Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY
A Research Centre of the Helmholtz Association

Heinrich Geißler (*1814, †1879)

In 1857, Geißler invented a mercury air pump.
The liquid metal drips down a downpipe and thus
presses air out of the device. In order to repeat the
procedure, the gathered mercury at the bottom,
needed to be refilled to the top of the apparatus over
and over again.
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