How did the drawbridge move?
Bascule Drawbridges needed a counterbalance to help then move them so that both ends moved in opposite directions, weights were added to help with this and the Portcullis (Metal Grilled Gate) that was positioned behind the Drawbridge was often used as a counterweight to help raise and lower the drawbridge.
How did medieval drawbridges work?
Classical, medieval drawbridges worked via the simple principle of counterweight, with large wood and metal bridges pivoted via a series of balancing weights in a castle’s gatehouse.
What were drawbridges used for in castles?
A drawbridge was a wooden bridge leading to a gateway, capable of being raised or lowered to either accommodate or prevent entry into the castle, and often spanned a ditch or moat.
What were medieval drawbridges made of?
Drawbridges were commonly made of wood. The wooden deck had one edge hinged or pivoting at the gatehouse threshold so that it could be raised and flushed against the gate. Some might have been designed to be destroyed in the case of an attack.
How do drawbridges open?
You can also signal the drawbridge by horn to request an opening with one prolonged blast (four to six seconds in duration) followed by one short blast (about one second). The bridge tender will reply with the same sound signal to acknowledge that the bridge can be opened immediately.
How heavy is a drawbridge?
Draw bridges are made primarily from concrete and steel. Seventy-five hundred short tons (6,804 metric tons) of structural steel and 150,000 short tons (13,6080 metric tons) of concrete were used in the Casco Bay Bridge in Portland, Maine; it has a 360-foot (10-nm) tall opening and was completed in 1997.
What is a castle drawbridge?
A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat.
What was the purpose of a drawbridge in medieval times?
In medieval times the drawbridge’s main purpose was defense. Cities or castles built inside walls could have moors or chasms surrounding the protective walls could use a drawbridge to limit the traffic in and out of the city or castle.
Are there any working drawbridges in the UK?
In England, two working drawbridges remain in regular use at Helmingham Hall, which dates from the early sixteenth century. A bridge pivoted on central trunnions is called a turning bridge, and may or may not have the raising chains characteristic of a drawbridge.
How are drawbridges arranged in castles?
Castle draw-bridges. A typical arrangement would have the drawbridge immediately outside a gatehouse, consisting of a wooden deck with one edge hinged or pivoting at the gatehouse threshold, so that in the raised position the bridge would be flush against the gate, forming an additional barrier to entry.
How does a drawbridge move a room?
Underneath drawbridges, there is a counterbalance of very heavy material, usually concrete, which is lowered to move the bridge up. The room is moved by a motor which moves gears that shift the room down.