Bucket-Wheel in Arched Channels, and Piston Pumps
A wheel of buckets and moving weights with venting and material notes, plus piston pumps (fig. 32)
The sheet gathers a wheel driven by a ring of buckets and movable weights running inside arched channels, with practical notes on making it work. A margin caption describes a box detail for this round instrument; the main note advises giving the buckets an air vent as they plunge mouth-down and making the arched channels of terracotta, or best of copper. To the right a pair of piston pumps numbered 32 is meant to raise and hold water above the mountain, marked 'continuo'.
On this page
Box detail for the round instrument below
A note along the upper margin gives a figure of a little box, describing the manner of the boxes used in the round instrument shown below. It keys the small mechanism at upper left to the wheel beneath.
Wheel with buckets and movable weights in arched channels
The round instrument is a wheel with a ring of buckets and movable weights running in arched channels. Leonardo advises the buckets have a vent so air can escape as they plunge mouth-down, and that the arched channels leaving them be of terracotta to pass better under water, copper being best of all.
Pair of piston pumps to raise and hold water (fig. 32)
Figure 32 is a pair of piston pumps marked 'continuous', drawn on a triangular support at center-right. Its note states the aim is to make the water rise and remain above the mount[ain].