Sling (device)

“ Funda, Sling, Gen. The sling has been employed by most of the peoples of antiquity as a weapon of warfare for hurling stones, chiefly flints or leaden bullets (glandes) . The slings of the Egyptians were made of leather thongs or plaited cord. The funaitores, or slingers, of the Greek and Roman armies carried each a provision of stones in the folds (sinus) of his pallium, a shield on his left arm, and brandished his sling in the right hand. The most celebrated slingers were the inhabitants of the Balearic Islands, which took their ancient name from this circumstance.
Fig. ”

“ In using it, leather is suffered to hang from the strong downwards; the slinger places his little finger in the loop, and holds the other end in his hand, and then putting the stone in the hole of the sling at A, which prevents its falling, whirls the whole round for three or four times, to obtain a strong centrifugal force, and suddenly letting go of that part of the sling held in his hand, the stone flies forward with inconceivable rapidity, making a twanging sound in the ear as it flies. ”

“ But it is apparent that both of these slides are, in fact, reciprocating and driving slides. The one on the trough has a reciprocating motion and drives the wire into the lay. And when, as the patent points out, the other slide is not used,-that is to say, when the slide on the trough is directly connected with the motive power, or device, which gives the reciprocating motion,-it takes the place of both. The specification states this in so many words. It says: 'Fig. 4 represents a modification of the invention. ”

“ Before being launched at the bird, the sling is whirled round the head, so that when it leaves the hand a rotatory movement is imparted to it, and all the weights fly apart, the striking diameter of the weapon covering five or six feet. ”

“ Draw the sling with your left hand, and let go the firelock with the right at the same time, that it may hang by the sling on the right shoulder, the muzzle upwards, dropping both hands down by your sides at the same time. ”

“ In the operation of this invention the tab G is connected with the clasp member N by passing the lacing string Q in any suitable fashion through the eyelets V of the former and P of the latter, and the string is drawn sufficiently tight as to affect the desired amount of constriction, and the string is then tied. The advantage of uncoupling the tabs by means of the clasp device is apparent in view of the fact that re-lacing, or a readjustment of the lacing becomes unnecessary when a temporary release from the tension of the tabs is desired. ”

“ This sling serves for rock work like an ordinary sling, and, in addition, is looped round the wrist when step-cutting, thus preventing the loss of the axe, which to a party of climbers engaged in difficult work might be a source of danger. ”

“ A ring can never be carried of sufficient size to use on more than a single thickness of rope, to say nothing of a safe triple sling. And not only is the single sling more likely to snap under the rub of the hard ring as we descend than under the more springy pull of another rope passed through it, but if left it is more likely to be a danger to the next party descending. Guides are always ready to use a finished-looking piece of mechanism, like a ring on a loop, without testing it fully, where they would be suspicious of a mere weathered sling of rope. ”

“ Inscribed sling-bullets were also used for the purpose of communicating information to the besieged or the besiegers; and, in addition to them, were similar, but apparently different objects, thrown from slings, called by Appian, Mithridat, 31, πεσσοὶ ἒκ μολύβδου. Mr. Hawkins, l. c., notices “many leaden bullets for slings, found among the ruins of Eryx,” [in Sicily] , “some of which are inscribed with imprecations. (See Captain Smyth’s ‘Sicily and its Islands,’ p. 242.) ” He gives as an instance “one of these inscriptions, which is translated: Your heart for Cerberus.” ”

“ They have no contrivance like a bow to discharge a dart, nor any thing like a sling to assist them in throwing a stone; which is the more surprising, as the invention of slings, and bows and arrows, is much more obvious than of the works which these people construct, and both these weapons are found among much ruder nations, and in almost every other part of the world. ”

“ When the slinger wishes to hurl a stone, he does not waste time and strength by whirling the sling round and round, but merely gives it one half turn in the air, and discharges the missile with exceeding force and wonderful accuracy of aim. In consequence of only giving one half turn to the sling, the stones can be hurled nearly as fast as they can be thrown by the hand, and the weapon is therefore an exceedingly formidable one in the open field when fire-arms are not opposed to it. ”

