The Theater of Hydraulic Machines, Volume II

To raise water higher by means of a water-wheel and water-screws.

Since in the previous machine the water is not brought even as high as the water-wheel, or as can be achieved by an ordinary scoop-wheel, two methods are indicated here for driving it much higher, specifically by having one screw pour into the next. Both figures are by Ramelli, which Boeckler and others have diligently copied, though without commentary.

Figure I. Table III. is the water-wheel, which must also serve as a scoop-wheel, and it discharges the water through its boxes into the trough B; through the cog-wheel C, however, it drives a lantern-pinion a type of gear assembly D, which is fixed to a tall, vertical shaft E. This shaft or spindle has as many star-wheels as there are intended to be screws. For F drives the screw K by means of a pinion, wheel G drives the screw L, and H drives the screw M; each pours its water into a box above, from which the next one scoops it up again, until it finally arrives in box O and falls back down through the pipe P P.

When one looks at this machine only superficially, it seems to be quite practicable, and if I am not mistaken, a machine of almost this type existed some time ago in Augspurg Augsburg. It is also actually usable; however, if one considers all the circumstances correctly, it is found primarily that an excessive force of water is required for this purpose, because the water-wheel must not only be a scoop-wheel but must also move the many screws. It is a settled matter that the screw is one of those machines which has the most friction mechanical resistance, not perhaps in the journals and bearings, but in the movement, because the entire quantity of water must be turned over; therefore, the faster such a screw is to be turned, the more force is required for it. Because also a single tooth on the wheel C must withstand all the force required for the three screws, I doubt their long durability very much; even more so, the pinions that must be fixed to the screws would likely make the work unstable. Thus, it is no wonder if the gentlemen of Augsburg abolished such a machine and converted it into a very good and stable pressure-work force pump. More will be said about this in the appropriate place.

To this screw-work, however, I wanted to add one more, of almost the same sort, which is likewise a creation of Ramelli.

A water-machine using three screws placed one above the other.

It differs from the previous one solely in that the first screw F must be turned by the cog-wheel E, and this in turn must turn the screw J through the cog-wheel H, and finally this one must turn the screw M through two cog-wheels, as everything in the II. Figure of Table III. clearly shows to the eye.