How does a mangonel work?

Answer 1

The design of the scorpion, which they now call the onager, is as follows. Two beams of oak or holm-oak are fashioned and given a moderate curvature so that they seem to bulge into humps, and the beams are connected as in a frame saw, having quite large holes bored in each side; between these beams, through the holes, powerful ropes are stretched, preventing the structure from falling apart.

From the middle of the cords a wooden arm rises at an angle and, being set upright in the manner of a yoke-pole, is so inserted in the twists of sinew that it can be raised higher and lowered; to its tip iron hooks are fastened, from hangs a sling of two or iron. A huge buffer is padded in front of the arm, a sack stuffed with fine chaff, secured by strong binding. The engine is placed on piles of turf or brick platforms. You see, if put on a stone wall, a mass of this sort smashes whatever it finds underneath because of the violent recoil, not its weight.

When it comes to combat, a round stone is put in the sling and four young stalwarts on each side, by pulling rearwards the bars to which the withdrawal ropes are connected, draw the arm down almost horizontal; finally, when all this has been done, and only then, the master artilleryman, standing loftily beside it, strikes the pin, which secures the ropes of the whole machine, with a heavy hammer; whereupon the arm, released by the sharp blow and meeting the softness of the sack, projects the stone which will smash whatever it hits.

It is called a torsion engine because its whole power is derived from torsion, and scorpion because it has an upraised sting; modern times have also applied the name of onager to it because wild asses, when hunted in the chase, throw up stones so high behind their backs by kicking that they penetrate the chests or their pursuers or actually break their bones and smash their skulls.

Answer 2

The Mangonel - Missiles were launched from a bowl-shaped bucket at the end of the one giant arm of the Mangonel

i got the answer from : http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/catapults.htm

if you look up mangonel on google images you may be able to understand

That answer is a little terrible, so here is a better one:

The mangonel works by using the powers of torsion. The rope is wrapped in a special way, which is kind of hard to explain, but basically the rope which holds the arm is twisted so that the mangonel's arm is constantly being forced forward. A winch is used to pull back the mangonel, and the projectile is put into the bucket, which is on the arm. The mangonel's arm is then released, and the arm shoots forward, thanks to the rope, and the shot flies out.

Answer 3

Bundles of rope would be help together by a piece of wood. When this wood was released the force of the rope would prepel the lever.

Answer 4

One has a Spoon and the other has a sling