Plans For A Chinese Repeating Crossbow3/22/2021
Though the antiquity of the repeating crossbow is so great that the date of its introduction is beyond conjecture, it is to this day carried by Chinese soldiers in the more remote districts of their empire.In the recent war between China and Japan, 1894-95, the repeating crossbow was frequently seen among troops who came from the interior of the first-named country.The interesting and unique feature of this crossbow is its repeating action, which though so crudely simple acts perfectly and enables the crossbowman to discharge ten arrows in fifteen seconds.When bows, and crossbows which shot one bolt at a time, were the usual missive weapons of the Chinese, it is probable that the repeating crossbow was very effective for stopping the rush of an enemy in the open, or for defending fortified positions.
For example, one hundred men with repeating crossbows could send a thousand arrows into their opponents ranks in a quarter of a minute. On the other hand, one hundred men with bows, or with ordinary crossbows that shot only one arrow at a discharge, would not be able to loose more than about two hundred arrows in fifteen seconds. The effect of a continuous stream of a thousand arrows flying into a crowd of assailants-in so short a space as fifteen seconds-would, of course, be infinitely greater than that of only two hundred in the same time, especially as the arrows of barbaric nations were often smeared with poison. The small and light arrow of the comparatively weak Chinese crossbow here described had little penetrative power. For this reason the head of the arrow was sometimes dipped in poison, in order that a slight wound might prove fatal. The impetus of the heavy bolt of the mediaeval European crossbow which had a thick steel bow, was sufficient to destroy life without the aid of such a cruel accessory as poison. The lever is hinged to the stock of the crossbow and its magazine by metal pins, fig. At the moment when the bow-string is thus secured, an arrow falls from the magazine into the groove cut out in front of the notch. An arrow cannot drop from the magazine into the groove till the bow-string is in the notch, fig. When the lever is fully pulled back the trigger pushes the stretched bow-string upwards out of the notch that holds it, B, fig. The trigger works in an upright slot. It has its upper end enlarged to prevent it from dropping out of the slot in which it moves up or down, fig. The trigger, as its lowest extremity is pressed against the surface of the stock by the action of the lever lifts the bow-string out of the notch. By pulling back the lever a little farther than shown in this sketch, the projecting end of the trigger will be pressed against the surface of the stock of the crossbow. The arrow is then discharged and the crossbow returns to the position shown in fig. From this description, it will be understood how simple and rapid is the action of the crossbow. All that need be done to shoot off the arrows contained in its magazine, is to work the lever to and fro as slowly or as quickly as desired.
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