Model of a Ballista

Working model of a catapult. The body is a framework with two cheeks, on which a bumper with a cushion is attached. The ladle hangs with its lower end loose between two strands of rope. In the lowered position, the ladle is secured with a pin, and the rope can then be tensioned by rotating it with a handspoke and a ratchet against the cheeks; when the ladle is released, it swings upward and is stopped in a vertical position by the bumper.