Theatre of Instruments and Machines

...is moreover its material from sheets which are called white iron, in the whitening of which there is need of mercury, whose nature it is to cool; in this, into which the liquids are placed, the liquids, covered by the sack and likewise the vessel, cannot be affected by heat.

PROP. XIX.

Another kind of vessel, of almost the same use as the first, but having this unique feature besides, by which, if one wishes, it is filled through the same opening with different liquids, through which it is emptied, and that without any mixing of those liquids themselves.

By one opening, namely the stopper, this vessel is filled, and by another, namely a channel, it is evacuated. It is helpful to explain this method of filling and emptying. First, in place of a stopper, a pipe is made in which three reflexed tubes end, each of which extends into separate parts of the vessel which is toward the north. This vessel has three parts, namely the eastern, into which—for example—we wish to pour wine; the middle, into which water; the western, into which oil. Now, separately, with a funnel placed in turn upon the channels, I shall pour these liquids, which, so that they may be led out of the vessel, I shall form the lower channel to the form of the upper one; so that when I wish I may have one liquid, or when it pleases, two or all. The diligent smith thought these things easy.

PROP. XX.

A new kind of machine for moving and demolishing rather large stones submerged in water, so that then, indeed, piles can be driven into the place for repairing an old or constructing a new embankment, or port, or bridge.

A small boat presents itself to the eyes, carrying the machine. The more important part of it is an oblong beam, 2 measures 16 palms, for each has motion between those two parallel rafters which stand in the southern part of the ship, for the holes appearing on it are for setting up a tripod which is 2 measures distant from its last northern part; in that tripod, however, the painter erred, for the head was to be made movable. Again, in the extreme southern part on the beam is iron made as the extreme part of a pastoral staff is wont to be, in which, when the stone is, the ship is moved with the tripod unmoved, but with its head moving, in such a way that the stone is moved from its place; the poles, however, that appear are constructed so that the ship may be retained. The rest are easy.

PROP. XXI.

A new artifice for cleaning out all the sewage and refuse of weeds and stone and other such filth from a long-deserted port or pond.

As in the south, so in the north is a lathe, on whose ropes hangs a flooring resting on four barrels and carrying that lathe, whose rope pulls an iron toothed machine grabbing the refuse. The entire subtlety of this machine is the floating or elevation of the flooring. Everything is clear in the figure.

PROP. XXII.

A new method of piles of whatever magnitude to be driven perpendicularly into the water, to support any moles firmly, if anyone wishes to construct a bridge or fortress, or to divert the sea from there, where a port might conveniently be built.

This kind of machine depends upon the firmness of the screw. This machine is brought by ship, and its structure is a right-angled scalene triangle, whose base is carried from the south to the north, the perpendicular from the east to the west, the third from the angle of the west and south to the angle of the east and north, all firmly compacted with nails. In this last part, two screws appear, on whose outer parts hang ropes (these outer parts, however, are constrained by the slit of the beams), which then, tied to the rams that are to the south, raise them; and the motion is so constituted by the ratio of the wheels that when one outer part of the screw is moved, the other is removed. The rest are evident from the outlines of the figure.