Abstract: A rope pump for conveying fluid-like material from a reservoir to a select location includes an endless rope, pulleys for forming the endless rope into a loop extending between the reservoir and the select location and an improved drive for driving the endless rope about the pulleys. The improved drive includes first and second sheaves each having a plurality of circumferencial grooves and an axis of rotation. The first and second sheaves are mounted to shafts for rotation about their respective axes of rotation. The sheaves are radially spaced with the grooves of the first sheave aligned with the grooves of the second sheave and the respective axes of rotation being in parallel. A motor is provided in operative association with one of the first and second sheaves for rotating the sheave about its axis.