“ Slings (fig. 32) .—This is simply the bight of a rope turned up over its own part; it is frequently made of chain, when a shackle (bow up) takes the place of the bight at s and another at y, connecting the two ends with the part which goes round the mast-head. Used to sling lower yards. For boat’s yards it should be a grummet with a thimble seized in at y. As the tendency of all yards is to cant forward with the weight of the sail, the part marked by an arrow should be the fore-side—easily illustrated by a round ruler and a piece of twine. ”

“ The illustration below shows another very convenient form of gun sling, which we have found to answer admirably. When in use, the muzzles of the gun are above the left shoulder, and the stock behind the right thigh. By bringing the right hand back the toggle securing the loop round the grip is instantly released, when the gun drops into the right hand, releasing itself from the ring by its own weight, and is ready for instant use. ”

“ As was generally the rule, no protective covering was allowed the slingers—the one in question has not even a hat—who from the nature of their weapon were perforce compelled to be always in open order when in action and at a distance from the enemy, and presumably suffered less than the closely-packed bodies of men-at-arms, billmen, and even archers. His sling appears to be in no way different to the Saxon weapon shown in Fig. 70. The last man is clad in a coif and hauberk of mail, and is armed with an axe. ”

“ Gun is canted to the right. Sling is on the outside of the arm. Right thumb is across small of stock which is the cause of bruises and sore lips. Left elbow not well under. Eye too far from rear sight piece.
No. 2. Legs not straight. Gun canted to right. Left elbow not well under gun.
No. 3. Legs are in an improper position. Body is twisted to the left.
Sling. Your ability to hold the rifle steadily in any required position will be greatly increased by the proper adjustment and use of the sling. Indeed, you cannot hope to hold the rifle steadily unless the sling is properly used. ”

“ No sling-bullets have, so far as I am aware, been discovered in Great Britain. There are, however, peculiar leaden objects, bearing devices and inscriptions, which have been found at Felix-Stowe, in Suffolk, and at Brough-upon-Stanmore, in Westmoreland. ”

“ Against the farther wall, half way to the door, and directly in front of the dynamo, stood a broken steamer chair. In front of it was the rough pine table at which the operator sat and worked. On this table stood the tuning-box, with its mysterious rows of numerals along the three slots in which lever-heads moved back and forth, the great, long-handled despatching instrument, like a Brobdingnagian model of a telegraph key, and the delicately mounted little responder, the nerve center of the wireless system. ”

“ The more common sling now on the market is made of ropes, four ropes the length of the hayrack and with ropes across like a rope ladder, and used to handle one-third or one-fourth of a load. Others are made like the carriers of a threshing machine with slats and ropes. ”

“ Spears were not the general army weapon. ↑
9 The account here given of the use of the sling was as a war weapon; it was also used for sports and betting contests. Slings were made of coconut fibre, usually with much care. ↑
10 An apparent recognized custom of a child’s seeking favor, or recognition, as in the case of Umi on his visit to Liloa. ”

“ In boots a man has no chance of using his toes to cling with; even to bend his foot is beyond his powers, and a boot once worn out cannot be repaired in camp, whereas a moccasin may be patched until none of the original article remains.
A sling for your rifle is a necessity in all mountain shooting ”

“ Lloyd nodded glumly. "We might stand guard, but how can you stand guard with a gun that might not fire?"
"Yes, Vinson; if as you state only machines with the rudimentary electronic nervous system can be under mechanistic control, why then did our gunners find themselves unable to even press the mechanical triggers? This was after they found the fire-control devices inoperable."
"Such a simple lever and spur device would, of course, have nothing equivalent to muscle—"
"Equivalent to muscle?" exploded Admiral Sarne.
"Of course. A servo mechanism is an electronic muscle. ”

