Archimedes' Screw Pump

A working screw pump with a hand crank and gears: turn the handle and water (or rice, or sand) climbs up the tube. The idea is over 2000 years old and was used in Egypt for irrigation.

A clear example of a simple machine doing work against gravity, and of an ancient invention still in use today.

Design by Alex Geek Workshop on Printables, shared under CC0 1.0 (public domain). The files and photos are the designer's, unchanged.

1. Print the tube in transparent filament if you can, so the screw is visible. Use supports touching the build plate.
2. File any rough spots and grease the gears lightly.
3. Pump water from a low tray to a higher one; count turns per cup.
4. Change the angle: what is the steepest angle that still works?