How are Pinwheels made?
In the 4th century, St. Catherine of Alexandria was tortured on a wheel (they used all sorts of worrying implements in those days) giving rise to the traditional name “Catherine wheel” for this rotating device. In the U.S., they are usually called pinwheels. A pinwheel consists of a number of rocket-like motors mounted on a wheel. Each one burns to provide both sparks and thrust with the exhaust gases, spinning the wheel around. The fast motion of the wheel adds to the effect, throwing out sparks as it spins.
