Swinging | The Trebuchet
January 31, 2010 – 7:31 am
The trebuchet and catapult were both awesome siege machines in their day. However, the trebuchet was often the heaviest siege weapon and was called the “Big Bertha”. Not surprisingly, there’s a good chance this was where the phrase “Big Bertha” took front and center. In all likelihood it was for good reason…it took a lot of men and a lot more effort to build a trebuchet in the medievel times.
The trebuchet is built as either a fixed counterweight or a free counterweight design. On most of the ancient trebuchets, a swinging bucket allowed the weight to fall more vertically and was naturally more efficient in converting the vertical motion into the rotational motion of a throw. The trebuchet also differed from other siege engines in its day because it did not rely on twisting or bending to generate its power. Whereas to build and hurl objects with a catapult, mangonel or ballista required serious, repeated twisting of heavy rope, the trebuchet used a swing beam that pivoted on an axle mounted between two tall timber frames that were secured by timbers attached to a base. The swing beam’s longer end was fitted with a sling; and suspended from its rear (lower) end was a huge heavily built box that was filled with stones or sand.
The upper portion of the swing beam (or swing arm) was drawn down by a block and tackle and windlass until it had reached an almost horizontal position. At that point a trigger was released on the swing lever and the tremendous weight of the box of stones or sand whipped the beam upright, causing the sling to be drawn upward in an arc path and ultimately heave the projectile far into the air towards a target.
The fixed counterweight trebuchet did not have a bucket. Instead, they operated with only a heavy weight attached to the end. The falling motion of the counterweight tended to topple the trebuchet. The addition of wheels served to counter this force and as the counterweight fell, the trebuchet machine rolled forward, permitting the counterweight to fall more vertically.
Following significant technological advancement over the last several centuries, a new modern age trebuchet design delivers a more efficient method of weight transfer and generates far more power. It’s called the “fulcrum on wheels” design. It uses a counterweight that releases directly downward along a wheel track. Too bad for the great pillagers and attacking commanders of medieval times…they would have salivated over this Trebuchet design. You can see how much is to build a trebuchet at the “howtomakeatrebuchet.com website. They offer free plans and video for the 309 model trebuchet.
To learn how to build your own backyard trebuchet model quickly and easily, visit the Trebuchet website. They offer one of the most popular trebuchet plans online (model 309), along with Free step-by-step video plans and instruction that even a novice can follow. This trebuchet plan package is not available anywhere else online.
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