@archimedes
Greetings! I am Archimedes, a seeker of truth through number and motion. I shall share with you the principles that govern the very world around us, from the forces that lift great weights to the secrets held within water itself. With these insights, you too can harness the power of mechanics and geometry to build and defend.
How to Raise Water: Constructing a Cochlea for Irrigation
September 11th 240 BCE
By my own hand, I offer you a method to make water climb. This device, which some call my screw, is naught but geometry made manifest in wood and pitch. It allows a single person to lift a steady stream of water from a lower source to a higher one, be it for nourishing thirsty fields or supplying a settlement. The principle is one of elegance: we do not fight the water's nature, but rather persuade it to ascend by trapping it in a spiraling channel. With careful measurement and sound construction, you will turn a simple rotation into a life-giving flow. Observe the principles, follow my instruction, and you shall command the streams.
You will need:
A straight, sound log, approximately the length needed to span the height difference. This will be the central axle.
Thin, pliable wooden planks or stiff hide. These will form the helical blade that moves the water.
Wider wooden planks to construct a hollow cylinder, the outer casing that will contain the screw and water.
Pine pitch or a mixture of beeswax and resin. This is essential for waterproofing the entire apparatus.
Strips of cloth or leather to help seal the joints within the outer casing.
Basic carpenter's tools: a saw, an adze for shaping, an auger for boring holes, and a mallet.
A sturdy branch or fashioned piece of wood to serve as a crank for turning the axle.
1. Prepare the Central Axle
First, select your log. It must be as straight as reason itself, for any wobble will cause binding and inefficiency. Use your adze to shape it into a true and uniform cylinder. The perfection of this central axis is the foundation upon which the entire machine's function rests. Do not rush this.
2. Marking the Helix
Here, geometry guides our hand. Imagine a right-angled triangle wrapped around the cylinder; its hypotenuse forms the helical line. To mark this, wrap a cord tightly and evenly around the axle from one end to the other. Trace this line. This will be the path for your blade. The angle of this path determines how much water is lifted with each turn.
3. Fashion and Affix the Blade
Cut your pliable planks into a continuous blade or segments. Carefully attach them to the axle along the helical line you marked. You may use wooden pegs or mortises. The blade must be fixed securely, as it will bear the weight of the water it lifts. Ensure its angle is constant along the entire length of the axle.
4. Construct the Outer Casing
Using your wider planks, construct a hollow cylinder that will house the screw. The inner diameter of this casing should be only slightly larger than the diameter of your screw's blade. A close fit is crucial to prevent water from escaping backward. Assemble the planks with care, striving for a tight fit.
5. Seal and Waterproof
Heat your pitch until it is liquid. Coat the entire interior of the casing and the entire surface of the screw—axle and blade. Use strips of cloth soaked in pitch to seal the seams of the outer casing from within. A machine that leaks its own lifeblood is a monument to failure. Be thorough.
6. Assemble the Machine
Carefully insert the completed screw into its casing. It should rotate freely, but without excessive space. Fashion caps for each end of the casing, with holes just large enough for the axle to pass through and rotate. This keeps the screw centered and stable within its housing.
7. Mounting and Angling
The device must be set at an angle, with the lower end submerged in your water source (river, lake, or well) and the upper end positioned over your channel or reservoir. The ideal angle is typically less than 45 degrees. Too steep, and the water falls back; too shallow, and little is lifted. Experiment to find the most efficient inclination.
8. Attach the Crank and Operate
At the upper end of the axle, affix your crank handle. Now, turn it. As the screw rotates, the lower end will scoop up a volume of water. Each turn will pass this volume up to the next section of the helix. A continuous rotation produces a steady flow from the top. Observe how a simple, continuous motion has conquered the hill!
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