/ 
CANAL. 
are placed over the two wheels of the fliaft, which reds 
upon the wall or partition between the lock-pits, as be¬ 
fore defcribed, and then carried under the two wheels, 
(which are alio fixed upon each end ol a fliaft, which 
works within framing, tinder each of the faid recepta¬ 
cles;) and the ends of the faid chains are then fattened or 
fixed with fcrews, or by any other method, at the top of the 
lide-wall of each lock-pit. At each end of either of the 
receptacles, as aforefaid, are placed hatches, lning up by 
chains,, ropes, or otherwife balanced with weights, or 
raifedand lowered with rack-wheels. When it is intended 
to receive or difcharge a boat, or barge, or other vefl'el, as 
aforefaid, the hatch is to be let down into a groove or cafe, 
fixed at each end of the two receptacles, till the top part 
of the hatch is* level with the bottom of the receptacles, 
which will admit the boat or barge to float over it. The 
upper and lower levels or canals muff alfo be divided into 
two mouths, troughs, or apertures, each to fit the ends of 
the receptacles, to make the mouths of the canal, and that 
of the receptacles, water-tight. The ends of the receptacles, 
which fit to the mouths of the upper level, muff be a little 
wider than the mouths of the canal, in order to clip tight; 
and the ends which fit to the lower levels muff be a little 
lefs than the mouths of the canal, fo that, as it finks down 
to the mouth of the lower canal, it clips the ends of the 
receptacles fufficiently long to make it water-tight, when 
a fmall wadding of leather or cloth is fixed between the 
joints ; or, it may be made water-tight, by having the ends 
of the receptacles brought exactly oppoiite to the mouths 
of the canal, and as near as can be to each other without 
touching, when a fiiort purchafe may be applied, with a 
lever and fmall weight, let drop by a cord, or any other 
method, which will prefs it againft the mouth of the canal, 
with a fufficient force to make it water-tight. Now, fup- 
pofe you have raifed one boat and lowered down another, 
the fir ft thing to be done is, to touch the break wheel, and 
fix the receptacle tight up to the mouth ot the canal; then 
to move a valve which is in the door at the mouth or en¬ 
trance of the canal, which admits the water out of the 
canal, into a fmall fpace between the door of the canal and 
the hatch of the receptacle ; when the hatch in the recep¬ 
tacle is to be funk, and the (fop-gate or door of the canal 
to be opened ; by which means, the water in the canal and 
the water of the receptacles will be united, and the boat 
will be floated out of the upper and lower receptacles, and 
others floated in. When done, the door is to be (hut and 
the hatch drawn up ; when a valve is to be opened in the 
bottom of the fpace between the door and the hatch ; by 
which means, the water is conveyed by a pipe into a fmall 
refervoir or trough, fixed under the bottom of the recep¬ 
tacle, which makes the receptacle, at the higher end or le¬ 
vel of greater weight than the lower; but, if the fmall 
quantity of water between the hatch and door be not fuffi¬ 
cient to overbalance it, more may be taken out of the up¬ 
per level; which water, when it a£ts to the bottom or lower 
level, difeharges itfelf by a plug or valve, and is carried oft' 
by means of a culvert, or otherwife. This machine or ba¬ 
lance lock is not confined to a perpendicular lift; for in- 
ffance, if the hill to defeend fliould he found of very hard 
rock, it will be lefs expenlive to adapt an inclined plane, in 
the following manner: Firff, two rail-ways muff be placed 
fide-by fide, from the upper to the lower level, and, be¬ 
tween thole, a (pace of feVenor eight feet, more or lefs, as 
may be mod convenient. At the top of tins fpace, or head 
of the upper level, mud be fixed a ftrong wheel, with the 
fame inclination as the rail-ways. Over this wheel is a 
ftrong chain, fattened to each receptacle ; and, at the bot¬ 
tom of thofe receptacles mud beaftrong framing of wood; 
in which frame will be four or more wheels, of different 
dimenlions, to keep the receptacles always in a horizontal 
pofition, tojoin the mouths or apertures of the canal at the 
upper and lowerlevels, when fimilar method's rnuft be ufed 
to make them water-tight, and transfer the boats, as de- 
feribed in the perpendicular lil t. This machine or balance- 
lock may alfo be applied to various other ui’efyl purppfes.” 
