Leonardo da Vinci studied screw presses for applying controlled pressure to materials.
A screw press uses a threaded screw to push a platen downward or forward. As the screw turns, its threads multiply the operator’s effort and produce a strong, steady compression. Leonardo’s notebooks contain detailed studies of screw mechanisms and presses used for tasks such as extracting liquid or compacting material.
The device belongs to a much older family of machines. Screw presses were used before Leonardo, including in olive and wine production, so he should not be credited with inventing the general principle. His drawings are valuable because they show how he investigated the shape, motion, and force of mechanical components.
A screw press is distinct from a printing press, even though early printing presses also used a screw. The former describes the pressure mechanism broadly; the latter is a machine designed specifically to transfer ink from type or plates onto paper.