Has anyone seen this pump?

[speedbump]

A customer wrote me an email asking if I knew what this pump is or if I knew anything about it.

This is his email:

While driving around this past weekend in the Hill Country area of Texas I ran upon this "pump" (see attached picture) at an old school that LBJ attended. There was no information regarding this "pump" and I thought someone in your organization might have some info on it and/or what it is....?

Thanks..........

RH

[sammyhydro11]

If thats a pump,my dogs a horse.

SAM

[Bob NH]

I saw pumps in Nicaragua that had a rope on a bicycle wheel with little "buckets" on the rope running inside a pipe. That looks like the same configuration under that cover.

Someone turned the crank and it pumped an amazing amount of water.

Here is a link to a site that describes rope pumps.

http://www.wot.utwente.nl/documents/...ump/index.html

[sammyhydro11]

Speedbump,
is that really supposed to be some kind of pump?

Bob,
that wheel on a rope is pretty cool.

SAM

[Bob NH]

Here is a picture of the rope pump in Haulover, Nicaragua. The water comes out the spout on the right. The rope goes back down the well in the pipe on the left. The pump is turned by someone standing on the other side. The wheel goes counterclockwise as we are looking at the picture.

[Raucina]

If you gentleman are enthused about chain and bucket and rope and bucket pumps you should be aware of "de Re Metallica" written by Georgius Agricola and first published in 1556. I am fortunate enough to own the second edition from 1561, and there are many pages of etchings showing the construction of rag and chain and incredibly rod and piston pumps.

Herbert Hoover and his wife were Latin scholars that performed the first translation of this book, and their edition is from 1912. Dover has a reprint of that from the 1950's that can still be had for under a hundred dollars, and for those of you inclined toward mining and hydraulics, you will cherish every page of this huge tome.

In Dovers edition, book VI, page 198, there is an incredible etching of a ball and chain in pipe pump driven by water wheel. You will be quite humbled by how much was already known about pumps in the 14 and 1500's.

[speedbump]

I think you guys have it. The author said he thought this thing might have used a crank of some kind which has long since been misplaced. So it may very well be like BobNH's pictures only a diffenent brand. We own Boss Pump, but if I admitted being the inventer of such a pump, I would be showing my age.

I will report back to him and send him a link to this topic and let him comment if he likes.

Yup Sammy it's supposed to be a pump. I have never installed one and I doubt you have either. That would really be showing our age.

bob...

[Raucina]

The "Gem" was a chain and bucket pump made in America until recently. Lehmans country store still sells replacement chain and buckets. They are quite an efficient method of moving water.

If the power ever goes out in america, these will be the Goulds and Grundfos's of the new system.

[leejosepho]

I wonder whether the EPA of whatever would allow the installation of that kind of pump here, as its recirculating components could carry contaminents back into the ground water.

[mmarshall]

The "Gem" was a chain and bucket pump made in America until recently. Lehmans country store still sells replacement chain and buckets. They are quite an efficient method of moving water.

If the power ever goes out in america, these will be the Goulds and Grundfos's of the new system.

I have a pump like that .I was raised with no running water.On my street there are still 10 to 20 of them.I would like to purchase another if anyone see`s one for sale

[mmarshall]

I wonder whether the EPA of whatever would allow the installation of that kind of pump here, as its recirculating components could carry contaminents back into the ground water.

I use it to water plants.

[speedbump]

I would like to purchase another if anyone see`s one for sale

You might have to go to Texas and ride around.

bob...

[Mikey]

One of those would look great in your showroom. I always wondered where the "Boss" came from.

[Porky]

What you young whipper snappers have never seen a Cistern Pump?

This is like some suspected a loop chain with small cups (buckets) on the chain that were rotated from the bottom of the Cistern to the top and dumped into a spout. This bucket pump chain was turned by a sprocket and crank at the top. These Cistern Pumps were sometimes used in shallow dug or bored wells. They worked great but sometimes the chain had to be repaired. In my youth my grandparents had one on their Cistern on their rural farm in Oklahoma.

In my travels I still see them from time to time but I doubt if they work.

[speedbump]

One of those would look great in your showroom. I always wondered where the "Boss" came from.

Believe it or not, 25+ years ago when I was on my way to the county building to get my occupational license. I saw Boss on a sign and decided that would work.

The wife and I not wanting to use our names in the business, like Tabor Well Drilling. We tried to come up with a name that would sound good, be near the front of the phone book but not be the typical AAA or A-Astromical Well Drilling and Pump Service. We couldn't agree on anything, so on the way down there, I had to come up with a name and that was the only one that jumped out in front of me.

bob...