&99 
The reader will eafily perceive, that ftveral of thefc rae-> 
thods or inventions have a great affinity with one another„ 
and feern to have been all borrowed from the fame original 
principle. 
Mr. R. Fulton, of London, in a valuable Treatife on 
the Improvement of Inland Navigation, has recommended 
the coiiftrudliomof fmall canals, which may be extended 
into didriifts producing little trade, and yet, if occafion re¬ 
quire, be adequate to one of the firft magnitude. This 
plan is to have boats of only tour or five tons burthen, dif¬ 
fidently large for the carriage of all ufual articles, except 
timber, for which he lias made a feparate provifion. He. 
obferves, that fifteen or twenty of thefe boats may be 
linked together, by which any quantity of goods may be 
conveyed as conveniently, and with more difpatch, than in 
boats of twenty-five or forty tons burthen. His mode of 
communication from one level to another, is by an inclined 
plane, for which purpofe the boats are to be flat-bottomed, 
and furniffied with wheels. His machinery for lowering and 
railing them conlitts of a double inclined plane, extending 
from one level to the other, and running into each canal 
about fixty feet. The union of. the plane with the lower 
canal mud be formed by a hollow curve ; and on the Aim- 
mit where the plane turns into the upper canal, the union 
mud be by a regular curved bridge, to prevent the bottom 
of the boat touching the planes. With fome trifling alter¬ 
ations, Mr. Fulton adapts the fame machinery to a Jingle 
inclined plane; and he has alfo fuggefted another ingenious 
apparatus, to be worked by a water-wheel, for over¬ 
coming fmall afeents, being a medium between locks and 
planes. As thefe feveral methods may be productive of 
great public utility, we (hall here give the out-line of the 
machinery, recommending thole who are particularly in- 
terefted in canal navigation, to a perufal of Mr. Fulton’s 
book. , 
The DGUBLE INCLINED PLANE. 
The apparatus adapted to the double inclined plane, is 
briefly as follows : A pit or well, equal in depth to tlie dif¬ 
ference between the levels of the two canals. A Cough or 
fubterraneous drain, from the bottom of the pit, to com¬ 
municate with the lower canal. A tub, or ciftern, to move 
in the pit, into which water is drawn from the upper ca¬ 
nal, to create a power to put the machine in motion. A 
trough to convey the water from the upper canal to the 
tub. A drum wheel over the pit, to which the tub isfuf- 
pended ; which wheel gives motion to the remainder of the 
apparatus; with a fmall fan to regulate the increafed velo¬ 
city of the tub, in riling from the bottom to the top of the 
pit. A weight fufpended to the oppofite fide of tiie drum ; 
which mult be fomewhat fuperior to the empty tub. Ba¬ 
lance chains, which are equal in length to the depth of the 
pit; fattened one end to the bottom of the tub, the other 
to the bottom of the weight. A horizontal wheel at the 
bottom of the plane, and over the lower canal ; alfo, a 
wheel inclined on the fame angle as the plane, to be placed 
at the top ; round thefe two wheels the leading chains are 
continued, and perform a rotatory movement. A lying 
fhaft with two wheels multiplied movement, to convey the 
motion from the drum to the inclined wheel. A fmall 
wheel receivingAnotion from the back of the inclined 
wheel; order to draw the boat out of the upper canal 
on the bridge of the plane. A Hopper on the plane near 
the bridge, to prevent the boat descending till the barge¬ 
man is ready. Thefe feveral parts of the machinery are,deli¬ 
neated on Plate 11 . of Canal Navigation, and of which the 
following is an explanation. Fig. i, an apparatus for the 
double inclined plane; in w hie It A, reprefents the mouth 
of the well or pit, which mutt be of fufficient capacity to 
receive a tub or ciftern, that will hold at leatt eight tons of 
water. The pit or well muff be (leaned with brick or 
ftone. B, the fough or drain, from the well to the lower 
canal. £, the drum-wheel, which fliould'be about half the 
diameter of the ciftern or tub, and fo placed that one fide 
may come exactly over the centre of the pit or well. On ' 
one end of the drum, a ipur-wheel, D, muii be conftrmfted. 
