The pneumatics of Hero of AlexandriaHero, of Alexandria
History
The pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria
Hero, of Alexandria
Discoveries in science -- History; Inventions -- History; Pneumatics
If wind is blown through the mouth of certain figures, they spout
up water through some other place. For example, if a satyr holds a
wine-skin, water shall be spouted up through the skin. A B C D (fig.
54), is an air-tight pedestal on which the figure is placed; through
the mouth of the figure a tube, E F, is inserted, communicating with
the pedestal, and having underneath it a small plate, G H, which
closes the aperture F of the tube, and is supported by pins to which
buttons are attached, that the plate may not fall off. Another tube,
K L, is passed through the pedestal, of which the extremity, K, must
be contiguous to the point at which the water-jet is to be, and the
extremity, L, reach to the bottom of the pedestal, leaving only a
passage for the water. At the extremity K there must be a valve or tap
by which the aperture K, which is very small, may be shut. Now if we
pour any quantity of water into the pedestal through a hole, which we
must afterwards stop, and, having closed the aperture K, blow in air
through the tube E F, the air blown in will thrust aside the plate and
descend into the pedestal: and, if this is done several times, the
air in the pedestal will be compressed and close the plate. Let the
valve or tap be opened, and after a short time the compressed air will
drive the liquid in the pedestal violently out through the aperture K,
until all the liquid is spouted up, and the air is brought back to its
natural state, that is, in which it is no longer subject to compression.
55. _A Vessel, out of which Water flows as it is poured in, but if the
supply is withheld, Water will not flow again, until the Vessel is half
filled; and on the supply being again stopped, it will not then flow
until the Vessel is filled._
[Illustration: Diagram of apparatus as described in text]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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