2012 - Volume #36, Issue #5, Page #22
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Civil War Hand Pump Still Works
“Until the Civil War, most pumps were made out of wood,” says Fulton. “During the war they perfected galvanized tin and cast iron, so pumps like these started to appear.”
Fulton found the pump sitting alongside a garage. When he picked it up, the chain unfolded, and he realized what it was. All that was needed was a new handle to put it in working order.
The pump has a simple sprocket drive with cups about the size of a quarter stick of butter attached to the outside of the chain. As the chain revolves, the cups carry water up and dump it as they crest over the sprocket.
The original chain on Fulton’s pump would have been long enough to dip into a 30 to 40-ft. deep well. For display purposes, he shortened the chain and sets it over a half barrel.
“It still works just fine,” says Fulton. “People enjoy turning the crank and watching it work. It takes about 20 cranks to move a gallon of water.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Fulton, 4504 E. 17th St., Cheyenne, Wyo. 82001 (ph 307 634-7042; lhfulton@msn.com).
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