What the Heck is a Rube Goldberg?

By Channa ComerBaychester Middle School

Rube Goldberg CartoonHow to Avoid Bill Collectors

As Tailor (A) fits customer (B) and calls out measurements, college boy (C) mistakes them for football signals and makes a flying tackle at clothing dummy (D). Dummy bumps head against paddle (E) causing it to pull hook (F) and throw bottle (G) on end of folding hat rack (H) which spreads and pushes head of cabbage (I) into net (J). Weight of cabbage pulls cord (K) causing shears (L) to cut string (M). Bag of sand (N) drops on scale (O) and pushes broom (P) against pail of whitewash (Q) which upsets all over you causing you to look like a marble statue and making it impossible for you to be recognized by bill collectors.

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Who Was Rube Goldberg?Reuben (Rube) Lucius Goldberg was an engineer, inventor, cartoonist and sculptor. Rube Goldberg spent 55 years drawing cartoons and is best known for his "Invention" cartoons which use outlandish tools, people, plants, animals and steps to accomplish everyday simple tasks in the most complicated way.Rube Goldberg's “inventions" continue to inspire the many local and regional Rube Goldberg machine contests, the biggest being the "University National Contest" which is held every year at Purdue University. High school and middle school science classes and clubs throughout the U.S. now also hold regional and statewide Rube Goldberg machine contests

Rube Goldberg Cartoon

Rube Goldberg Cartoon

Student Machines Inspired by Rube Goldberg

Putting Coins in a Bank

Putting Coins in a Bank18 steps

1. Release Chitty Chitty car with mouse driving it and it bumps a rubber ball.2. The ball knocks down the dominoes.3. The dominoes trigger the first mousetrap.4. The mousetrap pulls a string to turn on a toy record player. The music is "Hickory Dickory Dock"!5. The record player spins the colorful gears.6. The gears wind slowly wind a string that pull up a paperclip.7. The paperclip is no longer in contact with another paperclip, which breaks the circuit on an electromagnet.8. The electromagnet releases a mouse in a car down the ramp.9. The moving mouse runs into a string, making it vibrate.10. The string triggers mousetrap number 2.11. This mousetrap pulls a string which pulls a hook (paperclip).12. The hook releases a red parachute man and he flies down the incline.13. The man pulls another string from a tube. This string has a pencil on the end.14. The pulled pencil/string lets a heavy ball drop down the tube.15. The dropping ball pulls an attached string up, making another mouse "go up the clock".16. As the mouse moves, two small ball bearings are released down a marble track. (His tail was holding them

in place).17. The ball bearings land on mousetrap number three.18. The mousetrap pulls a wire to trigger the mechanical bank, and with a tiny picture Rube Goldberg watching

closely, a dog puts the coins into the bank!

Turning the Page of a Book

Turning the Page of a Book13 Steps

1. Turn the handle on a toy cash register to open the drawer.

2. The drawer pushes a golf ball off a platform, into a small blue funnel, and down a ramp.

3. The falling golf ball pulls a string that releases the magic school bus (carrying a picture of Rube Goldberg) down a large blue ramp.

4. Rube's bus hits a rubber ball on a platform, dropping the ball into a large red funnel.

5. The ball lands on a mousetrap (on the orange box) and sets it off.

6. The mousetrap pulls a nail from the yellow stick.

7. The nail allows a weight to drop.

8. The weight pulls a cardboard "cork" from an orange tube.

9. This drops a ball into a cup.

10. The cup tilts a metal scale and raises a wire.

11. The wire releases a ball down a red ramp.

12. The ball falls into a pink paper basket.

13. The basket pulls a string to turn the page of the book!

Inspired by Rube GoldbergMouse Trap Board Game