Crossbow tensioner (weapon technology)

The title of this article is ambiguous. For further meanings see crossbow tensioner .

Balester or snapper from the 16th century with steel arch, tensioning device and double cord (Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg), from Meyers Konversationslexikon 1888

A crossbow tensioner , also clamps or grips ( engl. Crossbow tensioner , Russ. Натяжитель арбалета , schw. Armborstspännare ) refers to a mechanical device with a crossbow can be tensioned.

Assistant in cocking the second crossbow of his hunting master. An iron crossbow tensioner on the ground (around 1475).

history

The development history of crossbow tensioners was stronger over time crossbows initiated. After the spread of the crossbows began early in the tenth century, it was not until the late twelfth century that crossbow tensioners were developed. The first variants consisted of simple loops and also "pulley tensioners" with claws that allowed a crossbow to be stretched. In further steps, simple, partly fork-shaped and later double lever systems were used. In the field of riding, the "goat foot" is used to tighten. Crossbow tensioners with winches were also developed, which were called "Cranequin" in the French language. This name carried over to the crossbowmen who were then called "Cranequeniers". The manufacturers of the devices were Armbruster . Later, especially in Germany, crossbow tensioners with cranks and gears were used to enable even greater tensioning forces. Simple lever systems were sometimes directly connected to the crossbows. Because the tensioners were a hindrance when shooting and the devices became larger over time, attachable crossbow tensioners were developed. Auguste Demmin mentions eight different types, some of which are based on the clamping systems:

• Hook crossbow
• Geisenfuss crossbow
• Crank or winch crossbow with tension winch
• Pulley crossbow
• german or gear crossbow
• Stone or ball crossbow
• Running or gutter crossbow
• chinese crossbow (also known as chinese repeating crossbow )

The technique of the crossbow tensioner became unimportant after the crossbows were superseded by firearms in the seventeenth century . Modern crossbows again have crossbow tensioners, which allow very strong crossbows to be tensioned.

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  Crossbow tensioner as a loop around 1500

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  Double-jointed crossbow tensioner as an attachable device

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  Crossbow tensioner as attachable device 1577

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  Attachable crossbow tensioners with ornate decoration 1579

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  Crossbow with double joint crossbow tensioner

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  Crossbow with a rack and pinion tensioner

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  Crossbow with double crank crossbow tensioner

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  modern match crossbow with crossbow tensioner

literature

• Auguste Demmin: The war weapons of history: Of spears, slingshots and swords , BoD - Books on Demand, 2018, ISBN 978-3-96389-002-4 .
• B. Poten: Concise dictionary of the entire military sciences (Sievershausen to zymotic diseases) , with explanatory illustrations, Volume 9, Bielefeld, Velhagen & Klasing, 1880 (online at archive.org)
• Karl T. von Sauer: Outline of the weapon theory , Volume 2, Cotta, 1876
• Holger Richter: The Horn Bow Crossbow: History and Technology , Verlag Angelika Hörnig, 2006, ISBN 978-3-938921-02-9 .

Web links

Commons : Crossbows and their mechanics  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Historical crossbow tensioner circa 1725 (descriptions and illustrations), in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Descriptions of modern crossbow tensioners at excaliburcrossbowseurope.com ( Memento from May 2, 2018 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ^ B. Poten: Concise Dictionary of the Entire Military Sciences , Volume 9, Page 38, Entry: Spanner
2. ↑ Auguste Demmin: The war weapons of history: From spears, slingshots and swords , pages 100 ff.
3. ^ Karl T. von Sauer: Outline of the weapon theory , panel XXIX, fig. 4
4. ↑ Holger Richter: The horn bow crossbow: history and technology , pages 112 ff.