Appendix I - Technical Details of Bucket Pump

RE-ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE BUCKET PUMP - A SIMPLE WATER
LIFTING DEVICE FOR SMALL RURAL VILLAGES

By Dr. Costantino Faillace

APPENDIX I

TECHNICAL DETAILS OF THE BUCKET PUMP

The bucket pump ( see photo ) has been designed, in addition to the various
purposes indicated in the text, also with the scope to be used
mainly in remote areas where regular maintenance of hand-pumps,
especially during and after the rainy season, is not possible due
to lack of roads. As users in such villages have little technical
knowledge, the pump had to be as simple as possible so that it
could be repaired locally without outside help.

The Bucket pump, anyhow, even after the modifications of the last
year, may need further improvement by reducing the present lord
weight of about 8.7 kg (3.7 kg for the bucket and 5 kg for the
water). This can be achieved by using lighter materials such as
PVC, aluminum or 0.5 mm stainless steel sheet instead of the 1mm
carbon steel plate presently used. All these material should be
tried before the bucket pump is industrially produced. In spite
of the fact that in the past years no cases of injuries occurred
while operating the cylinder, further improvements and safer
design, such as emergency stop device while lowering and lifting
the bucket, could be considered. At present children younger than
10 years are not permitted to operate the bucket pump.
The technical details of the bucket pump are:

1. Cylinder - 700 mm long, diameter 115 mm, made out of 1 mm
carbon steel plate reinforced longitudinally by three, 3mm
thick iron strips and two iron rings at the bottom and top. An
iron basket to protect the 50mm PVC foot valve screwed in the
bottom of the cylinder. The capacity of the cylinder,
including the volume of water contained in the foot valve, is
5.1 liters.

2. Wire-rope - A wire rope 6mm diameter, generally not longer
than 6.5 meters, fixed with clamps to the cylinder and
to the windlass.

3. Windlass - made out 30 cm diameter welded iron bar and
connected at the two sides by 3 mm thick/ 20mm wide steel
strips with a concave section in the middle to keep the wire
rope and cylinder centralized in respect to the borehole
casing. The axle is made out of 35 mm iron steel, reduced to
20 mm for the bearings. The handles, 12mm c.s pipe, three on
both sides, complete the windlass.

4. Stand - Two c.s pipes, 30mm diameter, 2 meters long and two
same diameter pipes with 80 cm long welded are the footing
section of the stand. The bearing are welded at the top of the
stand. The right pipe of the stand has a welded hook to hung
the cylinder when not in use. Strips of iron welded at the
extremity of the stand assures a firm collocation of the stand
footing in the concrete basement.