Leonardo da Vinci sketched a piston pump for moving water with reciprocating pistons.
A piston pump moves liquid by repeatedly drawing water into a chamber and forcing it out through valves. Leonardo’s mechanical studies included pumps, valves, cylinders, and other devices for controlling water. These designs formed part of his wider investigations into hydraulics and machines.
The pump principle was known before Leonardo, so he should not be credited with inventing every form of piston pump. His notebooks are important because they record detailed observations and proposed improvements in an era when water management was central to mills, canals, fountains, and construction.
A piston pump differs from an Archimedes’ screw. The screw carries water along a spiral path, while a piston pump uses pressure changes created by the back-and-forth motion of a piston.