 They met during his first major hydraulic project, which was to create the Beemster, a polder that was pumped dry during the period 1609 through 1612.He was granted a patent on his crankshaft in December, 1593 and was granted an additional patent for improvements in December, 1597 that was documented in the "Resolutiën van de Staten van Holland" on December, 1597.In his request, he called himself a farmer who needed to support a wife and children.