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Rack-and-pin′ion pro-pel′ler.

In order to obviate the inconveniences attending the use of horse-power and the injurious action of the ordinary paddle-wheel or propeller on the banks of canals, various devices in which wheels actuated by a motor on board the boat engage a continuous rack or rail at or above the canal bank, have been proposed.

Fig. 4097 shows one contrivance. A shaft B, driven by the engine, turns a cog-wheel C, connected by an endless chain with the spur-wheel E, on whose shaft is a pinion meshing with a rack J on the canal-bank. The bearings of the shaft B move freely in a vertical direction, so as to correspond with the variable immersion of the boat depending on the amount of her cargo. The boat is maintained in line with the con- [1852] tinuous rack by a roller K having flanges, which hold thereto while passing over the teeth. This also has vertical self-adjustment.

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