LIFTING WATER. 53 



wheel," and is so simple that it can be home-made with 

 old threshing machine gearing or other mechanical junk. 

 It consists of an endless belt working like the "elevator" 

 or "straw carrier" of a threshing machine. For instance, 

 take an old machine belt eight inches wide and twenty feet 

 long or sew together strong canvas to make one. Make 

 a box or trough about nine feet long, eight inches wide 

 and six inches deep inside measurement, with no ends 

 nor cover. Rig at each end of this box a wheel or pulley 

 over which the endless belt can run. Fasten to the belt, 

 a few inches apart, blocks scant eight inches long and 

 four inches wide, so that the belt will have a flat surface 

 on one side and the other crossed with the blocks. When 

 this is placed in the box and over the pulleys at each end 

 fasten the box securely in an inclined position with the 

 lower end in the water, turn the upper pulley by a hand 

 crank or a small belt from a source of power and the 

 blocks will elevate the water and shoot it out from the 

 top of the box in fine style. For a short lift this apparatus 

 discharges quite a large volume of water with compara- 

 tively little power. 



DEVICES FOR SELF-LIFTING WATER SUPPLY. 



Where running water is at hand in ample supply and 

 with adequate velocity, the water can be made to lift itself 

 to a distributing point, if not too high. The most capa- 

 cious agencies belong to a class of motors called current 

 wheels. 



Current Wheels. A current wheel is an arrangement 

 resembling the paddle wheel of a steamboat, with a cen- 

 tral shaft acting as a hub for spoke-like arms which carry 

 on their ends boxes or buckets. The wheel is hung by 

 the projecting ends of the shaft so that the buckets are 

 just covered under the surface of the water. The current 

 catches them and caused the wheel to revolve; the filled 

 buckets are carried up as empty ones descend in the water. 

 The filled buckets are emptied as the turning of the wheel 



