11-26-2012, 05:18 PM
Robert,
Here is an updated drawing of the onager that includes your suggestion of the bowed beams as well as the tapered drum. I've also shown the angled stanchions/crossbeams to illustrate how they provide for increased arm travel. I'm sure that fine tuning and changes to the geometry will yield even greater improvements, but this shows that one can easily get more than the 40-80 degree arc possible with the traditional Payne-Gallwey or Schramm designs. All this with fewer parts, less hardware, and less chance it will try to destroy itself.
More important, as far as historians are concerned, is the fact that it follows the only source we have without inventing or disregarding anything.
Here is an updated drawing of the onager that includes your suggestion of the bowed beams as well as the tapered drum. I've also shown the angled stanchions/crossbeams to illustrate how they provide for increased arm travel. I'm sure that fine tuning and changes to the geometry will yield even greater improvements, but this shows that one can easily get more than the 40-80 degree arc possible with the traditional Payne-Gallwey or Schramm designs. All this with fewer parts, less hardware, and less chance it will try to destroy itself.
More important, as far as historians are concerned, is the fact that it follows the only source we have without inventing or disregarding anything.
P. Clodius Secundus (Randi Richert), Legio III Cyrenaica
"Caesar\'s Conquerors"
"Caesar\'s Conquerors"
