Crossbows?

[Otagiri Tatsuzou]

liangjieming said:

Hehehe, thanks but I can't read Japanese. Could I trouble you to translate just the paragraph 5 for me?

Jieming

Hehehe. I can't either. I just know how to find the pretty pictures.

Here's Google's translation Paragraph 5:
5. In investigation of summary ① last year, it is one kind of bow which has become domestic first excavation example, “弩” part “machine” was discovered. As for this discovery being something which shows the concrete example of the 弩 in ancient times for the first time, when making the actual condition of the weapon of ancient times clear, it became valuable discovery. In addition, as for being excavated from the Italy Osamu castle mark where the 弩 is one of base of Ezo policy, it is possible, to consider as those which have the intended purpose in Ezo subjugation when keeping thinking of the ancient castle fence ruins which again begins this ruins you can call the important data. Whole aspect of the ② SI491 vertical hole house mark became clear, from the fact that it is the burning aspect of several places on the floor face, it became clear for possibility of the atelier to be high. In addition, the tuff is utilized unlike any where also method of making [kamado] is so far discovered. With ③ latest investigation, the vertical hole house mark 3 snapped anew and in order to be piled up, was detected. Among these, as for the SI490 vertical hole house mark one side with approximately 8m and big ones, the wall case of the east side and the south side furthermore the wall case of the north side part the single step is high made at width of approximately 60㎝. As for [kamado] the ashlar of the tuff has been used also this house. The [kamado] shape earthenware which is excavated from the ④ SI490 vertical hole house mark inside the prefecture other than around the Tagajo mark is new excavation, it is thought special ones which do not spread in the general village.


Here's what Google's translation tool makes of the other page I reference:
Google Translation

[liangjieming]

Hehehe, thanks.

This passage gives the dimensions (I think).

****************************
弩 (Machine) form and structure
As for the machine which is portion of the 弩 which is excavated, almost the whole with the bronze make, as an exoskeleton three parts are installed in “the enclosure”. The enclosure when length 6cm side with 3.5cm height 2cm, the arrow is set in the surface, has the groove which is settled, hits against the trigger in “the fang” in order to use the part and the chord which are called the “懸 sword”, and it adjusts two projections which are called “the gazing/hoping mountain” for aiming and the part which it has, furthermore it depends on the gravitation of the chord, it falls “the fang” underpinning, the part which is called “the cow” is installed. This “cow” was scooped out hooked, furthermore it is supported by the upper semi- section of the “懸 sword”, but this comes off by pulling the “懸 sword”, “the fang” and also has become the mechanism which falls. These three parts are installed in “the enclosure” by the iron-made axis which is called “the embolus”, (4 figures).
As for this structure, the righteousness beginning which remains as spot goods 2 (241) there is a year inscription in China, 弩 (the machine) with it is found that basically it is identical.
**********************

弩 is the chinese word for "Nu" (Crossbow)

"three parts are installed in “the enclosure”. The enclosure when length 6cm side with 3.5cm height 2cm"

This statement makes this pretty obvious what they are talking about. The three internal components are housed inside a box-like enclosure which has length 6cm, width 3.5cm and height 2cm. I'd say this is not a siege crossbow trigger but a normal handheld crossbow trigger.

Here's a picture of a scaled replica I made during the construction of a triple-bow arcuballista scaled model showing the 3 internal parts.


This is how it looks like installed.


This is a photograph of an exacavated Northern/Southern Dynasties Period Siege Crossbow Trigger with overall length 39cm (0.39m)


Jieming

[solveig]

Noble Cousins!

Greetings from Solveig! Apparently Japanese archaeologists have been discovering what appear to be remains of Chinese style oyumi in Japan.

www.tt.rim.or.jp/~shr/nl/19995b.html

There are also very recent finds in Korea.

Looking through through stuff a bit more, archaeologists in Miyagi prefecture may have recovered a bronze trigger mechanism.

www.interq.or.jp/orange/masashi-/exca/1999/index.htm

I decided to search web pages for oyomi and the Japanese word for archaeology.

Oops. It looks like I replied to the second page of a discussion, so I most likely have not been as helpful as I had hoped. Oh well. Good luck with your oyumi!

Your Humble Servant
Solveig Throndardottir
Amateur Scholar

[Hosokawa Sanosuke]

actually that was quite helpfull, this is the page I was looking for, anyone have an idea or diagram as to how the bronze firing mechanism works, especially curious about the bottom foreward arm.
thanks

[liangjieming]

Quite simple yet ingenious really. The bottom forward arm is the base that the upper hook (for the bowstring to catch upon) rests on. When the trigger is pulled back, the bottom forward arm drops out of the notch in the trigger piece. This also causes the upper hook to drop and hence release the bowstring.

(see my photograph for details)

Re-corking is the reverse. You pull back on the top lever to bring the catch back up which in turn would cause the bottom forward arm to rotate back into position as well. Then while you hold the top lever back, you push the trigger forward to relock the bottom forward arm in place. You're set.