The Trebuchet

By: BETSY CONGDON

Origins• China

-5th to 3rd century BC

-Traction Trebuchet

• Arab influence-Counterweight-Influence in expansion

Pictures: L to R Cairo, Experimental, Experimental

In Europe

Reached in approximately 500AD

Origin of the name Engineer

Origin of the word Trebuchet

Scale WellPicture: T to B Grey, Castellan

An Adaptation of the Past

Catapult Comparison

Traction-Hybrid-Counterweight

The Mechanical Improvements

Sling LengthPicture: Grey

History of Reconstruction

• Napoleon III• No surviving Trebuchets• Modern knowledge based on texts and

reconstructions• Arab resources

Pictures: L to R Arabesque, Experimental

Trebuchets

Pictures: L to R Castlewales, RP Gamer, NFO, GW Warmaster

Power!

Human v. Gravity Distances The Counterweight

Pictures: Grey, Grey

How Did it Work?

Objects Thrown Long turn over time Balances:

-Counterweight-Projectile Weight-Throwing arm length-Angle of release

Picture: David

Stages of Motion

• Loading• Setting

Counterweight• Release Trigger• Release of Object• Rocking Motion• Reset

Picture: Trebuchet

Parts of a Trebuchet“If a sling is made very much too short-roughly half

of its proper length-the rock will go straight up. If this should occur the correct response is to run away very fast.”- Tom Bullock

Beam

Frame

Sling

Counterweight

Trigger

Cannon Kills Trebuchet

Hernan Cortes- 1521

Picture: Colonial

Other Resources

My Personal Page Make your own Trebuchet Trebuchet T-Shirts Scientific American Article And More Links!

Sources“Trebuchet.” www.wikipedia.org. A wikimedia project. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trebuchet.

Jan 22, 2005

“Experimental Rconstruction of a Medieval Trebuchet.” The Medieval Centre Siege Engines. Dr. Peter Vemming Hansen. 1992. www.Middelaldercentret.dk/acta.html

“Medieval Siege.” Nova Online. PBS. January 2000. www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/trebuchet.

“Trebuchet:Some Experiments with Trebuchets.” Tom Bullock. January 22, 2005. www.tbullock.com/trebuchet.html

The Grey Company Trebuchet Page. The Grey Company. April 2004. http://members.iinet.net.au/~rmine/bctrebs.html

“The Trebuchet.” Scientific American Magazine. Scientific American Online Archives. July 1995. www.sciamarchive.org

Pictureswww.2md.dk/gw-warmaster/images/engines_of_war_and_seige/

www.bamsoftware.com/trebuchet

www.college.emory.edu/culpepper/Bakewell/period.hml

www.leidenuniv.nl/fsw/band/sinai/culture/CairoCitadel/cairocitadel.html

www.fordham.edu/history/smail/1300/images_and _texts/06-Trebuchet.htm

www.shjmuseum.gov.ae/museums/islamic/islam_arab.htm

www.physics.sfasu.edu/astro/courses.egrill.html

www.castlewales.com/trebuchet.html

www.rpgamer.com/games/other/pc/sbane/sbaneart.html

http://Nfo.edu/trebuche.htm