Archimedes' screw the screw and casing could be cast together as a single piece in bronze. The design of the everyday Greek and Roman water screw, in contrast to the heavy bronze device of Sennacherib, with its problematic drive chains, has a powerful simplicity. A double or triple helix was built of wood strips (or occasionally bronze sheeting) around a heavy wooden pole. A cylinder was built around the helices using long, narrow boards fastened to their periphery and waterproofed with pitch. The screw was used predominately for the transport of water to irrigation systems and for dewatering mines or other low-lying
Screw So, as a general rule, when buying a packet of "screws" nuts would not be expected to be included, but bolts are often sold with matching nuts. Part of the confusion over this is likely due to regional or dialectical differences. "Machinery's Handbook" describes the distinction as follows: This distinction is consistent with ASME B18.2.1 and some dictionary definitions for "screw" and "bolt". The issue of what is a screw and what is a bolt is not completely resolved with "Machinery's Handbook" distinction, however, because of confounding terms, the ambiguous nature of some parts of the distinction, and usage variations.