The practical mechanic : comprising a clear exposition of the principles and practice of mechanism, with their application to the industrial arts
The practical mechanic is a mechanical engineering handbook compiled by J. A. Drake and published in Philadelphia in 1887 by J. W. Lukenbach, aimed at workshop mechanics and students of the industrial arts. Its pictures are precise black-and-white line engravings of gearing: a bevel wheel with dashed construction lines, a worm gear with a toothed wheel and two worms, and interlocking tooth profiles with dashed pitch curves. A designer could draw on their clean hatching, fine cross-lines, and diagrammatic clarity for technical illustration.
