Category talk:Machine elements

Oppose merge to Category:Machine parts

"Parts" are the actual instances of components of physical machines, such as a photograph of some gearwheels. "Elements" are the conceptual physical mechanisms involved in the design of a machine, such as arangements of levers, or the concept of gearing. We will have few elements, and they are likely to be drawings rather than photographs, but the distinction is real and useful. Andy Dingley (talk) 13:20, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Confusing

I'm confused by the following sentence: "There will be few elements, and they are likely to be drawings rather than photographs, but the distinction is real." What is trying to be said with this sentence? Wizard191 (talk) 19:10, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

We have very many photographs of gearwheels, and there are many, many ways to make parts of machines that are all "gears". However there is only one canonical example of how to illustrate "the principle of gearing" and we need only a single illustration to explain it. For clarity this is more likely to be a simple line drawing, not a photo. Even more so when we get into the "stick-figure" diagrams for the many varieties of lever arrangement. These are difficult to show through a photograph of a real mechanism and the simple line drawing is much clearer. Andy Dingley (talk) 00:02, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Ok, is there some more clear way of expressing that? Just because I wasn't able to grasp that from the way the sentence is currently worded. Thanks. Wizard191 (talk) 20:46, 4 January 2009 (UTC)