By means of this machine, the strength of an ordinary man will raise about fifty tons weight. But, besides these levers and wheels, there is a cog-wheel eight feet diameter, fixed near the end of the great axis, and working into a trundle of four feet and a half diameter, and twenty rounds; whose axis or spindle is of cast iron, four inches diameter, and lying in brass at each end: a quadruple crank of cast iron, six inches square, each of the necks being turned one foot from the center, which is fixed in brass at each end, in two head-stocks fastened down by caps. The end of one of these cranks is placed close abutting to the end of the axle-tree last mentioned, and fixed thereunto by an iron wedge drove through a slit in them both for that purpose. The four necks of the crank have each an iron spear or rod fixed at their upper ends to the respective lever, within three feet of the end; which levers are twenty-four feet long, moving on centers in a frame, at the end of which are jointed four rods, with their forcing-plugs, working into four iron cylinders, cast four feet three quarters long, seven inches bore above, and nine below, where the valves lie, fastened by screwed flanches over the four holes of a hollow trunk of cast iron, having four valves in it, just at the joining-on at the bottom of the barrels or cylinders, and at one end a sucking pipe or grate, going into the water, which supplies all the four cylinders alternately.
From the lower part of these cylinders come out necks, turning upwards archwise, whose upper parts are cast with flanches to screw up to a trunk; which necks have bores of seven inches diameter, and holes in the trunk above, communicating with each of them; at which joining are placed four valves. This trunk is cast with four bosses, or protuberances, standing out against the valves, to give room for their opening and shutting; and on the upper side are four holes stopped with plugs, which take out, on occasion, to cleanse the valves. One end of the trunk is stopped by a plug; and iron pipes are joined by flanches to the other end, thro’ which the water is forced up to any height or place required.
Besides these four forcers, there are four more placed at the other ends of the levers, which work in the same manner, with rods and cylinders, as above. And the same works are repeated at the other end of the water-wheel, viz. a cog-wheel, a trundle, a spindle, a crank, sucking-pipes, four levers, eight forcing-rods, eight cylinders, &c. four trunks, and two forcing-pipes: so that one single wheel works sixteen pumps.