Water Screw?

[BioProfessor]

Found this with my rock detector. Tripped over it and dang near speared myself with my MD. Anyway, I haven't a clue what it might be or do (I seem to be saying that a lot lately. )

It is made of clay but is crudely fired. Not fired in a modern or really hot kiln where you get the "ring" when you hit. It just gives a dull "thud" so it's not a modern manufactured piece as far as I can tell.

The outside is just scratched to make the groves. Doesn't look like a very sophisticated process was used.

This piece is 6.50" tall and 6.25" in diameter.

The inside looks like an auger with the center missing. It is very smooth and seemingly precise.

Any reason that a relatively long time ago somebody would make a clay pipe that would make water or air spin around as it passed through (or anything for that matter)?

Thanks,

Daryl

 

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[wesfrye53]

Working for the water department in Nashville for way too long, I was going with water uses but Geese's reply makes me believe it is an auger (hole digger) of some type.

 

[BioProfessor]

If it's a hole digger, why put ridges on the outside? Would that make it hard to turn?

Daryl

 

[BioProfessor]

That makes sense. There had to be something to give it enough friction to hold it in place but why leave them there after you have made the auger impression in the clay? Wouldn't you want to smooth them out if you were going to turn this in the ground? And why such a weak firing? it's not all that strong.

So once you make it, what do you do with it? Got to be lots of it missing. Did it have some sort of bit on the bottom to start the hole? Was there a top to hold a handle? Why use an auger to make a clay pipe auger. Why not just use the auger to dig the hole?

Just a few things I don't get. Brain-dead I know.

Thanks,

Daryl

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Pretty neat! First thing comes to my mind is some kind of chimney attachment, but how would you clean the thing?? The "Screw of Archimedes" is one of the simple machines and used to lift water, but that one wouldn't lift much or very far. But as a flow control in a grain elevator or a corn mill it might make some sense. Hmmmm? The regulator "pump" to drop corn onto the grind wheels of a grist mill? Splined on the outside so it will grip the gear or teeth of the drive wheel??

Dunnoh? That's a good Whatzit?

 

[BioProfessor]

Found this on a bluff overlooking a river about 20 miles from Savannah GA, There were several of them in the same place. They didn't fit together so they weren't a long one broken with all the pieces there. The mold marks on the outside were also different. The area is very remote. There is evidence that Native Americans used the area - arrowheads and things. The first white settlers came there in 1715 on a land grant from the King of England. They created a small settlement and stayed about 7-10 years before yellow fever made them ask the King for another piece of land. When they moved, the area was not inhabited again starting about 50 years ago when the city built a road to construct a water plant to pump water from the river. The timber companies also sold land to people for houses or hunting area. They had to put in a network of roads so people could get in and out. There was nothing around for miles and miles that could have produced these commercially.

Daryl

 

[BioProfessor]

I am starting to believe it is a cast clay version of an Archimedes screw water pump. The place where they were found was about 100 yards from the river where a settlement od European immigrants began in 1715. There are large canals dog through where the settlement was. If these "pipes" were placed in the river and turned, the water would travel up the inside of the pipe and into the canal and serve as a fresh water source for the settlement?

Daryl

 

[lumbercamp]

I have found some similar to yours only they were 4" dia. 5" tall. The ones I found came from a picric acid and gun cotton plant from the early 1900's Were there any such plants in the area that you found yours. I have no idea what they were used for. Some were ribbed and others were smooth.

 

[BioProfessor]

As far as I know, there were no plants of any kind withing 10-20 miles. These were in an area by a river that was very remote and had a settlement there from about 1713-1734 and then abandoned due to yellow fever that killed most of the settlement's people.

Do you have any photos of yours?

Daryl

 

[lumbercamp]

I'll post them tomorrow, BioProfessor.

 

[trikikiwi]

I saw the pic and thought "archimedes' water screw"

Good on ya, Charlie P.

Interesting find Daryl.
it's made of clay, not metal or wood - I would think that suits an argument for very early settlers?
All the knowledge, but lacking materials.

Or Hippies from the 1970's

I can imagine it being driven by a leather drive belt, but I can't think how the belt was driven.

Looking forward to others' comments

Cheers, Mike

 

[lumbercamp]

Here are ones that I found. I was way off with the dimensions. I shouldn't have tried to guess from memory what size they were. These are 3" x 3". When I was a kid, many many years ago, I would use these to make roads in my sand box to run my toy trucks on. They can still be found at the factory site, only the pile is getting smaller from people taking them. They are clay too, I imagine to prevent sparks when they manufactured the explosives.

 

[BioProfessor]

Outside looks very similar but much better made. What about the inside. Is it straight through?

Looks like it might be a first cousin.

Daryl

 

[lumbercamp]

Yeah the holes go straight through. These may be one of lifes mystries that will never be solved.

 

[DCMatt]

I wonder if it's part of some kind of extruder for a grain mill or fruit press.

DCMatt

 

[thepoolguy]

well the auger itself has no shaft to drive it only the flighting, making it impossable to drive unless the auger barrell itself is turned which explains the fluted sides to provide friction for a belt to drive it. is the flighting secured to or molded to the clay barrell so as turn when the barrell is turned? or was it made a touch smaller than the id of the barrell? there is such a thing as corless auger which is just the flighting and no shaft and is used to convey light materials through pvc pipe even around sweep corners (about a 2 ft radius) used in automated livestock feeding. but my guess is a water screw...and even today is a very efficient way to move large quanities of water at low pressure.

 

[BioProfessor]

It was made all as a single unit.


Daryl

 

[duffytrash]

heres 2 tiles that i found at a marble factory in west virginia...there were others there filled with different colors of glass...i sold them to another collector...maybe tiles like these were used to mix elements together to make a final product..then the auger did the final mixin...these were glazed to take the heat of molten glass..,.imho

 

[mojjax]

Maybe part of a mixing machine for cement/concrete ?

 

[Monty]

A failed attempt on an early flush toilet to make the water drain counter clockwise! Like you, I haven't a clue. Monty