Machines On Vacation... What Are They?

No. 3. raise or lower the drawbridge, or portcullis.
 
# 1 is definitely a grind stone for wheat or gunpowder.
#2 is a horse, or slave driven water pump.
#3 is an elevator for mean critters, no doubt in the coliseum.
 
MozamPete said:
#1 A mill/grind stone of some sort. Looks elaborate so I'm going to guess military and say for grinding gun powder.
#2 I'm thinking a chain bucket line going down into a well, The 'T' piece would of had arms and been horse or ox driven.
#3 Some sort of elevator. 8 man-power (so about 2 hp) with counter weights.
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Pete got it mostly correct
#1 is a mill of sorts but not for gunpowder.
#2 Is spot on, it is a Sakia type well that was powered by donkeys, it's located in the Provence region of France.
#3 is a elevator but of a specific type and location.
 
derf said:
# 1 is definitely a grind stone for wheat or gunpowder.
#2 is a horse, or slave driven water pump.
#3 is an elevator for mean critters, no doubt in the coliseum.
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Derf got #3 exactly right. It's a reproduction of one of the elevators used to raise ferocious beasts to the floor of the Coliseum in Rome.
#2 also correct, as Pete first guessed.
#1 partially correct. but not for wheat or gunpowder. Clue, it's not for anything dry.
 
Since Italy seems to be a common theme, I'd guess #1 is either a grape or olive press.
 
There was a book I read years ago - "Engineering in the Ancient World" by John G. Landels. I see it is now available at https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_l9qBdzRz6SgC

Describes some amazing contraptions that use to be in use - and some ingeniously simple solutions to problems. One that always stuck in my mind was a way to make minor adjustment in the tension on a catapult I think it was. Basically two flanges with different numbers of holes on the same PCD, one fixed and one rotating. You ended up with a vernier type arrangement where by the connecting pin could be removed and a small additional rotation made so the next set of hole align and the pin could be re-inserted. Say you used 6 holes in one flange and 5 then a set of holes align every 12 degrees of rotation. Much easier than having 30 holes on a single PCD to achieve the same adjustment.

Anyway it was a good read and may be of interest to some.
 
Thanks Pete, I just ordered a copy of the book, so I'll soon have my beach read for the remainder of the summer. After seeing first hand what the Romans were able to build, I am now fascinated by ancient technology. In particular, I am obsessed with the animal elevator and I'm thinking of building a working model of it.
 
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