Syringe Enginefrom Besson.

317

Chap. 7.]

from the following figure, No. 143. It is described in Besson’s “ Thea-tre,” and must therefore have been invented previous to 1568, the date ofthe permission to print bis Work.

No. 143. Syringe Engine from Besson. A. D. 1568.

“ Proposition De L’Autheur :—Artifice autant singulier (comme je“ pense) que non point commun, pourjecter l’eau contre un grand feu,“ mesmement lors que pour la grandeur de la flamme, nul ne peut entrer“ nj approcher de la maison qui brusle. Declaration de la mesme figure :“ Cest instrument, qui est faict en forme de Cone, se soustient sur deux“ Roues : ayant sa bouche tournee vers le septentrion : et aupres de sa“ base il y a des demi cercles, qui servent a l’hausser, au baisser, d’avan-“ tage vers sa dicte boucbe septentrionale est un Entonnoir, pour y verser“ l’eau dedans: et en sa base, ou bien partie meridionale, est une vis, dont“ est pousse dedans et recule un Baston auquel sont des Estouppes, ainsi“ qu’aux siringues. Le reste appert.”

In reading the above, it should be remembered that letters of referenceto designate the different parts of machines were not then in general use,but the sides and angles of the pages were marked with various points ofthe compass; and particular parts pointed out by their position with re-gard to these, and by the intersection of lines drawn between them. Inthis engine several defects of the “ hand squirts” are avoided ; as the ne-cessity of inverting the instrument to refill it by plunging the nozzle intothe vessel of water, the small quantity contained in the former, and theconsequently incessant repetition of the Operation and interruption of thejet, and the difflculty of directing it on the flames with certainty or preci-sion. Besson, (if he was the inventor,) therefore, greatly enlarged thecapacity of the cylinder, making it sufflcient to contain a barrel, or more ;and as a matter of necessity, placed it on a carriage. To eject the wateruniformly, he moved the piston by a screw; and when the cylinder wasemptied, it was refilled through the funnel by an attendant, as the pistonwas drawn back by reversing the motion of the crank. When recharged,the stop cock in the pipe of the funnel was closed and the liquid forcedout as before. As flexible pipes of leather, the “ ball and socket” and“ goose-neck” joints had not been introduced, some mode of changingthe direction of the jet of this enormous syringe was necessary. To effectthis, it is represented as suspended on pivots, which rest in two uprightposts: to these are secured (see figure) two semicircular Straps of iron,whose centres coincide with the axis, or pivots, on which the syringeturns. A number of holes are made in each, and are so arranged as to beopposite each other. A bolt is passed through two of these, and alsothrough a similar hole, in a piece of metal, that is firmly secured to theUpper part of the open end of the cylinder; and thus holds the latter in