this post was submitted on 22 May 2025
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Illustrations of history
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Is that Y-shaped tree trunk meant to be there? It seems to me like it's just getting in the way of the press operating
Engineer here. I'm guessing the Y-shaped log acts as a support to hold the lever-log while the olive sack stack is removed for refilling. I'd guess two or three guys lift the log while someone pulls the stack out, and then they rest it on the Y so that they don't have to lift it from ground level each time.
And to answer some other questions from the thread: it may be useful to have the pulley attached to the boulder instead of the groubd so that they only ever apply a known force to the olives during the squishing phase. Otherwise, they could compress the olives until the skins squeeze through or the sacks burst. Once the rock begins to lift, the press is complete.
I'm not sure it would work very well as a rest to make removing the bag easier, since the press would be at its maximum depression while resting on the trunk. You could release sone length of rope to reduce the force, but if the weight of the log is a significant obstacle to lift then you do still need to lift it to get the bag out. It would probably be better to remove much more of one of the two branches so that you can press down beyond the junction, release the rope to the wright, then raise it and push it sideways just a little to keep it elevated above the bag
That said, I do think it being a limit on the amount of vertical travel the lever has to prevent bursting / otherwise over-pressing the bags makes sense
Looks like there is a stack of sticks above the olive baskets, so those sticks can be removed or added as the pressing continues. When pressing is finished, if all the sticks are removed, then the lever can rest on the tree and be clear of the olive baskets. It would switch from a class 2 to a class 1 lever, and the stone would be lifting the lever end up and out of the way.