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Library/Codex Madrid I/f 14v-f 15r

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Codex Madrid I — f 14v-f 15r

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Biblioteca Nacional de España, Madrid

(In alto figura con le lettere:)

o f, m, n

(Sotto la figura:)

Qui la rota n è quella che disschiava l'una delle vite voltando la guida m. E lo sstrumento f è quello che in detto voltare della sua guida si torcie insieme con quella e esscie colla sua chiave fuori d'un dente fatto a uso di sega. E lla vite di poi si volta liberamente, insino che sson sonate le sue ore. E così similmente, lo sstrumento f va montando insino che perviene visino alla sommità della sua guida, dove trova la vite che llo move farsi alquanto più larga che da ppiè. Onde tocando lo sstrumento f il telaro di sopra colla punta della lieva o, viene a disschiavare la sua chiave, la quale poi si move tanto per la sua cassa, quanto lo ingrossamento della vite la sosspingie. E giunto in capo della vite che lla conduce, essa vite l'abandona, onde essa chiave entra nel prencipio dell'altra vite. E poi ch'è giunta in basso, e che lla lieva m toca terra, essa si dischiava e entra nell'altra vite, come di sopra fece.

(Figure above, with the letters:)

o f, m, n

(Below the figure:)

Here the wheel n is the one that unlocked one of the screws by turning the guide m. And the instrument f is the one that, in this turning of its guide, twists together with it and comes out with its key from a tooth made in the fashion of a saw. And the screw then turns freely, until its hours have been struck. And in the same way, the instrument f goes on rising until it reaches near the top of its guide, where it finds that the screw which moves it becomes somewhat wider than at the foot. Hence, the instrument f, touching the frame above with the point of the lever o, comes to release its key, which then moves along its housing as much as the thickening of the screw pushes it. And once it has reached the head of the screw that guides it, that screw lets it go, so that the key enters the beginning of the other screw. And after it has reached the bottom, and the lever m touches the ground, it releases itself and enters the other screw, as it did above.

Spring-and-screw mechanism with a self-shifting locking key

A key rides worm-screws, releasing and re-engaging as twin coil springs drive the wheel.

Machines & Devices

The large drawing on folio 15r shows an upright frame enclosing two helical springs above a toothed crown wheel with a crank at its base, with a smaller mechanical detail sketched at the left. The accompanying note (text 2) explains how a wheel n unlocks one of the screws by turning a guide m, while an instrument f carrying a key climbs a worm-screw, its key springing out of a saw-shaped tooth so that the screw then turns freely until its hours have been struck. As the key reaches the head of one screw it is let go and passes to the next, and when the lever m touches bottom it releases and re-engages, describing an automatic striking or stepping device. Faint gear sketches and show-through text at the left are not transcribed in the bundle.

On this page

Worm-screw, key and lever release

A wheel n turns a guide m to unlock one of the screws, and the instrument f twists with the guide so its key springs out of a saw-shaped tooth; the screw then turns freely until its hours are struck. As f climbs, the widening screw pushes its key along its housing, and the point of lever o against the upper frame releases it, so that at the head of one screw the key is abandoned and enters the next.

Twin helical springs in an upright frame

The dominant figure is a tall rectangular frame holding two long helical (coil) springs on either side of a central vertical bar, standing over a broad toothed crown wheel driven by a crank at the base. The arrangement is a spring-driven motor of the kind the text's screws and keys govern.

Reader's Edition — described with AI from the e-Leo transcription.