A continuous balance, a clock and a band-drive lever
Mechanical studies with a triangle-in-circle diagram and a block of mirror-writing
The sheet gathers pen studies of small mechanisms: articulated jointed linkages, a device labelled a clock, and other frames, together with a triangle-inscribed-in-a-circle diagram and a dense block of mirror-writing at the lower right. The transcribed notes name a 'continuous balance' set to compare air, stone and water, a clock, and a lever a b that governs how fast or slow a band is drawn. The Ambrosiana catalogue further associates the leaf with fables and prose passages, including 'the priest and the washerwoman,' 'the dog and the flea,' and the maxim that good men naturally desire to know.
On this page
Continuous balance of air, stone and water
A note on the left announces a 'continuous balance,' pairing air against stone and water against air. It frames a comparison of the relative weights of these bodies rather than a built weighing machine.
Band-drive regulated by lever a b
The central drawing carries the letters a b, and the note explains that making the band pull fast or slow depends on the lever a b being made shorter or longer. It is a small study in adjusting the speed of a driven band.
Clock among the corner devices
A single word, 'clock,' labels one of the drawings in the lower group of small mechanisms, identifying the device sketched there.