYROM Symposia on TMM: an historical overview

K. Luck: Some remarks on the German school of mechanisms-practical applications

Chairman: prof. J.S. Rao (India)

SATURDAY 13

Chairman: prof. Hanfried Kerle (Germany)

J. Takeno: The original technologies in old Japan

A. Vinciguerra: A short historical report on biomechanics of the human spine

Chairman: prof. Manfred Husty (Austria)

M. Cigola, A. Gallozzi: Drawings of automatas in middle age

Prof Kennet J. Waldron

IFToMM President

prof. Jorge Angeles

Past IFToMM President

Prof. Giovanni Bianchi

Chairman of the Constitution Committee

c/c Prof. Tatu Leinonen

IFToMM Secretary-in-General

c/c prof. Teun Koetsier

Past Chairman

Commission for History of TMM

C/c members

Commission for History of TMM

e-mail addresses

Ref: Proposal to update the objectives of the Commission for History of TMM

Dear prof. Waldron

Dear prof. Angeles

Dear prof. Bianchi

The in coming changes in the IFToNMM Constitution give for the Commission for History of TMM:

• to promote and facilitate the republishing and reviewing of classical works of reference;
• to promote and facilitate the collection and circulation of material and information in the field of TMM, mainly for the IFToMM archive;
• to maintain the Archive of the Federation
• to promote and initiate activities and works in the field of History of TMM.

But the Commission for History of TMM proposed only (with my letter of 30 April 1999):

• to promote and facilitate the republishing and reviewing of classical works of reference;
• to promote and facilitate the collection and circulation of material and information in the field of TMM, mainly for the IFToMM archive;
• to promote and initiate activities and works in the field of History of TMM.

In addition we are still discussing about the status and future of the Archive. Probably the PC for Publications should take care of the Archive, at least in co-operation with us.

Thus, I will like to discuss the topic before to make this important change in the duty and objectives of the Commission for History of TMM, even without consulting the members of the Commission.

I look forward to hearing soon from you so that in the next meeting of the members of the Commission for History of TMM (scheduled in May during HMM2000 Symposium) we could discuss the change.

Sincerely Yours

Cassino 15.3.2000

Marco Ceccarelli

Prof. Marco Ceccarelli

Chairman of IFToMM Commission for History of TMM

Dipartimento di Meccanica, Strutture, Ambiente e Territorio

Università di Cassino

Via Di Biasio 43 - 03043 Cassino (Fr), Italy

Ph. +39-0776-299663 fax +39-0776-299711

e-mail: ceccarelli@ ing.unicas.it

On the meaning of TMM over time

TMM (Theory of Machines and Mechanisms) is often misunderstood also in the IFToMM Community, although it is recognized as the discipline of Mechanical Engineering related with mechanisms and machines.

In this note, we try to clarify the meaning of TMM by looking at the meaning of the word over time through few definitions by significant Authors:

by M. Vitruvio (he lived in 1^st century B.C.) in "De Architectura", liber X, translated and discussed by Daniele Barbaro in Venice, 1584.

"A machine is a combination of materials and components that have the capability of moving weights".

By Galileo Galelei in " Le Macchine", 1593, reprinted in Opere di Galileo Galilei Edited by F. Brunetti, Torino, 1964.

"A machine is a means by which a given weight will be transported to a given location by using a given force".

By Paolo Branca in " Le Macchine", Roma, 1629.

He described machines by stressing " the operation as consumption of motor power and changes of wieghts in functions of time history, cost and operator skill".

By J. Leupold in " Theatrum machinarum", Leipzig, 1724.

He treated the description of machines and mechanisms referring to "their aim of modifying motion rather than just the construction of machinery".

By P. Lanz and A. Betancourt in "Essai sur la composition des machines", Paris, 1808.

"In agreement with M. Monge, we consider as elements of machines the devices than can change the direction of the movements… the most complicated machines are only combinations of those capable of single movements".

By Robert Willis in " Principles of Mechanism", London, 1841 (1870 – 2^nd Ed. ).

"I have employed the term Mechanisms as applying to combinations of machinery solely when considered as governing the relations of motion. Machinery as modifier of force".

By C.I. Giulio in " Lezioni di meccanica applicata alle arti", Torino, 1846.

"We name as machine any device, which is aimed to receive the action of a motor and modify velocity and direction of the obtained motion".

By F. Releaux in " Theorethische Kinematic", Braunschweig, 1875.

"A machine is a combination of bodies capable of withstanding deformation, so arranged as to constrain the (mechanical) forces of nature to produce prescribed effect in response to prescribed input motions".

By F. Masi in " Teoria dei meccanismi", 1897, Bologna.

"Hence we name: as mechanism a kinematic chain that has been fixed on one of its components; as machine a mechanism whose components make mechanical work".

By G. Koenigs in " Introduction a une Theorie nouvelle des mecanismes", Paris, 1905.

"A machine is recognized as an assembly of resistant bodies that are constrained reciprocally and are under the action of natural forces. If you abstract from forces, the remaining of a machine consists of bodies and constraints. This is a mechanism".

By R.S. Hartenberg and J. Denavit in " Kinematic Synthesis of Linkages", New York, 1964.

"The term machine is associated with the use and transformation of force, and although motion is varying degree is encountered in a machine, the idea of force dominates. Mechanism, on the other hand, definitely conjures up the idea of motion, and while forces do exist, they are relatively small and unimportant compared with the exploitation of motion".

Finally, the meaning for word "theory" needs further explanation. The Greek word for Theory comes from the corresponding verb, whose main semantic meaning is related with examination and observation of existing phenomena. But, even the Classic language the word theory includes practical aspects of observation as experiencing the reality of the phenomena, so that theory means also practice of analysis results. In fact, this last meaning is what was included in the discipline of modern TMM as Monge established in the Ecole Polytechnique at the beginning of XIXth century (see for example the book by Lanz and Betacourt whose aim include synthesis procedures).

In conclusion since the modern assessment TMM has been as a discipline, which treats both analysis and synthesis of mechanisms and machines. This will be also in the future, since we shall always have mechanical devices related with life and working of human beings. These mechanical devices need to be designed and enhanced with approaches from mechanical engineering because of the mechanical reality of the environment where the human beings will always live, although new technology will substitute some components or facilitate the operation of mechanical devices!

In fact, IFToMM terminology (published in Mechanisms and Machine Theory, in 1991) gives:

• Machine: mechanical system that performs a specific task, such as of material, and the transference and transformation of motion and force.
• Mechanism: system of bodies designed to convert motions of, and forces on, one or several bodies into constrained motions of, and forces on, other bodies.