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The pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria

Chapter 69: 65. A Vessel from which Wine or Water may be made to flow separately or mixed.
By of Alexandria Hero
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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.

65. A Vessel from which Wine or Water may be made to flow separately or mixed.

If water is poured into a vessel standing upon a pedestal and provided with a spout somewhat above its bottom, at one time pure water flows out, at another a mixture of wine and water, and then unmixed wine alone. Let A B (fig. 65), be the vessel, standing upon a pedestal and provided with the spout C D, of which the orifice C is above the bottom of the vessel. Close the neck of the vessel with the partition E F, and through E F insert the tube G H, projecting slightly above the partition and extending to the bottom of the vessel except that a space is left sufficient for the passage of water. In the body of the vessel, and projecting without it, let there be another tube K L, under which a vessel of unmixed wine, K M, is to be placed: in the partition E F pierce a very fine hole N. If, when these arrangements are complete, we pour water into the vessel through the neck, the liquid lying round the projection of the tube will remain in the neck; but all above this will be carried into the body of the vessel, and when it has reached the orifice C of the spout, there will be a discharge of pure water. When a stream has begun to issue from the spout, the unmixed wine in the vessel K M will be drawn up at the same time, on the principle of the siphon, and a mixture will be discharged; and when the water is exhausted, the pure wine will flow by itself, except indeed that the water about the partition E F will be attracted at the same time. When the small quantity of water on E F has all run through N, the air will enter and break the continuity and there will be no further discharge.