Theatre of Instruments and Machines (1578) - Page 24

Declaration of the 32nd figure.

The laden ship is to the south; two other smaller ones draw it, which are themselves drawn by horses walking on the bank: the northern one of these is larger, the other intermediate one is smaller, and at the same time in each are twin winches (for in this way there is more force). From the rope of the larger winch, it is tied by a ring to the top of the mast of the laden ship, but from the smaller ship to the middle part of the mast itself, so that the ship is drawn by the force of men and horses. At the root of the mast, however, are two workmen who handle the ends of the ropes by hand, so that they may be let out little by little to regulate the motion of the ship and to unwind the ropes of the winches when they are full. All things will appear from the sight of the figure with these aiding.

PROP. XXXIII.

An uncommon artifice for plowing land with wonderful brevity by a triple plowshare simultaneously, with the carriage of the plow tied to twin ropes, and with the ropes unfolding and folding themselves in turn, either above the carriage or at the ends of the fields.

Declaration of the 33rd figure.
There are two assemblies of beams, one northern, the other southern, constituted like a derrick; then there is a winch in the front part of the carriage which is moved by the hand of two men; in each assembly of beams are finished ropes, of which one final part is in the northern assembly, and after the ropes are wound around the winch, the other part of them is carried to the southern assembly to which it adheres, so that the ropes can be changed in place by the work of rings and toggles: Now when the winch is moved, the plow is carried with great force, which is easy to see.

PROP. XXXIV.

A new and compendious building, in which a wheel turned to the same parts carries and brings back a beam to and fro, so that the cloth may be worked like wavy silk.

Declaration of the 34th figure.
There is a frame to the north, held together by four pieces of wood fixed in the earth, which can, as I shall demonstrate, be carried once by the same motion of the larger wheel from north to south and from south to north, which will be easily understood once all parts of the machine are understood. In the south is a larger toothed wheel, as is easy to see in mills. This, however, puts teeth into the incisions of the drums, which are on the same movable axis with two others around which a cord is wound; then below is an axis parallel to this, in which are two drums around which a cord is also wound; in the middle of the axes are two toothed wheels, one driving the other, so that the motion of the lower axis is the opposite of the upper one. Again, in the beam are ropes which are wound around the upper drums, which are also tied by rings to the front part of the beam, namely the southern one; these same ropes are also wound around the lower drums and then end at the northern part of the beam, but so surrounding the pulleys which are in the upright beams that they draw the beam to the northern part. But in the upper drums the ropes are gathered differently than in the lower ones, whence it happens that because of the motion, the cord failing, it is immediately wound around in the drums in the opposite way, and that happens only once in one stroke. Which was to be noted.

PROP. XXXV.

A new kind of machine by which, without any scaffolding, building materials are promptly served to very many builders, when building or repairing a very necessary wall.

Declaration of the 35th figure.
The force of the motion is in the largest wheel; the rest can be easily understood from the following demonstration. Below to the south are two winches, a smaller one in which a cord is wound, and the cause of its motion is the hand of a man turning it: this same cord is gathered around the larger wheel, in whose axis to the east and west are two drums which, with the fulcrums, constitute another winch. In these same drums are cords, at the end of which is tied a staff parallel to the axis of the larger wheel, in which are three buckets and as many chests; above are two beams, at the end of which are pulleys for the rope. Now at the extremities of the staff are tied the cords, as I said, which by the motion of the wheel and winch lift the staff with the buckets; these having been lifted, he who stands nearest the winch to the south carries the cord by hand, which, pulling, he twists the cord which we said was gathered on the larger wheel, and draws to himself the staff bearing the buckets and chests, which is easy.