1-158-472 - Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images

Inclined plane powered by water wheel in use on a canal, 1796. The inclined plane was used to transfer vessels, in this case tub boats, from one level of a canal to another and was an alternative to a lock. The example shown was considered suitable for smaller canals with rise of 20-30 feet (6-9m). From A Treatise on the Improvement of Canal Navigation by Robert Fulton. (London, 1796).