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
63. _A Water-Clock, made to govern the quantities of Liquid flowing
from a Vessel._
[Illustration: Diagram of apparatus as described in text]
A vessel containing wine, and provided with an open spout, stands upon
a pedestal: it is required by shifting a weight to cause the spout to
pour forth a given quantity,—sometimes, for instance, a half cotyle (¼
pint), sometimes a cotyle (½ pint), and, in short, whatever quantity we
please. A B (fig. 63), is the vessel into which wine is to be poured:
near the bottom is a spout, D: the neck is closed by the partition E
F, and through E F is inserted a tube, G H, reaching nearly to the
bottom of the vessel, but so as to allow of the passage of water. K L
M N is the pedestal on which the vessel stands, and O X another tube
reaching within a little of the partition and extending into the
pedestal, in which water is placed so as to cover the orifice O, of
the tube. Fix a rod, P R, one half within, and the other without, the
pedestal, moving like the beam of a lever about the point S; and from
the extremity P of the rod suspend a water-clock, T, having a hole in
the bottom. The spout D having been first closed, the vessel should be
filled through the tube G H before water is poured into the pedestal,
that the air may escape through the tube X O: then pour water into the
pedestal, through a hole, until the orifice O is closed, and set the
spout D free. It is evident that the wine will not flow, as there is
no opening through which air can be introduced: but if we depress the
extremity R of the rod, a portion of the water-clock will be raised
from the water, and, the vent O being uncovered, the spout D will run
until the water suspended in the water-clock has flowed back and closed
the vent O. If, when the water-clock is filled again, we depress the
extremity R still further, the liquid suspended in the water-clock will
take a longer time to flow out, and there will be a longer discharge
from D: and if the water-clock be entirely raised above the water, the
discharge will last considerably longer. To avoid the necessity of
depressing the extremity R of the rod with the hand, take a weight Q,
sliding along the outer portion of the rod, R W, and able, if placed at
R, to lift the whole water-clock; if at a distance from R, some smaller
portion of it. Then, having obtained by trial the quantities which we
wish to flow from D, we must make notches in the rod R W and register
the quantities; so that, when we wish a given quantity to flow out, we
have only to bring the weight to the corresponding notch and leave the
discharge to take place.
64. _A Drinking-Horn from which a Mixture of Wine and Water, or pure
Water may be made to flow alternately or together, at pleasure._
[Illustration: Diagram of apparatus as described in text]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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