IMPROVEMENTS IN SAIL HANKS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Flint Ramsay, of Devon House, Manor Road, Forest
Hill, in the County of Kent, and Josial Henry Shoebotham, of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAIL
HANKS."
Sealed the 25th July 1879, and dated the 10th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Flint Ramsay and Josiah
Henry Shoebotham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th
February 1879.
FLINT RAMSAY, of Devon House, Manor Road, Forest Hill, in the County of
Kent, and JOSIAH HENRY SHOEBOTHAM, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAIL HANKS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in sail hanks to enable them to
be readily opened and closed, so that they may be rapidly and easily secured to
the bolt rope of a sail and also to the stay. For this purpose we make the hank
of an oval formed ring larger in diameter at one end than at the other. The ring
is in two parts, which are connected together by a hinge joint situated at one side
of the oval near its smaller end.
The parts at their other ends where they meet are tapered and overlap one
another, the tapered end of the one part out of which the smaller end of the oval
is formed overlapping the tapered end of the other part which mainly forms the
larger end of the oval.
The overlapping ends of the two parts are provided respectively with the two
parts of a spring catch fastening, one part having a stud or projection, and the
other an opening or recess into which the said stud snaps, the two parts of the
ring having sufficient elasticity to afford the required amount of spring necessary
for this kind of fastening.
To enable the two parts to be thus sprung together a hole is formed in the
overlapping ends of each part; these holes coincide when the ring is closed.
When
the ring is nearly closed, but the two parts not snapped together, the holes in the
two parts do not coincide; they are however sufficiently near together to allow the
pointed end of a metal marling spike being passed into both, and then by using

page_text: the spike as a lever the two parts are bent or sprung until the pin on the one
part is opposite to the hole which is to receive it in the other; the spring of the
arms then causes the pin to enter the hole:
To again open the ring the point of the metal spike is inserted below the end of
the outer overlapping part, and is by it forced outwards until the pin is freed
-from-the hole; the two parts then fly open. A groove or recess is provided to allow
of the point being thus inserted under the-end-of-the-outer overlapping part.
The part which mainly-forms the larger end of the oval ring has a prolongation
formed upon it at its hinge end, which prolongation extends beyond the hinge
joint-before-mentioned and passes across the ring. This prolongation is bent or
formed so as with the smaller end of the oval ring to-form-a-ring-or-circle of small
diameter, in-which-the-bolt-rope of the sail is to be enclosed whilst the larger end
of the oval serves to receive the stay.
It will thus be-seen-that-when the hank is unfastened an entrance is opened,
both into the smaller circle-which is to receive the bolt rope, and-also-into the larger
end of the oval ring which is to receive the stay, and thus the hank can readily be
passed both on to the stay and on to the bolt rope at any part of their length.
For some purposes the two parts of the hank may be otherwise shaped than
oval, especially for bending square sails.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Flint Ramsay and Josiah Henry Shoebotham in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th August 1879.
FLINT RAMSAY, of Devon House, Manor Road, Forest Hill, in the County of
Kent, and JOSIAH HENRY SHOEBOTHAM, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAIL HANKS."
This Invention has for its object improvements in sail hanks to enable them to
be readily opened and closed, so that they may be rapidly and easily secured to the
bolt rope of a sail and also to the stay. For this purpose we make the hank of an
oval formed ring larger in diameter at one end than at the other. The ring is in
two parts, which are connected together by a hinge joint situated at one side of the
oval near its smaller end.
The parts at their other ends where they meet are tapered and overlap one
another, the tapered end of the one part out of which the smaller end of the oval
is formed overlapping the tapered end of the other part which mainly forms the
larger end of the oval.
The overlapping ends of the two parts are provided respectively with the two
parts of a spring catch fastening, one part having a stud or projection, and the
other an opening or recess into which the said stud snaps, the two parts of the
ring having sufficient elasticity to afford the required amount of spring necessary
for this kind of fastening.
To enable the two parts to be thus sprung together, a hole is formed in the over-
lapping ends of each part; these holes coincide, or nearly so, when the ring is closed.
When the ring is nearly closed, but the two parts not snapped together, the holes
in the two parts do not coincide; they are however sufficiently near together to
allow the pointed end of a metal marling spike being passed into both, and then
by using the spike as a lever the two parts are bent or sprung until the pin on
the one part is opposite to the hole which is to receive it in the other; the spring
of the arms then causes the pin to enter the hole.
is
To again open the ring the point of the metal spike is inserted below the
end of the outer overlapping part, and is by it forced outwards until the pin
is freed from the hole; the two parts then fly open.
