Replica Catapult Ingenious Inventions

AN’S ingenuity knows no bounds. the single-armed catapult designed for was hand-to-hand combat. With the MIn the fi eld of warfare human hurling large objects. The Romans later invention of the catapult, strategy beings have designed the most deadly added wheels to the catapult to make and battle tactics became necessary. weapons since time immemorial to it more maneuverable but there was Mathematics and calculations were kill each other. One such contraption very little in the design of the machine needed in order to aim the catapult that was used with deadly effect in that changed. However, the catapult correctly. It was the fi rst weapon medieval warfare was the catapult. The was a major weapon of warfare for that required thinking and careful catapult is a device that hurls heavy well over a thousand years. A double- planning. objects or arrows with great force over armed catapult, also called a large distance. The word ‘catapult’ is the trebuchet, was invented composed of the Greek root words kata by Mariano Taccola of Siena meaning downwards and pallō meaning during the Middle Ages during to toss, to hurl. Some catapults can about 1400 AD. throw stones weighing as much as 350 The catapult was a pounds for distances greater than 300 remarkable weapon. It was feet. The Greek Dionysius the Elder of accurate and it could fi re Syracuse invented the catapult about fl aming rocks, stones, or 400 BC. any form of shrapnel great Thereafter, it became a key weapon distances. This was a major in warfare and remained so through the innovation because prior to medieval times. Two major catapults the catapults invention, the evolved from Dionysius’s invention: only known method of fi ghting the double-armed machine or ballista, that was used for shooting arrows, and Mettalic Catapult of modern time SCIENCE REPORTER, JUNE 2013 56 Ingenious Inventions

Mattalic Catapult

Catapult at Mercato San Severino (above)

A contraption that was used with deadly effect in Catapult in Egyptian National Military Museum medieval warfare to kill each other, was the catapult. The catapult is a device that hurls heavy objects or arrows with great force over a large distance.

The Greek engineers fi rst could be enlarged indefi nitely. The new balls. They now could be built based constructed a comparatively small catapults were equipped now with two on the standard calibration formulae machine called gastraphetes, which was torsion springs powering the two arms given in technical treatises. In this a sort of a crossbow. The gastraphetes of the catapult. form, Carthage and Rome also adopted was powered by a large composite bow. Philo of Byzantium (circa 200 BC) the heavy weapons. About 100 AD the Greek engineers enlarged the machine provides a comprehensive account of Romans redesigned the torsion artillery, further by putting a larger gastraphetes a theory of belopoietics (belos meaning developing quite different new arrow- on a carriage and added a windlass to projectile and poietike meaning art shooting machines. The new catapult cock the heavier machine. The next stage of making). This is indicative of how types remained in use until Late in the evolution of the catapult came geometry and physics were being Antiquity. in the mid-fourth century BC, when assimilated into military enterprises. Even Leonardo da Vinci sought torsion springs were introduced instead In the 3rd century BC, two main to improve the effi ciency and range of of the composite bow. The torsion spring types of catapults were standardized: earlier designs. His design incorporated consisted of a bundle of rope made from the euthytonon for shooting arrows a large wooden leaf spring as an horse-hair or sinew. Such a spring and the palintonon for throwing stone accumulator to power the catapult. Both ends of the bow are connected by a rope, Some catapults similar to the design of a bow and arrow. The leaf spring was not used to pull can throw stones the catapult armature directly; rather weighing as much the rope was wound around a drum. The catapult armature was attached to as 350 pounds for this drum which would be turned until distances greater enough potential energy was stored in than 300 feet. the deformation of the spring. The drum would then be disengaged from the It was invented winding mechanism, and the catapult about 1400 AD by arm would snap around. Though no records exist of this design being built Mariano Taccola during Leonardo’s lifetime, contemporary of Siena. enthusiasts have reconstructed it.

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