Canal-Cutting at Brivio and the Theory of Cast Shadows
Rock excavation with siphons and gantries, floating bodies, and pyramids of derivative shadow
The upper text plans the cutting of a rock barrier to open a canal at Brivio on the Adda, using siphons ('cicognole') mounted on solid wheels and a set of gantry-towers ('castelli') that descend to a common level and discharge the spoil into the river; it also touches on remitting a year's duties to pay for the land and on floating bodies heavier than air but lighter than water. The larger part of the sheet develops Leonardo's theory of cast shadow: how the derivative shadow-pyramid of a body lengthens the farther it lies from the light, how illumination varies with the relative size of light and body, and how the shadow of an obtuse rectilinear angle becomes an acute figure of curved sides. Many small diagrams of luminous and shadowy bodies, gantries and the rock-cutting works fill the two blue-paper fragments.
On this page
Cutting the rock at Brivio with gantries descending to one level
In cutting the rock, 3 siphons are set with 6 gantries, beginning at the very top and all descending to one and the same level. The retaining wall is given an opening of 2/3 of a braccio every twenty to twenty-five braccia so the embankment can be cleaned and the material thrown out; an inscription is to stand at the mouth of the canal.
Siphons on wheels; four gantries discharge spoil into the Adda
The siphon must be moved full and on solid wheels. Each 10-braccia cut pours its material through a channel of beams into the Adda; the gantries will be 4 and the siphons 2, each gantry shifted with a screw upon the frame on which it rests.
Bodies heavier than air, lighter than water, float partly submerged
A body heavier than air and lighter than water by equal differences stands as much within the air as within the water, being of spherical shape. But if it is heavier than air rather than lighter than water, it stands with a greater part within the water than the air.
Derivative shadow-pyramids lengthen with distance from the light
A shadowy body more remote from its luminous source makes its simple derivative shadow of greater base and longer pyramid. The first shadowy body a is nearer the luminous body c f than the second shadowy body b r. The figure is lettered b a n c – d c – r e m f.
Illumination varies with the sizes of light and body and their distance
The nearer a shadowy body larger than the light approaches it, the greater the quantity of light by which it is illuminated; but if body and light are equal, the quantity each sees of the other never varies with distance. That part of a shadowy body is most illuminated which is illuminated by the greatest quantity of the luminous body.
The shadow of an obtuse angle becomes acute with curved sides
The derivative shadow of a convex obtuse angle of straight sides becomes acute and of curved sides. Let the luminous body be a h, all of whose rays see the obtuse angle c of the rectilinear triangle K g c; the left ray a passes to the angle c and bends alongside. The figure is lettered h m r o L a – g K – c.