A groove or recess
provided to allow of the point being thus inserted under the end of the outer over-
lapping part. Or in some cases the ring may be opened by a spike introduced
into the holes which aid in closing the ring.
The part which mainly forms the larger end of the oval ring has a prolongation
formed upon it at its hinge end, which prolongation extends beyond the hinge
joint before mentioned and passes across the ring. This prolongation is bent or
formed so as with the smaller end of the oval ring to form a ring or circle of small
diameter in which the bolt rope of the sail is to be enclosed, whilst the larger end
of the oval serves to receive the stay.
It will thus be seen that when the bank is unfastened an entrance is opened
both into the smaller circle which is to receive the bolt rope and also into the larger
end of the oval ring which is to receive the stay, and thus the hank can readily be
passed both on to the stay and on to the bolt rope at any part of their length.
For some purposes the two parts of the hank may be otherwise shaped than
oval, especially for bending square sails.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews a side view partly in section
of a sail hank constructed as above described. a, b, are the two parts of an oval
ring hinged together at c; d is a prolongation of one of the parts extending beyond
the hinge joint across the ring and dividing the ring into two compartments or
divisions.
The two ends of the ring away from the hinge joint overlap one another and are
both tapered as shewn, so that when together they are of a section corresponding
with the other parts of the ring; on the bevilled face of the end of one part is a

page_text: projecting pin e, and in the end of the other part a corresponding hole for the pin
to spring into, there being sufficient spring in the parts a, b, of the ring to allow
of this; there are also other holes f. f. in the two ends for a spike to be placed into
as above described, and to give the necessary leverage to enable the two parts to
be readily snapped together. To open the hank a groove is provided in one part
-at-g-to allow a spike to be inserted below the end of the other part, and into the
hole to enable the overlapping ends of the two parts to be sprung apart.
The dotted lines shew the position of the part b when the ring is opened..
Figure 2 shews a side view partly in section of a similar hank except that in
place of providing a groove g to allow of the point of a spike being inserted between
the two overlapping ends of the parts a; b; of-the-ring to facilitate the opening of
the bank, the-hank is so formed that it can be both opened and closed by a spike-
inserted into the holes f, f; to allow of this the catch-pin e_is_rounded or bevilled
at its end, so that when pressure is put upon the overlapping ends of the parts a, b,
to force them apart, the pin-e-on the one part rises up and leaves the hole in the
other part.
b
Figure 3 shews & side view of another similar hank, except that in this case one
part a of the ring is of a trough shape in cross section, so that where the ends of
the two parts of the ring overlap one another, the end of the one part 6 may lie in
the trough or hollow of the other part a. The snap fastening in this case is formed s
by rounded projections at the sides of the part b entering corresponding recesses in
the sides of the trough shaped end of the part a.
Figure 4 shews a side view partly in section of another hank similar to that
shewn at Figure 2, except that in place of the spring catch being formed by a pin on
one part entering a hole in the other part, the two parts are formed to lock together
in the manner shewn; any other suitable form of catch may however be used both in
this and also in the other forms of hank; also in place of the ring being of an
oval form of a uniform curve on both sides, one side of the oval is flattened as
shewn. An edge view of the hank is shewn at Figure 5; from this it will be
seen that the flattened side is of greater width than the overlapping ends and 3
remainder of the ring. Hanks of this form are better adapted for jack stay hanks,
which require to be flattened on the side lying next to the yard.
It will be seen that in all the banks shewn in the Drawing there is an entrance
opened into both compartments of the hank whenever the hank is opened.
The hanks may be of brass, iron, steel, or other metal or substance of sufficient 3
strength, and sufficiently elastic to allow of the two parts being sprung together or
sprung apart as required.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing
the same, we would have it understood that we claim:
First. The construction of sail hanks of an oval or other shaped ring with a 4
division across the ring to divide it into two compartments or divisions, one to
receive the stay and the other the bolt rope of the sail, and with the ring divided
into two parts hinged together at one end, and at the other end overlapping one
another and held together by a spring snap fastening, the position of the joint and
fastening-being such that when the ring is opened an entrance is given into both 4
compartments or divisions of the hank
Second. The construction of sail hanks, substantially as herein before described
and shewn in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Flint Ramsay, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Ninth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight 5
hundred and seventy nine.