Studies of Articulated Wings and Machine Joints
Wing articulations, a complete machine to be gripped in one hand, and a spring-and-wheel joint
The sheet is covered with faint pen-and-metalpoint studies of articulated wing linkages for a flying machine, worked out in several positions across the page. At upper left Leonardo labels a wing articulation, and at the centre a complete machine with its handgrips a b, noting that one sometimes wants to be able to hold a b in a single hand. A further joint combines a spring and a small wheel, with the requirement that the pulley a run along its channel. Additional untranscribed mirror-script notes accompany the mechanisms.
On this page
Wing articulation (snodatura d'ali)
At the upper left of the sheet Leonardo marks a wing joint, the articulation that lets the flying-machine wing fold and open.
Complete machine with handgrips a b
At the centre the complete machine is drawn with its handgrips a b, and Leonardo notes that one sometimes wants to be able to hold a b in a single hand.
Joint with spring and wheel a running in a channel
A joint combines a spring and a small wheel, marked a-a, with the requirement that the pulley a should run along its channel.