Stacked spheres, 'excess of excess', and a wheel mechanism
A note on sphere stacking and proportion, with a faint mechanical sketch below
A faint page whose brief note states that every ball rests upon three others, illustrated by clusters of small stacked spheres in the manner of a close packing. Beside it stand the numbers 10, 2, 3, 4 and the phrase 'excess of excess', pointing to Leonardo's proportional studies. The lower half carries an untranscribed mechanical sketch of a wheel with an inclined toothed segment and a horizontal cylinder.
On this page
Every ball rests upon three others
Leonardo notes that every ball rests upon three other balls, the packing rule illustrated by the pyramidal clusters of small spheres drawn on the sheet.
'Excess of excess' and the series 10, 2, 3, 4
The numbers 10, 2, 3, 4 and the phrase 'excess of excess' accompany the sphere note, tying it to Leonardo's proportional reasoning about successive differences.
Wheel with toothed segment and cylinder
The lower half of the sheet bears a faint drawing, not covered by the transcription, of a large wheel with an inclined toothed (rack-like) segment and a horizontal cylinder alongside it.