O paradygmacie konstruowania maszyn w pierwszym polskim podręczniku podstaw konstrukcji

Reflection on the contemporary state and development opportunities of machine-design paradigm should be accompanied with research on its evolution process, based on current knowledge of the system of rules and criteria of design. This article is a contribution to such research and covers the first decades of the 19th century, i.e. the period when paradigm understood in such a way started to be formulated in technical literature. The subject of our analysis is the work Teoryja machin by Franciszek Miechowicz, published in 1828. It is considered to be the first Polish manual of mechanical equipment design. Profile of the author and structure of the work is presented here. The article describes his specific approach to the concept of active and resisting forces that determine stress states, and analyses his calculation models of basic machinery parts, comparing them with today’s approach to design issues. Particular attention has been given to comprehensive tasks concerning design of complete hoisting equipment. They include calculation diagrams enabling to reconstruct the rules applied by the author. The article also gives consideration to Miechowicz’s contemporary outstanding representatives of mechanics and mechanical engineering, who were mentioned in his manual.