Overshot Water Wheel, 1834-1866

sModel, scale 1:10, of overshot waterwheel with closed short sole plate, timber framed, including one short piece of flume, unknown maker, Freiberg, Germany, 1834-1866.

This model is one of a set showing various types of timber water-wheels, together with details of the joints employed in their construction. In the current" wheel the radial blades dip into a running stream, and utilise only a small proportion of the energy of the water. The other three models are forms of overshot water-wheel; one has a closed sole plate, and so is unable to fill or empty its buckets rapidly through the lack of ventilation; the other two represent wheels with ventilated buckets.