Carpentry and Woodworking - Counterweight Questions (Catapult)
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smitypanda
04-28-08, 07:31 PM
Hey, I realize this might not be a completely appropriate place for a catapult questions, but please bear with me.
I have built a catapult built like this:
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5643/catapultsketchyb9.png
Someone I know is saying that this is a counterweight:
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/5206/catapultsketchedad9.png
I don't completely agree, because what this person says is that anything that "the hurling arm of the catapult must be attached at its base to the catapult's base, because if it is attached at any point other than the base, i.e above the base, it then has a counterweight and is no longer a catapult"
I'm pretty sure that since the bungee cord is part of the hurling arm that it is still attached at the base, and is not a counterweight.
Do you agree with me: Person A, or Person B (who thinks it is a counterweight)
-Thanks,
SmityPanda
EDIT: I just wanted to remind you that you pull down on the catapult's arm on the side that has the cup in order to fire it.
I have built a catapult built like this:
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/5643/catapultsketchyb9.png
Someone I know is saying that this is a counterweight:
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/5206/catapultsketchedad9.png
I don't completely agree, because what this person says is that anything that "the hurling arm of the catapult must be attached at its base to the catapult's base, because if it is attached at any point other than the base, i.e above the base, it then has a counterweight and is no longer a catapult"
I'm pretty sure that since the bungee cord is part of the hurling arm that it is still attached at the base, and is not a counterweight.
Do you agree with me: Person A, or Person B (who thinks it is a counterweight)
-Thanks,
SmityPanda
EDIT: I just wanted to remind you that you pull down on the catapult's arm on the side that has the cup in order to fire it.
nap
04-28-08, 08:17 PM
your friend is correct
I do not know the proper technical terms for the parts of the machine so bare with me on that.
what you have is not a catapult. It is a trebuchet, although a poorly designed one as the throwing arm and the pulling lever (the part you are asking about) are reversed in size from what they should be.
a catapult does not have this pulling lever but merely pivots at the base of the throwing arm.
a trebuchet generally uses a rope on the end of the hurling arm to increase length of the hurling arm and therefore providing a greater throwing distance.
I do not know the proper technical terms for the parts of the machine so bare with me on that.
what you have is not a catapult. It is a trebuchet, although a poorly designed one as the throwing arm and the pulling lever (the part you are asking about) are reversed in size from what they should be.
a catapult does not have this pulling lever but merely pivots at the base of the throwing arm.
a trebuchet generally uses a rope on the end of the hurling arm to increase length of the hurling arm and therefore providing a greater throwing distance.
Speedwrench
04-28-08, 08:17 PM
some medival catpults had counterweights.woops I had forgotton about them I am wrong
smitypanda
04-29-08, 02:21 PM
What I'm really wondering is if the piece that I drew the red box around really is a counterweight. It doesn't matter if the catapult is a trebuchet or not, only if the piece is a counterweight.
nap
04-29-08, 02:27 PM
I guess this school question is just to tough for me. Sorry.