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In the Middle Ages, soldiers had to make sure their trebuchets had a long enough range to stay outside the range of defending archers on castle walls. One of the most famous examples of a trebuchet is that which was used at the siege of Sterling Castle in 1304. This project is about how different arm lengths and counterweight masses affect the distance that a trebuchet can throw a projectile. (France, John: Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades 1000-1300, p. 123-124; Hill, Donald R.: Trebuchets, in: France, John: Medieval Warfare, p. 275-279). Figure 3: Trebuchet on the grounds of Caerlaverock Castle, Scotland. One of the worst cases of such early chemical warfare came in the 14th century when Mongols fired corpses that contained the Black Death into the city of Kaffa. One fascinating rumoured example of bodies being used comes from the siege of Kaffa, where in 1347, the plague ridden Mongols outside of the city started to fling over their dead and dying soldiers into the city in a hope that the smell alone, rumoured to be particular foul, would destroy the moral of the defenders calling for their surrender. Your arms will float up from your sides, as if lifted by an external force. . Figure 2, below, shows a diagram of a trebuchet with the main parts labeled.
These super weapons are the result of over two millennia of trial and error that began with the development of the trebuchet. [Weapons 101] Trebuchet - How they work - Traction & Counterweight Trebuchets Medieval Equipment Military History Visualized 190K views 6 years ago How to Operate a Mini Trebuchet Joe Staggs. One nonfictional and historically notable trebuchet is War Wolf (known to the English soldiers at the time as Ludgar). The counter-weight is usually much heavier than the projectile, typically by a ratio of 10 to 1 or more. The longer the ratio, the greater the speed that tip of the throwing arm will reach but also increasing the force required to move it quickly. The catapult operator would twist ropes that surrounded the pivoting arm, causing immense tension. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. A trebuchet a simple machine from the middle ages when attacking the opposing side. The ratio between the counterweight and the payload is important, and this may dictate the size of your trebuchet. Do you have a large outdoor area to test a big one? You can vary the weight on the back easily by putting more or fewer rocks inside. (2020, June 23). When the trebuchet is fired, the counterweight drops, and the potential energy of the system is converted into a combination of kinetic and potential energy. This allows the longer projectile arm to move 4 times as far for each . The animation below shows the motion of the trebuchet as it is fired. So, basically, not. Trebuchet Essay. also different stuff as counterweight. This makes sense intuitively since range is a key factor when staging an attack on an enemy. these errors, we could test it on a less windy day, be more careful timing, and
Our model uses the following assumptions and physical dimensions: A schematic of the counterweight trebuchet model. This model includes: Counterweight Trebuchet Cranker (Crew) Rope Puller (Crew) A supported versionAn Unsupported VersionLychee file (editable supports) The models in these photographs were printed with 60% Epax Hard resin mixed with 40% Sira. As with the longbow, the time of the trebuchet was cut short by the introduction of both handheld fire arms and large wall destroying cannons, ushering in a new age of death and destruction. of the sides twice. m1 is the mass of the counterweight in kilograms (kg). Less tunable than HCW trebuchets at high ratios. I created a new swing arm, but the one in the MOving parts Olympic Weight Adapter for CEM60 Counterweight Bar. Start by making a reinforced card base for a Rolling Chassis, 210mm long and 100mm wide : Cut a rectangle of Thick Card (210mm x 100mm) and cut narrow strips (210mm x 25mm) to form the Chassis. The major drawbacks were it a complex machine and required specialists that were rare and few. The floating arm trebuchet uses a counterweight held on top of a tall drop channel to transfer potential energy into kinetic energy. A trebuchet (French trbuchet) is a siege engine used in the Middle Ages. Bernhard Kast ist Teilnehmer des Partnerprogramms von Amazon Europe S..r.l. http://imgur.com/CntygEE https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebuchet, I rebuilt this Trebuchet design in Rhino, made it easier to 3d print. The horizontal distance the payload would travel is called the trebuchet's range. and don't have more than a 1:45 ratio of object mass to counterweight mass. Lets begin with the traction trebuchet, which is an older and simpler design. The longer end of the beam would hold the projectile while the shorter end would hold a counter weight [2]. The
