Two Pulley Systems: How Four Pounds Loads the Top Cord
Block-and-tackle diagrams lettered f, S, n, m, t worked to 16 pounds
The right side of the leaf carries two pulley systems drawn within arched frames, their wheels and cords lettered f, S, n, m and t and marked with loads such as 8 and 16. A marginal note explains that at the 4 of f one leaves that cord aside and multiplies the 4 by the other three cords, as with tackles, to find the opposing resistance. The main column traces the load through the wheels: each pulley feels 8 pounds, so that 4 pounds hung at f impose 16 pounds on the cord holding pulley t.
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Tracing the load through pulleys n, S and m
Opposite the 4 at f a matching 4 is found on the cord of S, so pulley n feels 8 pounds between the power at f and the resistance at S. Pulley S likewise receives 4 of power toward n and 4 of resistance toward m, carrying 8 pounds; pulley m carries 8 in the same way. Hence 4 pounds hung at f give a heaviness of 16 pounds to the cord that holds pulley t.
Reckoning the resistance as with tackles
At the 4 of f one must set its own cord aside and multiply that 4 by the other three cords, exactly as is done with block-and-tackle. What results is the weight that opposes, as resistance, the descent of the 4. The rule reduces the compound pulley to a running multiplication.
