The Archimedes Snail or Archimedes Scroll is at least 2,000 years old. Like its
brother the Archimedes Screw, it was used for irrigation and was usually powered
by humans, horses, or mules. A tube is wrapped around a pole, which is then rotated.
This drawing shows an ancient worker pumping water with an Archimedes Snail. Whether
or not this pump or the Archimedes Screw were actually invented by Archimedes
is certainly debatable, though his overall brilliance is not.
(Drawing courtesy Spaans Babcock.)
|
|
