1. In a ship elevator including a channel having an inclined bottom, a water wedge terminating baffle movable along the channel, and driving means moving the baffle, the improvement comprising, in combination, a baffle having a water wedge engaging face inclined from the vertical so that the upper edge of said face is forwardly of the lower edge thereof, considered in the direction toward the water wedge; two supporting arms connecting said baffle to said driving means, each supporting arm engaging the back side of said baffle in the proximity of a respective side wall of said channel; articulating means connecting said supporting arms to said baffle for pivoting about a substantially vertical axis; articulating means connecting the opposite ends of said supporting arms to said driving means for pivoting about substantially horizontal axes; and a baffle lifting device connected to said baffle and to said driving mechanism; the connection of said baffle lifting device to said driving means being forwardly of the connection of said baffle lifting device to said baffle, as viewed from the top and in an upstream direction.

2. In a ship elevator including a channel having an inclined bottom, a water wedge terminating baffle movable along the channel, and driving means moving the baffle, the improvement comprising, in combination, a baffle having a water wedge engaging face inclined from the vertical so that the upper edge of said face is forwardly of the lower edge thereof, considered in the direction toward the water wedge; sealing rolls at the lateral edges of said baffle for sealing said baffle relative to the side walls of said channel; the axes of said sealing rolls being inclined at the same angle as the side walls of said channel, and the axes of said sealing rolls extending perpendicularly to the channel bottom in a cross sectional plane; means mounting said sealing rolls for displacement toward the center of said baffle; said mounting means compRising axle journals at opposite ends of each sealing roll; a respective swing lever engaged with each axle journal; a respective swing column supporting the swing levers for each sealing roll; guide rollers on each swing column bearing on the channel side walls when said sealing rolls are lifted; a pair of supporting arms connected to the back side of said baffle in the proximity of respective side walls of said channel and connected to said driving means; first articulating means connecting said supporting arms to said baffle for rotation about substantially vertical axes; and second articulating means connecting said supporting arms to said driving means for rotation about substantially horizontal axes; the axes of rotation of said guide rolls intersecting said horizontal axes.

3. In a ship elevator including a channel having an inclined bottom, a water wedge terminating baffle movable along the channel, and driving means moving the baffle, the improvement comprising, in combination, a baffle having a water wedge engaging face inclined from the vertical, toward the water wedge so that the upper edge of said face is forwardly of the lower edge thereof, considered in the direction toward the water wedge; said driving means including a rack and pinion drive having racks extending along the bank of said channel and having teeth extending in a vertical direction.