Instruments & Innovation

Fig. 152: Wooden ball filled with hand grenades.
Fig. 153: Fireball composed of fireballs.
Fig. 154: Wooden ball filled with fiery rain.
Fig. 155: Military light balls.
Fig. 156: "Death's head" fireball.
Fig. 157:…

Fig. 201: Outward appearance of Bacchus set piece.

Fig. 34: Technique for choking rocket cases with a turning wooden sheave.
Fig. 35: Tool for choking large rocket cases.
Fig. 36: Tool to form a round cavity in the neck of a rocket case choked with the tool in figure…

Figs. 207-210: Fire crowns.
Fig. 211: Fire hoop.
Figs. 212-215: Pyrotechnic cylinders.
Fig. 216: Wooden bar with iron spikes.
Fig. 217: Fire sack over bar from figure 216.
Fig. 218: Fire sack.
Figs. 219 and 220:…

Figs. 48-53 and 55-59: Rockets.
Fig. 54: Wooden cylinder filled with corned powder and light balls, inserted in the rocket in figure 50.

Fig. 1: Scale to help calculate caliber.
Fig. 2: Ratio of increase of diameter to circumference.
Fig. 3: Representation of a "Caliber Scale" to calibrate bullets and balls.
Fig. 4: Geometric operations to construct the…

Kazimierz Siemienowicz's treatise was used for over a century as a basic manual on artillery, rocketry, and pyrotechnics. It was originally published in Latin (1650) and was translated into French (1651), German (1676),…

Fig. 11: Principles of balance and unbalance.
Fig. 12: Beam of a balance scale.
Fig. 13: Beam of a steelyard balance.
Fig. 14: Matrass in which to prepare oil of sulfur.
Fig. 15: Plan of a powder magazine.
Fig. 16:…

Fig. 202: Cross-section of the set piece of Fortuna, her body enclosing a single pyrotechnic case (as described in figure 189).

Fig. 204: Outward appearance of fortified castle set piece with diagrams of its inner construction and disposition of pyrotechnics.
Fig. 205: Statue of Mars upon a pedestal for use in public ceremonies of triumph.
Fig.…

Fig. 197: Wooden frame of dragon set piece.
Fig. 198: Disposition of pyrotechnics in the dragon frame.
Fig. 199: Outward appearance of dragon set piece.

Figs. 102 and 103: Projectile fireballs.
Fig. 104: Mortar for projecting fireballs.
Figs. 105 and 106: Paper crackers.
Figs. 107 and 108: Iron crackers.
Figs. 109-111: Hand grenades.
Fig. 112: Hand grenade launcher.…

Figs. 132 and 133: Methods to cut a pattern for spherical fireball bags.
Figs. 134 and 135: Manners of sewing spherical fireball bags.
Figs. 136 and 138-144: Fireballs.
Fig. 137: Fireball with crackers.
Fig. 145: Tools…

Fig. 22: Diagram to determine the dimensions of large rocket molds from smaller ones.
Fig. 23: Rocket mold.
Fig. 24: Mold for cracker fireworks.
Fig. 25: Wooden driver to make paper and canvas rocket cases.
Fig. 26:…

Fig. 175: Pyrotechnic shield or fire wheel.
Fig. 177: Pyrotechnic dagger.
Fig. 178: Fire sword.
Fig. 179: Fire pole.
Figs. 180, 181, and 183: Fire wheels.
Fig. 182: Iron axle for fire wheels.
Figs. 184-186: Pyrotechnic…

Fig. 8: Diagram of a bullet and its diameter.
Fig. 9: Geometric method for finding the diameter of a 1-pound bullet from that of a bullet of several pounds.
Fig. 10: Diagram to help determine the dimensions of…

Fig. 200: Cross-section of the set piece of Bacchus, his body enclosing multiple pyrotechnic cases connected by fuses.

Figs. 77-79: Devices to hang sky rockets.
Figs. 80-88: Floating fireballs.

Figs. 89-92: Floating fireballs.
Figs. 93-95: Bounding fireballs.
Figs. 96-101: Projectile fireballs.

Spectators gather at night around a pyrotechnic fountain crowned with a statue of a child blowing bubbles—a symbol of vanity. A temple (decorated with geometric symbols, weights, measures, and various weapons and…

Fig. 203: Outward appearance of Fortuna set piece.

Fig. 118: Wooden tampions.
Fig. 119: Grenade with vent and bottom turned into female screws.
Fig. 120: Manner of packing a grenade in a mortar.
Fig. 121: Blind grenade.
Figs. 122-126 and 128: Cannon-fired grenades.
Fig.…

Fig. 60: Rocket mounted to a stick.
Figs. 61, 62, 64, 65, and 73-76: Rockets.
Fig. 63: Launching platform for rocket with wings, as in figure 61.
Figs. 66-72: Water rockets.

Fig. 17: Plan of a powder magazine by Eugenio Gentilini.
Fig. 18: A new instrument for measuring gunpowder.
Fig. 19: Sieve.
Figs. 20 and 21: Rocket molds.