ram

Ram it is a term with several uses. its etymology takes us to the Latin word Aries, which can be translated as "ram".

A ram is called a machine for military use which, in ancient times, was used to break down walls and doors. The ram had a long and heavy beam that, at one of its ends, was reinforced with a metal piece that used to be designed in the shape of a head of ram (the male of the sheep).

Rams were used in sieges and attempts at conquest.

Ram Characteristics

The ram was part of the group of calls siege weapons. These equipments were used to achieve the destruction of walls and strengths when it was intended to conquer a city.

Its basic version consisted of a log carried by several soldiers and propelled to hit a target violently. Originally a ram's head was attached to increase damage with the antlers of the animal.

Over time, the ram evolved. The tip was reinforced with bronze or iron and its sides, with leather to avoid damage from attacks with fire. The ram, on the other hand, could be located on a rolling frame or propelled by a sling.

Historical weapon walkthrough

The first rams would have been used in the Second Assyrian Empire and in the Ancient Greece, with which its origins date back centuries before Christ. These were rockers that could count on wheels or lack them.

These machines were key in many sieges and sites. At present, the logic of its operation is still used in different Actions, being installed on vehicles on some occasions.

It is interesting to note that, with the weather, different defense mechanisms against rams were devised. The launching of obstacles before impact against the door or wall was the most common, although there was also an attempt to set them on fire and use ropes to immobilize the beam.

Rams used to have a reinforced end.

The ram as a boat

The term ram also makes it possible to refer to a warship whose distinctive feature was the spur that was used to ram enemy ships, trying to sink them. These battering rams were ships of steam that were armored.

RamOn the other hand, it was a torpedo ship of the Spanish navy. Began service in 1887 and stayed active until 1905, when a fire destroyed it while remaining in the Carraca Arsenal.

A hydraulic pump

It is known as hydraulic ram or ram pump to a type of pump Water that, for the elevation of the liquid, appeals to the impulse generated by the movement of a column of the fluid. What it does is take advantage of the Kinetic energy generated by a water hammer (that is, by the sudden increase in pressure that occurs when a valve suddenly closes).

The water hammer allows some of the water to reach a higher level. In this way, the hydraulic ram can be used for the sprinkler irrigation or to upload a part of the content of a stream at another height.