The Bell of Siena in Motion and a Pile-Driver
The swing of a bell and its clapper, with a weighted pile-driving frame
At the upper right a bell is drawn twice to study its swinging motion and the point where its clapper is hung, identified in the note as the bell of Siena. The lower half shows a tall pyramidal timber frame braced with guy-ropes, a pile-driver whose falling weight is described by its timber sizes and a striking block one braccio thick on each side. A smaller trestle mechanism with fractional figures appears at lower left, and further untranscribed lines in mirror-script run across the top of the sheet.
On this page
Swinging bell of Siena and the hanging of its clapper
The bell is drawn twice, once with the yoke and once with the mouth, to capture the manner of its swing. The note concerns the way it moves and the position at which its clapper is fastened so that it strikes correctly.
Pile-driver with falling weight
A tall four-legged pyramidal frame, roped at the corners, guides a heavy block that is hoisted and dropped to drive piles. The timbers are given as 3 and 2 1/2 ounces, and the striking weight is one braccio thick on each side and 31 high.