Mangonneau
The mangonneau is an offensive military machine of the medieval time , very near to the Trébuchet.
The precision balance, by its abrupt movement, jerked, was good to launch the projectiles over high walls, on roofs; but it could not make describe with the projectile a very lengthened parabola approaching the horizontal line. The shooting of the mangonneau could be regulated much better than that of the precision balance, because it described a larger arc of circle, and that it was possible to accelerate its mouvement.
Initially let us try to explain this engin.
Initially (cf figure 1), the rod, instead of passing in the axis of the pivot, was fixed outwards, as indicates it traced it in has . At its lower end, which widened much (we will see how and why), were attached weights, ingots of iron or lead, or stones, were maintained by a reinforcement and a trunk of boards B . In its normal state, the rod, instead of being vertical as in the precision balance, was to necessarily incline as regards enemy, i.e. on the face of the machine, because of the position of the counterweight and that of the tree. To lower the rod, one made use of two wheels C , fixed at a winch and correspondent with two pulleys D . It is clear that in front of the enemy, it was not possible to make assemble one being used for the top of the rod to fix at it the double cord of pulling with its pulley and its hook, initially because this cord and this pulley were to be of a rather considerable weight, then because a man which would have been thus exposed to the enemy glances had been used as point of test card with all the archers and principal rafters. These machines were surrounded by barriers and trays intended to guarantee serving them which remained on the ground (cf the article on the Trébuchet for more details on this point). By means of a small winch E , attached to the walls of the case of the counterweight and driven by two cranks, one brought, using the cord doubles F passing by two strong pulleys G , the pulley H and his hook to which beforehand one had hung the other pulley K . The rod lowered according to the slope LM , one made jump the hook of the pulley K , and the rod described the arc of circle MN . Being useful precipitated this movement while drawing on several cords attached in O , following the direction GOLD . If, at the time of décliquement of the rod, serving them drew highly and well together on these cords, they made describe at the higher end of the rod an arc of circle much larger than that given by the only action of the counterweight, and they thus increased the impetus of the projectile D at the time of its departure. To attach the pulley K to the pulley H , one drew this one by means of a wire P by unrolling the winch E , one descended this pulley H as low as it was necessary, one attached to it the pulley K , one pressed again on the winch E . This operation was rather fast so that it was possible to send twelve projectiles in one hour.
To facilitate the lowering of the rod, when the tensioners acted on the two large wheels C , the men appointed with the operation of the cords of the beam B drew on these cords attached in O , according to the line OV . When the rod was lowered, serving them in charge of the fastener of the sling the two supports of this sling in the drain T extended. One of these supports remained fixed at the ring X , the other had left itself the style U ; being useful had the care to pass by again the ring of this second embroiders in the style, and, of course, let pass these two supports over the double cord of pulling of the rod, as the cut Z indicates it, presenting in has the end of the rod lowered with its pulley H in H , its pulley K in K , the two pulleys D in D , the two supports of the sling in gg . When the decliquor acted on the small rocker E of the hook, the pulley K fell between the two sand pits, the rod was raised and the two supports gg fired the projectile S . It will be observed here that the projectile S being posed in the pocket of the sling, the two supports of this sling having to be equal in length, one, that attached to the ring X , is loose, while that fixed at the style is almost tended. The utility of this operation presently will be shown. One will want to still examine the position of the counterweight well when the rod is lowered; this position is such as the rod was to be in balance; that, consequently, the effort of the tensioners, to bring it to its decline, was to be about null, which made it possible to tighten the cord on the pulley K , as the cut Z indicates it; that this balance, obtained by principal gravities deferred on the pivot has , made effective the pulling of the men appointed to the beam, since at the time of décliquement, there was to be a kind of indecision in the movement of the rod; that this pulling then added a powerful supplement to the weight of the beam, which was necessary so that the sling functioned suitably.
Figure 2 presents the mangonneau side of its former face, at the moment when the rod is lowered. The six men operating the two large winches remained in the wheels in order to pay out the doubled cable when the rod launches the projectile which is placed in the cord of the sling. Sixteen men are on the point of drawing on the four cords attached to the lower part of the counterweight. The decliquor is at his station, in has , ready to make jump the hook which retains the end of the lowered rod. The Master of the machine is in B ; he will give the signal which must make simultaneously act the decliquor and the gunners; to its voice, the rod being retained, being requested by the sixteen men placed ahead, will be raised abruptly, involving its sling, which, while whistling, will follow a large curve and will launch its projectile.