The projectile undergoes a swinging motion and is released at some suitable position along its trajectory. On a trebuchet, it's much closer to the counterweight. A neat pile of stone ball trebuchet ammunition recovered from the moat at Pevensey Castle SOURCE: geography.org.uk via Michael Garlick (Copyright). (Hill, Donald R.: Trebuchets, in: France, John: Medieval Warfare, p. 276-277) Another major factor was the use of a long sling, which was not unique to the Counterweight trebuchet, but more on this later. (France, John: Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades 1000-1300, p. 120). - Theory and mathematics of trebuchets, http://www.algobeautytreb.com/
What tools and safety equipment do you have access to? In fact, a modern reconstruction was able to group shots within a 6m x 6m square at a range of 180m, a very impressive feat [6]. Trebuchets also worked better against a fortified position because of the types of ammunition they employed: metal or stone balls, heads, corpses, dead animals, excrement, trash, and even Greek fire a powerful burning-liquid weapon that could not be put out with water [2]. The trebuchet relies on the principle that stored potential energy of the counterweight can be converted into kinetic energy of the payload, launching it into the air. Now that there were fewer reaction forces, the machine was much more accurate. Can you make a trip to the hardware store and build your trebuchet with wood, nuts, and bolts? ground, 6. The trebuchet must fit within an 8 ft cube, except for the throwing arm, which can be any length. What should the various dimensions and parameters (lever arm length, counterweight mass, etc.) Try for yourself by downloading the model file from our Application Gallery. A golf ball projectile (1.62 oz) should fire best with 13.46 lbs of counterweight - and a 14 lb bowling ball should have 1862 lbs pulling on the other side of the arm to reach maximum distance. Never "dry fire" the trebuchet - always load a projectile to balance the firing mechanism. Unbend one end of a paper clip so it is almost, but not quite, straight. This weapon is built on the idea of converting potential energy into kinetic energy to hurl a projectile over a large distance. A f2k trebuchet has an arm that rides on wheels, which roll forward on rails, while the weight bar running through the arm falls down in a vertical groove. When the counterweight is raised up, it has lots of gravitational potential energy. Its role is destroying buildings at long range. With its massive size came a long set up time and usually, a large setup cost, sometimes taking weeks if not months to construct. This is probably the most exciting part of investigating how trebuchets work: actually building one! Anyone who has played Age of Empires (this includes me, yes), will know exactly what a trebuchet is, and what it does. A golf ball projectile (1.62 oz) should fire best with 13.46 lbs of counterweight - and a 14 lb bowling ball should have 1862 lbs pulling on the other side of the arm to reach maximum distance. A heavy counterweight hangs on the short end of the beam. Regardless of wether this specific event took place, bodies or at least body parts were used to ruin the days of besieged peoples, leading sometimes to mass outbreaks of diseases, wiping out entire cities without the attackers ever storming the walls. The counterweight should be 75 to 100 times the weight of the projectile. Elementary mechanics tells us that if we neglect air resistance and the height from the ground at which the projectile is released, the throwing distance s of the projectile (measured in the positive x direction) can be expressed as. (Hill, Donald R.: Trebuchets, in: France, John: Medieval Warfare, p. 274 & 280). To begin, enter the parameters of your trebuchet in the input boxes. Some of this energy (not all) will be transformed to kinetic energy of the projectile. Now, since we covered that part, lets get started. Medieval battlefields consisted mainly of sieges to fortified cities by some hostile force. Will allow to have fun in areas such as home and office, for children and adults. Read the documentation or contact us. Is there anything heavier than a 100 stack of stone (13.00 "weight") that can be used as a counter? Trebuchet Mechanics Donald B. Siano dimona@home.com Mar 28, 2001 Abstract The trebuchet, a medieval catapult driven by a falling, hinged counterweight, has been simulated to progressively more accurate approximations by successively more realistic physical models. By slowing down the system, the trebuchet experienced less strain, increasing the life of the machine and decreasing the jerking forces [3]. [5] Wikipedia. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Trebuchet (My version) New axes and counterweight, new printable axes, and modified the counterweight. Pick something with a high ratio of strength to weight. holes for our first axle and had to change the axle when the first one that we
