Archimedes screw

Archimedes screw [Credit: Encyclopdia Britannica, Inc.]

Machine for raising water, allegedly invented by the ancient
Greek scientist Archimedes for removing water from the hold of
a large ship. One form consists of a circular pipe enclosing a
helix and inclined at an angle of about 45 degrees to the
horizontal with its lower end dipped in the water; rotation of the
device causes the water to rise in the pipe. Other forms consist
of a helix revolving in a fixed cylinder or a helical tube wound
around a shaft.
Archimedes screw [Credit: M.A. Wijngaarden]
Modern screw pumps, consisting of helices rotating in open
inclined troughs, are effective for pumping sewage in
wastewater treatment plants. The open troughs and the design
of the screws permit the passage of debris without clogging.

Reference: Encyclopedia Britannica, (2014). Archimedes screw |

technology. [online] Available at:
http://www.britannica.com/technology/Archimedes-screw [Accessed 13 Oct.
2015].