What is Bellows?

What is Bellows?

Webster’s dictionary defines the bellows as follows:
“a device for producing a strong current of air, constituting a chamber that can be expanded to draw in air through a valve and contracted to expel it through a tube”

In Japan where the Dr. was born, the bellows is called “jabara” (ja=snake + bara=belly). As a snake moves it utilizes the expansion & contraction structure of its belly and the word extensively means anything that expands and contracts. Patterns or designs that resemble to this expansion and contraction are also referred to as “jabara”. The combination of expansion and contraction may be a keyword to understand “jabara” or bellows.
The Japanese counterpart of Webster’s defines “jabara” as follows:

  1. Expanding and contracting shapes and patterns that resembles to snake’s belly.
  2. Part of camera for focusing by freely expands and contracts.
  3. Part of accordion or paper lantern that expands and contracts.

Expansion and contraction is the essential element of bellows!
Human beings reign over the animal world, making clear distinction with others by elect, two-footed walking and by using fire as a tool. They have made clever use of all available resources. In other words they have created and made use of all sorts of tools to secure food, clothing and shelter, resulting in healthy reproduction.
Now let us review the history of the expanding and contracting tool named bellows; how we have made use of it and its transition and possible development in future.

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