Early wheellock mechanism

I've been thinking again about early wheellocks, after seeing the pictures posted of the wheellock/mace that's on the block. Trying to figure out how the lock works, I flipped through other pictures I have of early wheellocks, and I noticed the wheelie/mace lock bears a resemblance to the wheelie/axes from the Doge's Palace. This is what I came up with, though it may be completely off:



The extension on the trigger bar is pushed up, behind the offset section of the spring, pulling out the attached pin.

These are the axes, the trigger bar extension can clearly be seen:



Now, even if I'm right about the triggering mechanism, the pan cover on the mace presents another interesting puzzle (I can't make anything about the pan covers on the axes). At first I thought the cam might hit a bar, like later wheellocks, but the pan cover is angled here. If it swung away, it would have to push the dog up in order to get clear, something which would take to much time and energy to do. So, is the pan opened manually and the pyrites put directly on the wheel before firing?



Cheers,
Nick

Hi Nick,
You are probably right about the manually opened pan. DaVinci's wheelock drawings from about 1500 indicate that was what he had in mind. The mechanism on the axe is very close in concept to DaVinci's design.

dave

There is no guarantee that the pan cover is in working order. I think you are free to design it as it should be to your mind.

DO you have the Royal Armouries wheellock book? There is an external spring lock in a very early one there.

Chris Per,
Yeah, that one looks like it is a socket tillered handgonne for which a wheellock was designed and attached. It definately has a manually opened pan cover. It swivels out to the side.
volatpluvia

I don't have the book, but I live next door to the Armouries. Close enough :grin:

The early wheellock there has a mechanically opened cover, there's a hook that's connected to the pan cover which fits into a reccess in the wheel, when it spins it hits the curved edge and swings open the pan. Quite different from later wheellocks!

Have you asked to see if you can get a look in the store rooms at the Armouries? They used to be generous about letting in serious students (building one would qualify you, I think). I hear that of late the civil servants from higher up are exerting their power and of course have no compassion for those who have this stuff in their blood, so it may not be easy to get in anymore. I'd be interested if you get in. They have at least one drawer full of nothing but wheellock locks. I think the place to start is to ask about the library (which I would think would have the afore-mentioned book)