One of the inventions of greatest utility, which has spread from China throughout the world, so that its origins are no longer realized, is the square-pallet chain pump. As may be seen in the accompanying illustrations, it consists of an endless circulating chain bearing square pallets which hold water, earth, or sand. The pump can haul enormous quantities of water from lower to higher levels. Depending on how well the pallets were fitted to avoid leakage and on the sturdiness of the machine as a whole, the height that water can be raised by single pump is about fifteen feet. The chain pumps spread throughout China rapidly, so it's not possible to find out who invented it. But according to some historical articles, it could have been invented around the first century BC.

A wood cut printed in Exploritation of the Works of Nature in 1637, showing two men working a square-pallet chain pump by treadles.

A Chain Pump model

 

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