“ How familiar a term it must have been in the common mouth the frequency with which the name is met fully shows.
Our ‘Slingers’ represent an all but forgotten profession, but they seem to have been useful enough in their day and generation. The sling was always attached to a stick, whence the old term ‘staffsling.’ Lydgate describes David as armed ”

“ The Sling, according to the opinion of the Père Daniel, was employed by the Franks in intrenched positions and beleaguered towns [99] . This ancient instrument, which is found in Egyptian [100] and Assyrian [101] monuments, was certainly in use among the Anglo-Saxons, whether for warfare [Pg 59] or the chase alone, it is not easy to determine. The figure here engraved is that of David, from the Anglo-Saxon and Latin Psalter of Boulogne. See also the slinger in Strutt's Horda, Plate xvii., from Cotton MS., Claudius, B. iv., and Plate iii. of Stothard's Bayeux Tapestry. ”

“ Any tendency on the part of the string to slacken a little, however, will immediately permit the spring to turn the spindle. When a high frequency current is passed through the platinum wire it becomes heated and expands. The expansion of the wire allows the thread to slacken slightly with the immediate result that the spindle turns. The spindle carries a pointer at the upper end which shows the amount of turning. It is therefore easy to tell the comparative strength of current flowing accordingly as the deflection is great or small.
FIG. 90.—Diagram showing loose coupled helix in circuit. ”

“ An Elastic Sling made with a wire framework, as shown in Fig. 238, is an improvement over the one made out of a tree crotch, as it is not easily broken. About No. 12 wire, which is the thickness of eight-penny nails, should be bought for this. With a pair of pincers, bend it into the shape shown in the drawing, with loops at A and B. Wrap the handle with cord, and attach strong rubber bands to A and B, with a piece of shoe leather or kid glove set in between, at C.
A most satisfactory scheme for
Fig. ”

“ One of my cylinders was out of action—a dirty plug, I should imagine, but still I was rising steadily with plenty of power. After a bit the trouble passed, whatever it was, and I heard the full, deep-throated purr—the ten singing as one. That's where the beauty of our modern silencers comes in. We can at last control our engines by ear. How they squeal and squeak and sob when they are in trouble! All those cries for help were wasted in the old days, when every sound was swallowed up by the monstrous racket of the machine. ”

“ A certain group of perforations corresponds to a Morse group of dots and dashes for a letter of the alphabet. When the tape thus made ready is run rapidly through a transmitting machine, electrical contact occurs wherever there is a perforation, permitting the current from the battery to flow into the line and thus transmit signals correspondingly. At the distant end these signals are received sometimes on an ink-writing recorder as dots and dashes, or even as typewriting letters ”

“ Although it rested, like a camera, on an iron tripod, it was unlike any other machine I had ever observed; it consisted, in the main, of a series of prisms and lenses, of various shapes and colors, some of them transparent and but a few inches across, but the foremost of them rounded in form, stained a deep opaque blue, and fully a yard in diameter. Behind the lenses, there were numbers of bulbs and wires, and of battery-like tubes; while the whole instrument, when in operation, made a constant whirring sound, a little like a motion picture projector. ”

“ This simple device consists of a piece of screen-wire, about four by five inches, stuck into a slot made in the end of a stick, and fastened in place with tacks driven through the end of the handle and clinched upon the under side.
[Pg 52]
If possible, cut the wire with a selvage along the front edge, and trim the roughness from the other edges to prevent scratching.
The fly-killer is hung up by a screw-eye placed in the end of the handle.
Fig. 48.—An Ash-sifter.
With the fly-killer a person can strike at a fly with almost a certainty of killing it. ”

“ The rest of the objects might not be too hard to figure out.
The spools in the case alongside the teacher's chair could be wire recordings. I looked for something to play them with, but there was no sign of a playback machine. I tried to lift a spool off a spindle. It wouldn't come off.
Hah! The wire led down the spindle to the base of the box, holding the spool in place. That meant the spools could be played right in that position. But what started them playing?
hunted over the box minutely. Every part of it was featureless—no dials, switches or any unfamiliar counterparts. ”