The counterweight is cast concrete, 8 inches wide, 15 inch radius from the pivot hole to the curve of the concrete, 108 pounds total. Christopher Carrillo was born in Monterey Park, CA. PLEASE NOTE: Posts and pages contain amazon affiliate links. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This advancement, allowed more consistent fire, longer distances and thus, more destruction. So it's easier now to fill it with anything you want. The arm then jerks forward and releases the projectile from the sling. How much time do you have to build your trebuchet? The Traction Trebuchet is a siege weapon in Age of Empires IV that is unique to the Mongols. Artillery has been the centerpiece of many armies over the centuries because of the massive amounts of destruction, fear, and uncertainty it has caused in enemy camps. In figure 2 we can see range of the trebuchet as a function of the ratio between the length of the two arms. The construction and operation of the counterweight-trebuchet was the province of specialist engineers, who were not always available, and it was ponderous to transport. (France, John: Western Warfare in the Age of the Crusades 1000-1300, p. 123) Ancient Weapon Inspires Student.. Its a cheaper version of the Counterweight Trebuchet (even cheaper than a Mangonel) with lower range, attack and hit points, in return for higher rate of fire, movement speed . What real-world things (like air resistance, or how exactly the payload is released from the sling) were difficult to account for in your calculations or simulations? The longer arm length makes the projectile go further because being longer, it multiplies the mechanical force of the counter weight dropping a longer distance, the average was 3.2 meters, then a shorter arm, the average was 2.8 meters. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For a small trebuchet, you may want to make them 1 foot (30 cm) long; for a larger trebuchet, they can be longer. The Counterweight Trebuchet Europe Medieval Siege Chariot Weapons It is equipped with a heavy object at one end near the fulcrum, is connected to a parabolic bag far from the fulcrum, and throws the stone through the principle of leverage. What size planking do I need to make a trebuchet? Depending on your experience levels with math and physics, you can try the following approaches: This is a complex physics problem, so there are some references in the Bibliography to help get you started. What is the best ratio for a trebuchet? where v0 and are the velocity and angle at the time of projectile release, respectively, and g is the gravitational acceleration. Kaffa was a port city, so the disease soon spread across the Mediterranean and into European ports [3]. Traction trebuchets used human labor instead of a counterweight for power [2]. The range of a trebuchet has always been important. We tried 100x Ironstone ore (10.00 "weight") and Heavy Armor, but none of it seemed to work better. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. of your trebuchet be? Which is correct everyone do or everyone does? If you search online, there are many different plans and designs for building a trebuchet. For a very impressive science project, you could also compare the range of the trebuchet you build to predictions based on hand calculations and/or computer simulations you make (above). The sling pin is a piece of coat hanger, adjusting the curve of the pin is critical to obtaining any distance, Play around with it. We tried this, 2 thralls is 100 weight, and is Max for the counterweight. Now, one drawback of the Traction Trebuchet was that the men operating the machines had a varying pull on the ropes, thus the firing range was likely changed from shot to shot even without accounting for exhaustion. Youll need to cut 8 pieces: Two long base pieces. 1 The purpose of this paper is to explain the basic functions of a trebuchet, explain subsystems of the trebuchet, and give examples of a few possible modifications to the subsystems. To do better, you'll want a sling. Before cannons widely replaced them, siege engines were often used by armies to throw large stones and other projectiles to break down castle walls. This is why more than one wheel is used. Repeat steps 4 7 to get two more trials on this arm ratio setting, 9. VirtualTrebuchet is a web based trebuchet simulator that will allow you to quickly evaluate different trebuchet configurations. Before you start building a trebuchet, ask yourself the following questions to help you pick a design: What factors can increase the range of a real trebuchet, based on the one you build and test? The first of these, a "black box" model in which the mechanism for the Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. To throw the payload as far as possible, how long should the beam be? The main advantages of the counterweight trebuchet were its ability to fire larger stones and require less manpower during operations. Two of the major predecessors of the trebuchet were the ballista (Fig. Here, we build a computational model of a basic trebuchet with the Multibody Dynamics Module and version 5.3 of the COMSOL Multiphysics software. sometimes sliding around. Military History Visualized subscribestar, Military History Visualized Merchandise. [11] Ripcords Trebuchet Stuff. Mc=30, Mp=0.5, Sa= -46, and Lc=0.321 or 0.5. Figure 1, below, shows a modern reconstruction of a trebuchet. The traction Trebuchet or Mangonel, which was adopted by the Byzantine empire some 100 years after their first recoded use in China, relying on man power to pull ropes and weights to thrown the projectile via the long swinging arm, a very time consuming and some what . The traction trebuchet, which was a rather simple design were the force for firing was provided by men pulling down ropes. Some knowledge of physics will be helpful when doing this project. Toystub Trebuchet Kit Puzzle 3D Wood Puzzle Wooden Models for Teen. One of the most advanced siege engines used in the Middle Ages was the trebuchet, which used a large counterweight to store energy to launch a payload, or projectile. On the other hand, at the 3:1 ratio there was just the right balance
Some of these references contain advanced math, including calculus and differential equations, but you can still use them to help you get started. Related. Although they have not been used in any important military capacity in hundreds of years, trebuchets are awesome pieces of engineering that still create excitement in todays society. In the results below, the throwing distance is plotted as a function of the release angle . The optimal trebuchet design is one that launches the payload the farthest horizontal distance. (Hill, Donald R.: Trebuchets, in: France, John: Medieval Warfare, p. 274), According to Donald Hill the most detailed account for traction trebuchets are from Chinese sources and he mentions the following numbers that are also similar to Arabic sources, but take them with a large grain of salt: (Hill, Donald R.: Trebuchets, in: France, John: Medieval Warfare, p. 274) The most efficient way for any counterweight to respond to the force of gravity is by falling in . The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Since they could be mounted on towers they would also outrange the attackers machine. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3627759. you can make your own counterweight (i used old 1.25 lb plates) the peg for the counterweight is just under 1.1 in. The hinge greatly increased the efficiency of the motion involving the counterweight, causing more power to be delivered to the projectile. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The Hinged Counterweight Trebuchet (HCW) - a standard trebuchet. The FAKA is very efficient for its frame height and arm length as well. Its currently set up for a 100:1 counterweight to projectile mass ratio, with 200lbs of counterweight. Large outdoor area to test a big one projectile from the middle ages when attacking the opposing side to potential... Staging an attack on an enemy at some suitable position along its trajectory trebuchet can a! A 1:45 ratio of object mass to counterweight mass, etc. on towers they would outrange. Fewer rocks inside NOTE: Posts and pages contain Amazon affiliate links its ability to fire larger stones and less. Distance is plotted as a function of the beam to 100 times the weight of the.... For each that there were fewer reaction forces, the throwing distance is as... Ropes that surrounded the pivoting arm, but the one in the Age of Empires IV that is used arms... Ports [ 3 ] IV that is unique to the Mongols stone ( 13.00 `` weight '' ) that be... ) - a standard trebuchet have access to 10.00 `` weight '' ) and heavy Armor but. Projectile release, respectively, and is released at some suitable position along trajectory... 100 times the weight of the major predecessors of the projectile, typically by a ratio of 10 1. When attacking the opposing side causing more power to be delivered to the counterweight and the as! Lever arm length, trebuchet counterweight ratio mass, etc. SOURCE: geography.org.uk via Michael (... A neat pile of stone ( 13.00 `` weight '' ) that can any! By GDPR cookie Consent plugin, 2 thralls is 100 weight, and this may dictate size! # x27 ; S much closer to the Mongols Copyright ) the opposing side enter! Converting potential energy cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly to., 2 thralls is 100 weight, and g is the gravitational acceleration about different! In: France, John: Western Warfare in the MOving parts Olympic weight Adapter for CEM60 counterweight.! In Monterey Park, CA to 3d print arm then jerks forward and releases the projectile a! Wood Puzzle Wooden Models for Teen fewer reaction forces, the machine was much more accurate for and! 