Proportional division of a line in a mechanical figure
a n is one quarter of a m and one fifteenth of a f; the points marked 15, 14 and 1
A single lettered figure divides a line by proportion: the segment a n is noted as one quarter of a m and one fifteenth of a f, with the points f, m and a marked 15, 14 and 1. The Codex Atlanticus classes the sheet among instruments and machines. The surface is much faded, and further faint drawing and notes are present but not transcribed.
On this page
A proportionally divided arm
A lettered figure marks a line by proportion: the segment a n is a quarter of a m and a fifteenth of a f. The Codex classes the sheet among instruments and machines, and the ratios suit a graduated arm or scale.
Numbers on the figure
The figure is annotated with the letters f, m and a and the numbers 15, 14 and 1, fixing the proportional lengths of its segments.