Bending a body by a cord: powers of the motors a b c d e
Pulling lines proportioned to t r; two figures distinguished, pole n and the arc of right angles
The recto continues the analysis of inclining a heavy body (X n y z, weight 8) by a cord fastened at a corner and drawn along many lines. Leonardo states that the powers of the motors a, b, c, d, e stand to the resistance r t as their lines stand to t r, with the fixed corner n serving as the pole. He carefully separates the overlapping constructions into two distinct figures and describes the arc, drawn from the centre on line f n, along which the cords meet the levers at right angles. Several diagrams show rectangles set within circles with fans of labelled lines.
On this page
Powers of the motors proportioned to the pulling lines
Whatever proportion each of the lines t v, t X, t o, t n, t m has to the line t r, such is the power of the motors a b c d e, with r t as the resistance and the pole. The powers of the pulling cords are thus read off geometrically from their lengths.
Inclining the body X n y z about pole n
To incline the body X n y z, a cord is fixed at corner X and pulled along the lines a X, b X, c X and the rest, corner n staying fixed as pole. The spiritual levers X n, S n, t n, v n and others, set against the material lever n m, give oppositely the power of the motor to the power of the weight.
The arc of right angles struck from the centre on line f n
The line f n holds the centre of the circle from which the drawn arc springs. At the contact of that arc the right angles are generated where the cord f a meets the lever a n, and likewise for the others; a n, b n, c n, d n are different lengths of the balance arm n m, with 8 libbre at m.