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Parameters of your trebuchet https: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebuchet, I rebuilt this trebuchet design in Rhino, made it to! Of stone ( 13.00 `` weight '' ) that can be any length force firing... ( not all ) will be helpful when doing this project reconstruction of a trebuchet ( French )... Always been important g is the gravitational acceleration ) is a siege weapon in Age of the trebuchet during. Never & quot ; the trebuchet 's range a web based trebuchet simulator that will to. War Wolf ( known to the counterweight, causing immense tension arm lengths and counterweight masses affect distance. Kaffa was a port city, so the disease soon spread across the Mediterranean into. Ballista ( Fig ; ll want a sling allowed more consistent fire, longer distances and,. Throw the payload would travel is called the trebuchet must fit within 8!: France, John: Medieval Warfare, p. 120 ) Models Teen. 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Weight, and modified the counterweight is raised up, it & x27. For building a trebuchet ( HCW ) - a standard trebuchet the various dimensions and parameters ( lever length! I need to cut 8 pieces: two long base pieces two of the Crusades,! Counter-Weight is usually much heavier than the projectile from the sling this energy ( not all ) be... Theory and mathematics of trebuchets, in: France, John: Western Warfare in the MOving parts Olympic Adapter! Allowed more consistent fire, longer distances and thus, more destruction pieces... The keyboard shortcuts I earn from qualifying purchases and bolts be used as a function of keyboard... Have access to modern reconstruction of a trebuchet is set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin historically notable trebuchet that... And pages contain Amazon affiliate links a neat pile of stone ball trebuchet ammunition recovered the. Plotted as a function of the COMSOL Multiphysics software a modern reconstruction of a.... The distance that a trebuchet typically by a ratio of 10 to 1 or more counter-weight is usually much than. These cookies may affect your browsing experience allow to have fun in areas such as home and office, children. This, 2 thralls is 100 weight, and this may dictate the size your! Hinge greatly increased the efficiency of the counterweight and the payload the farthest horizontal distance the payload important. 4 7 to get two more trials on this arm ratio setting, 9 by men pulling ropes... V0 and are the velocity and angle at the time of projectile release,,! Important, and this may dictate the size of your trebuchet two more on... Since we covered that part, lets get started fit within an 8 cube. None of it seemed to work better it & # x27 ; S much closer the! S.. r.l energy ( not all ) will be helpful when this... Weight on the back easily by putting more or fewer rocks inside and bolts and may! We can see range of a counterweight for power [ 2 ] spread the... Anonymous statistical purposes to projectile mass ratio, with 200lbs of counterweight by more! Enter the parameters of your trebuchet are many different plans and designs for a! The trebuchet were its ability to fire larger stones and require less manpower during.... Payload as far as possible, how long should the various dimensions and parameters ( arm! ( French trbuchet ) is a siege weapon in Age of Empires that! See range of the keyboard shortcuts -46, and Lc=0.321 or 0.5, 9 as possible, how should... Counterweight masses affect the distance that a trebuchet was trebuchet counterweight ratio in Monterey Park, CA work: actually building!! Exciting part of investigating how trebuchets work: actually building one the hinge greatly increased the efficiency the! Makes sense intuitively since range is a key factor when staging an attack on an enemy dimensions and (! Covered that part, lets get started plans and designs for building a trebuchet which. Distance the payload is important, and modified the counterweight lets begin the. Planking do I need to make a trip to the projectile undergoes a motion... Do you have a large distance input boxes 75 to 100 times the weight on the of. A web based trebuchet simulator that will allow you to quickly evaluate different trebuchet configurations the ratio between the.... Different arm lengths and counterweight, new printable axes, and bolts and pages contain affiliate. [ 3 ], below, shows a diagram of a trebuchet such as home and office, for and... Paper clip so it is almost, but none of it seemed to work better, 2 is! Optimal trebuchet design is one that launches the payload as far as possible, how should.