Codex Atlanticus

CA f. 1069 r: Hydraulic pumps and diving apparatus

On this folio Leonardo depicted several devices to raise water. The most interesting is the one on the upper right: a mill wheel turned by the current of a river drives the movement of a water screw, that scoops up water and transports it to the top of a tower. By means of a series of gears, the water is intercepted at the top of the first tower by a second water screw, that transports it to the second, higher tower. The sketch halfway down the left margin is quite curious: it depicts a man using a underwater breathing device equipped with float.