|
The Catapult
Fig. 198. - A Siege Catapult.
Criticism - A catapult for discharging stones and javelins
but an impossible engine in most respects.
In this case there is a grooved piece of wood (in the
form of a shallow trough) on the top of the engine. This trough is intended
to hold the javelin, the projecting butt-end of which is supposed to be
struck by the released arm of the catapult. I do not believe the catapult
was ever employed to project a javelin. It certainly could not do so in
the manner here depicted, for the reason that the arm of the machine could
never strike a true blow. Besides this, the arm of the catapult casts a
stone with a slinging motion and does not recoil with the quick snap of
a spring, such as would be necessary to flip a javelin forward and as is
the case with the engine shown in fig 216, p. 316.
Again, the winches for winding the skein of cordage
are put in the weakest part of its framework in this catapult, i.e. between
the uprights in stead of the sides where they should be.
The Skein of Cord
We will now conclude that our catapult is ready for its skein of cord,
its winches being in position one on each side of the framework.
In the first catapult I made I fitted a skein of thick rope for the
arm to work between, but I found it was impossible to put an even strain
upon the rope when twisting it up with the winches. |
