Description
A Deichel, Teuchel, Deuchel, – in Switzerland – Tüchel or Pipe (vulgar Latin: pipa, “pipe”) is a wooden tube made by drilling a hole lengthwise through the centre of a tree trunk; Teuchel were extensively used as water pipes in pre-industrial times, especially in abundantly wooded areas of Central Europe with a rich supply of water. Ernst Ochs, editor of the Baden Dictionary, suggests that the term derives from the Latin word ductile. A pipeline of this kind is referred to as a Röhrfahrt [pipe run] in Saxony, sometimes as a Röhrenfahrt [run of pipes] in Franconia, and as a Wasserreise [water passage/journey] in the Harz mountains.
Tüchel or Teuchel drillers hollowed out the tree trunks manually, connecting the resulting pipes, the so-called Tüchel (Teuchel), to form wooden water pipelines. The animation shows the water-powered design of a Teuchel drill developed between 1614 and 1618 by the engineer and inventor Salomon de Caus.
Further information on Salomon de Caus at: www.salomondecaus.de
