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The pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria

Chapter 28: 23. A Flow of Wine from one Vessel, produced by Water being poured into another.
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About This Book

A systematic practical handbook of machines and demonstrations that uses air, steam, heat, and water to produce mechanical effects. The text gives clear descriptions, construction details, and diagrams for siphons, valves, pumps, fountains, jets, self‑acting mechanisms, and ritual or theatrical contrivances driven by pressure and temperature changes. Explanations focus on the mechanical principles behind pneumatic and hydraulic behaviors and on ways to control flow and timing, with numbered propositions that pair instructional steps with illustrative figures for building and operating each apparatus.

23. A Flow of Wine from one Vessel, produced by Water being poured into another.

If of two vessels standing on a pedestal one be full of wine and the other empty, whatever quantity of water be poured into the empty vessel, as much wine shall flow from the other. The following is the construction. On any pedestal, A B (fig. 23) let there be two vessels, C D, E F, having their mouths closed by the partitions G H, K L. Let the tube M N X O pass through the pedestal and bend upwards into the vessels, reaching very nearly to the partitions at M and O. In E F place a bent siphon, P R S, the bend being near the vessel’s mouth, and one leg, shaped like a water-pipe, passing outside. Through the partition G H let a funnel, T U, descend almost to the bottom of the vessel, its tube being soldered into the partition. Into the vessel E F pour wine through a hole, Q, which must afterwards be carefully closed again. Now, if we pour water into the vessel C D through the funnel, the contained air will be forced out, and pass through the tube M N X O into E F, and, in its turn, force out the wine contained in E F: and this will happen as often as we pour in the water. It is evident that the air forced out has an equal bulk with the water poured in, and that it will force out as much wine. If no bent siphon be used, but merely a pipe at S, the effect will be the same, unless the force of the water be too great for the pipe.