Let us examine now how the sling was to be attached so that one of its branches could leave in convenient time the style of the machine, in order to leave with the projectile freedom escape from the pocket.
Here (figure 3) the end of the rod; one sees in has the fixed fastener which is composed of a long clamp turning on a bolt B ; then, in C , the iron style, widened at its base, and in D , the loop which enters this style only up to one certain point that it cannot exceed because of this widening. When the clamp is requested by one of the supports of the sling (cf profile G ), is needed that its ring E falls on the circumference described by the ring from the loop, circumference whose, of course, the rod is the ray; it is also necessary that the clamp cannot exceed the line IE and is stopped in K by the width of the end of the rod. As long as the support of the sling attached to the ring E of the clamp does not have, in consequence of the printed movement, exceeded the line EE' , prolongation of the line IE , the other attaches sling draws on the loop F obliquely, in such way that this loop cannot leave the style C .
This included/understood, figure 4 indicates the rotation movement of the rod. The loose flange of the sling will leave the style only when the projectile exceeds the ray of the circle describes by the rod, that at the moment when the supports of the sling will form with the rod an angle, as it is traced in the position has . Then, one of the supports of the sling will continue to draw on the clamp, while the other will be slackened, and the printed centrifugal force with the projectile will make escape the loop from the style, as we see it in M . The free projectile will describe its parabola. If the rotation movement of the rod equal or were gradually accelerated, it would arrive one moment when the projectile would be in the prolongation of the line of the rod (ray) not to more leave this line but at the time when the rod would stop. But it is not thus, thanks to the provision of the pivot out of the line of the rod, of the place of the counterweight out of axis, and the pulling of the men to hasten the rotation movement at the time of décliquement; a very violent impetus is initially given to the rod, and consequently to the projectile; this one, under the empire of this force first, followed its curve more quickly than the rod does not describe its arc of circle, the more so as the movement of this one slows down as it approaches its apogee; consequently, the supports of the sling must form an angle with the rod, as one sees it in M .
They was thus the men placed at the base of the counterweight who regulated the shooting, while being pressed more or less on the cords of pulling. If they strongly supported, the rod described its arc of circle with more speed, the centrifugal force of the projectile was larger; it earlier exceeded the line of prolongation of the rod; the mobile arm of the sling was detached earlier and the projectile rose higher, but traversed less a big space of ground. If, on the contrary, the men of the counterweight pressed mollement on the cords of pulling, or did not support at all, the projectile was slower to exceed the line of prolongation of the rod; the mobile arm of the sling was detached later, and the projectile, giving up its pocket only when this one had exceeded the vertical, rose less higher, but traversed a space of wider ground. Thus the merit of a good Master of machine was, initially, to give to the supports of the sling the length wanted because of the weight of the projectile, then to regulate the fastener of these two supports, then finally to order to press more or less on the cords of pulling, according to whether he wanted to send his higher projectile or further.
There was thus a notable difference between the precision balance and the mangonneau. The precision balance was a machine much less flexible than the mangonneau, but it required less practice, since to regulate the shooting of it, it was enough to a man who could attach the supports of undervoltage of the sling. The mangonneau was to be directed by a skilful engingnor, and been useful by men with the fact of the operation, if not, it was dangerous for those which employed it. It is, indeed, sometimes question of mangonneaux which wounds and kills their being useful: a wrong movement a pulling exerted badly by the way on the cords of the counterweight, and whereas this one had already made part of its revolution, could make take down the support of the sling too late and project the stone on being used placed for the former part of the machine.
These batteries of counterweight machines, which harm and day sent without truce of the projectiles in the camps or the enemy cities, causing of so terrible damage which it was necessary to come to composition, were thus not toys like those which one usually shows us in the works on the art of warfare of the Middle Ages. The projectiles were various kinds: balls of stone, packages of stones, cluster of carrions, matters flamers, etc
The Eastern ones, which appears to be the first inventors of these counterweight machines, made use of it with advantage already as of the 11th century.
Source: Purple the Duke
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