1piece keeps the ends of the bow distended, and
is placed a cubit distant from
the head of the bellows; the ends of this piece are mortised into the ends
of the bow and are joined and glued to them; its length without the tenons
is a foot, and its width a palm and two digits. There are, besides, two other
very small pieces glued to the head of the bellows and to the lower board,
and fastened to them by wooden pegs covered with glue, and they are three
palms and two digits long, one palm high, and a digit thick, one half being
slightly cut away. These pieces keep the ends of the bow away from the
hole in the bellows-head, for if they were not there, the ends, forced inward
by the great and frequent movement, would be broken.
the head of the bellows; the ends of this piece are mortised into the ends
of the bow and are joined and glued to them; its length without the tenons
is a foot, and its width a palm and two digits. There are, besides, two other
very small pieces glued to the head of the bellows and to the lower board,
and fastened to them by wooden pegs covered with glue, and they are three
palms and two digits long, one palm high, and a digit thick, one half being
slightly cut away. These pieces keep the ends of the bow away from the
hole in the bellows-head, for if they were not there, the ends, forced inward
by the great and frequent movement, would be broken.
The leather is of ox-hide or horse-hide, but that of the ox is far preferable
to that of the horse. Each of these hides, for there are two, is three and a
half feet wide where they are joined at the back part of the bellows. A
long leathern thong is laid along each of the bellows-boards and each of the
bows, and fastened by T-shaped iron nails five digits long; each of the
horns of the nails is two and a half digits long and half a digit wide. The
hide is attached to the bellows-boards by means of these nails, so that a horn
of one nail almost touches the horn of the next; but it is different with the
bows, for the hide is fastened to the back piece of the bow by only two nails,
and to the two long pieces by four nails. In this practical manner they put
ten nails in one bow and the same number in the other. Sometimes when the
smelter is afraid that the vigorous motion of the bellows may pull or tear
the hide from the bows, he also fastens it with little strips of pine by means of
another kind of nail, but these strips cannot be fastened to the back pieces of
the bow, because these are somewhat bent. Some people do not fix the
hide to the bellows-boards and bows by iron nails, but by iron screws,
screwed at the same time through strips laid over the hide. This method
of fastening the hide is less used than the other, although there is no doubt
that it surpasses it in excellence.
to that of the horse. Each of these hides, for there are two, is three and a
half feet wide where they are joined at the back part of the bellows. A
long leathern thong is laid along each of the bellows-boards and each of the
bows, and fastened by T-shaped iron nails five digits long; each of the
horns of the nails is two and a half digits long and half a digit wide. The
hide is attached to the bellows-boards by means of these nails, so that a horn
of one nail almost touches the horn of the next; but it is different with the
bows, for the hide is fastened to the back piece of the bow by only two nails,
and to the two long pieces by four nails. In this practical manner they put
ten nails in one bow and the same number in the other. Sometimes when the
smelter is afraid that the vigorous motion of the bellows may pull or tear
the hide from the bows, he also fastens it with little strips of pine by means of
another kind of nail, but these strips cannot be fastened to the back pieces of
the bow, because these are somewhat bent. Some people do not fix the
hide to the bellows-boards and bows by iron nails, but by iron screws,
screwed at the same time through strips laid over the hide. This method
of fastening the hide is less used than the other, although there is no doubt
that it surpasses it in excellence.
Lastly, the head of the bellows, like the rest of the body, consists of two
boards, and of a nozzle besides. The upper board is one cubit long, one and a
half palms thick. The lower board is part of the whole of the lower bellowsÂ
board; it is of the same length as the upper piece, but a palm and a digit
thick. From these two glued together is made the head, into which, when it
has been perforated, the nozzle is fixed. The back part of the head, where
it is attached to the rest of the bellows-body, is a cubit wide, but three palms
forward it becomes two digits narrower. Afterward it is somewhat cut
away so that the front end may be rounded, until it is two palms and as
many digits in diameter, at which point it is bound with an iron ring three
digits wide.
boards, and of a nozzle besides. The upper board is one cubit long, one and a
half palms thick. The lower board is part of the whole of the lower bellowsÂ
board; it is of the same length as the upper piece, but a palm and a digit
thick. From these two glued together is made the head, into which, when it
has been perforated, the nozzle is fixed. The back part of the head, where
it is attached to the rest of the bellows-body, is a cubit wide, but three palms
forward it becomes two digits narrower. Afterward it is somewhat cut
away so that the front end may be rounded, until it is two palms and as
many digits in diameter, at which point it is bound with an iron ring three
digits wide.
The nozzle is a pipe made of a thin plate of iron; the diameter in front is
three digits, while at the back, where it is encased in the head of the bellows,
it is a palm high and two palms wide. It thus gradually widens out, especially
at the back, in order that a copious wind can penetrate into it; the whole
nozzle is three feet long.
three digits, while at the back, where it is encased in the head of the bellows,
it is a palm high and two palms wide. It thus gradually widens out, especially
at the back, in order that a copious wind can penetrate into it; the whole
nozzle is three feet long.