Description:

Revisiting iconography already studied by his predecessors, in folio 1063r of the Codex Atlanticus, Leonardo drew several boats equipped with paddles which have a system of gears which increase the rhythm and force compared to traditional oars. The model shows a cross-section of the hull of a boat, inside which are mounted two human-powered crank handles. The motion is transferred to two pairs of toothed wheels; the ones with a lesser diameter turn faster than the larger ones, thus increasing the speed at which the paddles turn.