Adopted in the twilight years of paddle steamers, before they were superseded by propeller-driven ships, the feathering paddle wheel provided a small increase in efficiency over conventional fixed-paddle wheels by keeping the paddles vertical as they passed through the water, so that only horizontal force was applied to it.  The angle of the hinged paddles was controlled dynamically by linkages to an offset spider.

The model was one of several Meccano demonstrations of the principal that have been seen.