Da vinci catapult7/28/2023 ![]() ![]() Philo of Byzantium provides probably the most detailed account on the establishment of a theory of belopoietics (“belos” = projectile “poietike” = (art) of making) circa 200 BC. The bows of these machines already featured a winched pull back system and could apparently throw two missiles at once. He probably designed his bow-machines on the occasion of the sieges of Cumae and Milet between 421 BC and 401 BC. Zopyrus has been plausibly equated with a Pythagorean of that name who seems to have flourished in the late 5th century BC. 2nd century BC), whose reliability has been positively reevaluated by recent scholarship, described two advanced forms of the gastraphetes, which he credits to Zopyros, an engineer from southern Italy. A detailed description of the gastraphetes, or the “belly-bow”, along with a watercolor drawing, is found in Heron's technical treatise Belopoeica. 1st century AD), who referred to the now lost works of the 3rd-century BC engineer Ctesibius, this weapon was inspired by an earlier foot-held crossbow, called the gastraphetes, which could store more energy than the Greek bows. The introduction of crossbows however, can be dated further back: According to the inventor Hero of Alexandria (fl. Diodorus is assumed to have drawn his description from the highly rated history of Philistus, a contemporary of the events then. The weapon was soon after employed against Motya (397 BC), a key Carthaginian stronghold in Sicily. 1st century BC), described the invention of a mechanical arrow-firing catapult ( katapeltikon) by a Greek task force in 399 BC. Primitive catapults were essentially “the product of relatively straightforward attempts to increase the range and penetrating power of missiles by strengthening the bow which propelled them”. Roman 'catapult-nest' in the Trajan's Dacian WarsĬatapult and the crossbow in Greece are closely intertwined. I wanted the model to be mechanically accurate this is also why I didn’t include any arm-stopping mechanism that could potentially increase the range – I simply haven’t found any in the original drawings.Ancient mechanical artillery: Catapults (standing), the chain drive of Polybolos (bottom center), Gastraphetes (on wall) I believe a catapult using the same principles to work without risking damage to any Lego pieces could be made with two rigid levers mounted on tension bars, but that would look very much different from Leonardo’s original design. It seemed that the axles will get bent permanently from the tensions present in the model, but eventually the did not – they turned out to be perfectly straight after disassembly. It took me a while to find a Lego element of proper elasticity – I eventually settled for two 12 L axles. My model, whose scale is difficult to determine, can throw a regular Lego ball just under two meters. There was a number of full-size models recreated today, and they proved capable of throwing stone projectiles just under a quarter mile. It did not become popular due to high manufacturing costs at the time. ![]() The original catapult was to use a single wooden leaf spring – an idea probably inspired by a bow. Model of one of the Leonardo da Vinci’s less famous inventions: a catapult using a leaf spring to fire projectiles, which makes it unique in terms of Medieval technology. A simple, small model of an unique leaf spring catapult designed by Leonardo da Vinci. ![]()
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