What machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to create a continuous stream of water for irrigation?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a double-acting pump to create a continuous stream of water for irrigation.

A double-acting pump moves water during both directions of a piston’s motion. Leonardo’s studies explored cylinders, pistons, valves, and linked mechanisms that could make water flow more continuously than a simple one-way pump. Such machinery was relevant to draining land, supplying buildings, and managing canals.

Leonardo did not invent the general idea of pumping water; ancient and medieval engineers had already developed several pump types. His contribution was the detailed mechanical investigation of improved arrangements and power transmission.

This design is sometimes confused with the Archimedes’ screw, which lifts water through a rotating helical surface. Leonardo also studied water screws and hydraulic machines, but a piston pump uses reciprocating motion and valves rather than a single rotating screw.