What water-powered machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to raise water using a chain of containers?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a bucket-chain water lift to raise water using linked containers.

A bucket chain consists of containers attached at intervals to a continuous chain. As the chain moves, buckets descend into a water source, fill, rise, and empty at a higher level. Leonardo studied this principle as part of his extensive work on hydraulic machines and water management.

The concept was useful for irrigation, drainage, and supplying water to elevated locations. It was not a completely new invention in world history: related lifting devices had been known for centuries. Leonardo’s contribution was to analyze and draw mechanisms with exceptional detail, including their power transmission and structural supports.

The bucket-chain lift differs from Leonardo’s famous screw pump. A screw pump raises water along a rotating helical surface, whereas a bucket chain carries separate containers upward. This distinction makes the answer specific to the machine shown in the question.