Keel car

A water lifting machine invented by Ma Jun of the Three Kingdoms Dynasty of Wei in China. It is also called a flipping wheel. A "keel" made of many wooden boards attached to a connected wooden chain (like a bicycle chain) moves through a long, narrow box-shaped gutter placed at an angle with its bottom immersed in the river, and each wooden board scoops up water one after another and shovels it up onto the bank. The keel is attached to arms (corresponding to a chain wheel) that radiate from the center of a horizontal rotating shaft at a right angle to the shaft, and moves sequentially as the horizontal shaft rotates. The horizontal shaft is rotated by pedals operated by hands or feet (the type that is stepped on by feet is called a treadmill), or by attaching gears to the horizontal shaft to change the direction of rotation at a right angle and using oxen or water power. It is still used in the Jiangnan region of China, and was used for irrigation in Shiga Prefecture and other areas in Japan until recently. It was introduced to the West in the 17th century.

[Kazuhiko Miyajima]

"Chinese Science and Civilization 9: Mechanical Engineering" by J. Needham, translated by Tetsuro Nakaoka et al. (1978, Shisosha) " ▽ "Heaven's Creations" translated and annotated by Kiyoshi Yabuuchi (Heibonsha, Toyo Bunko)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、三国、魏(ぎ)の馬鈞(ばきん)が考案した揚水機。翻車ともよばれる。下端を河川に浸して斜めに置かれた細長い箱形の樋(とい)の中を、つながって輪になった木の鎖（自転車のチェーンのようなもの）に多数の木板を取り付けた「竜骨」が移動し、各木板が次々に水をすくって岸の上に掻(か)き上げる。竜骨は、水平な回転軸の中央部に軸と直角に放射状に突き出た腕（チェーン・ホイールに相当）にかけられており、水平軸の回転とともに順次移動する。水平軸は、人が手や足でペダルを動かして（足で踏むタイプを踏車という）、あるいは水平軸に歯車を取り付けて回転の向きを直角に変えてウシや水力で回転させる。中国では現在も江南地方などで使われ、日本でも滋賀県などでは近年まで灌漑(かんがい)に使われていた。17世紀には西洋にも伝わった。

［宮島一彦］

『J・ニーダム著、中岡哲郎他訳『中国の科学と文明9　機械工学』（1978・思索社）』▽『藪内清訳註『天工開物』（平凡社・東洋文庫）』

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