Improvements in Sails.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Sails.
I, JOHN DUTE, Superintendent Ship Builder, of 635, E, Morrison Street,
Portland, in the County of Multnomah and State of Oregon, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The purpose of this invention is to provide a sail for both square and fore-and-
att rigged vessels, which sail for a given size will provide a greater area for the
engagement of the wind and consequently will drive a boat faster than the type
of sail now in use. This end I attain by forming the sail with a number of
concavities or recesses produced by loose sections of canvas and arranged to reverse
as the wind changes from one side to the other of the sail, such concavities or
recesses serving to gather and retain the wind and thus increase the efficiency
of the sail.
The recesses or concavities in the sail are of elongated gutter shape with
intervening plane sections of canvas. The concavities or recesses may be disposed
in fan-like order, the recess at the luff of the sail being parallel with the luff and
the recess at the lecch of the sail being parallel with the leech. The recesses
may run perpendicularly to the foot of the sail. The recesses, instead of running
throughout the width or height of the sail, may be divided by a number of plane
sections which cross each other at right angles. The horizontal plane strips may
be all parallel with the foot of the sail to avoid waste in cutting the sail. In this
form braces are not necessary.
When the vessel is hauled close on a wind it may sometimes be desirable to lace
up the loose sections of cloth so as to close the cavities and thus produce a flat sail,
which is more effective under such circumstances. For this purpose I provide
grommet-like braces connected with each other at each side of the sail by short
lines each provided at each end with an eye receiving the adjacent brace. Passed
through an eye in each loose section of cloth is a short line which lines have each
an eye in each end, such eyes receiving the corresponding brace at each side of
the sail and respectively against the knots of the braces. To the braces which
are immediately adjacent to the luff of the sail I attach to each brace two hauling
lines which are located one at each side of the sail and are respectively rove
through cringles at the luff of the sail. From these cringles the hauling lines
pass downward to the boom so that they may be reached by the crew.
leech of the sail similar lines are rove through cringles and passed down to the
boom. By hauling on either of the lines the braces may be drawn flat against
the sail and the loose sections of the cloths will be laced up and the sail rendered
flat fit for windward work. When the starboard leech hauling line is hauled aft
to lace the sail the line may be made fast to a cleat or pin on the boom. The
purpose of providing the hauling lines at both sides of the sail is to permit the
sail to be laced up on either tack, and the purpose of providing the hauling lines
at both the leech and luff of the sail is to permit the hauling to be done from
the point most convenient to the crew.
At the

page_text: If desired the sail may be provided at horizontal points intermediate of the
braces with lacing lines supplemental to those just described so that by hauling
the supplemental lines the bellies in the loose portions of the sail between may
be drawn up to render the sail still flatter. The supplemental lines are at each
side of the sail and are rove through cringles on the same.
Dated 1 174 lov of Maiah 1800
فریمه.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.
Improvements in Sails.
I, JOHN DUTHIE, Superintendent Ship Builder, of 635, E, Morrison Street,
Portland, in the County of Multnomah and State of Oregon, United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
-
The purpose of this invention is to provide a sail for both square and fore and
aft rigged vessels, which sail for a given size will provide a greater area for the
engagement of the wind, and consequently will drive a boat faster than the type
of sail now in use. This end I attain by forming the sail with a number of
concavities or recesses, produced by loose sections of canvas, and arranged to reverse
-as-the-wind-changes from one side to the other of the sail, such concavities or
recesses serving to gather and retain the wind and thus increase the efficiency
of the sail.
This specification is the disclosure of one form of my invention, while the
claims define the actual scope thereof.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the views.
Figure 1 is a side view of a sloop or cutter sail constructed according to my
invention.
Figure 2 is a fragmentary section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken transversely through one of the recesses
of the sail;
Figure 4 is a detail section on the line 4-4 of Figure 5;
Figure 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is a view illustrating a modification of the sail.
Figure 7 is a view illustrating a horizontal section taken through the sail
shown in Figure 6;
Figure 8 is a side view illustrating an additional modification;
Figure 9 is a section through the construction shown in Figure 8, the line of
section being parallel with the leech of the sail.
Figure 10 is a sectional view of the structure shown in Figure 8, the line of
section in Figure 10 being parallel with the foot of the sail;
Figure 11 is a view of a still further modification.
Figure 12 is a sectional view of an arrangement for lacing up the recesses or
cavities; and
Figure 13 is a similar view of an auxiliary lacing device.
Referring to the first five figures, the sails are constructed with a number of
elongated gutter-shaped recesses or concavities 12, between which intervene plane

page_text: sections of canvas 14. These concavities or recesses 12 in the mainsail shown in
Figure 1, are shown as disposed in fan-like order, the recess at the luff of the sail
being parallel with the luff, and the recess at the leech of the sail being parallel
with the leech. In the head-sail of the rig shown in Figure 1, the recesses may
run perpendicularly to the foot of the sail, as shown with respect to the staysail
in the figure referred to, or they may run at angles thereto, as shown with respect
to the jib and jib topsail in Figure 1. Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the con-
struction of these recesses or concavities 12. The recesses or concavities are formed
each of a loose strip of canvas, which may blow out on either side of the sail so
that as the vessel goes about, the concavities are always open to the windward
side of the sail, so as to receive the wind and cause the wind to act upon the sail
in such a manner as to increase the power and efficiency of the sail. For bracing
the canvas forming the recesses or concavities 12, I provide a grommet-like
brace or structure 15, which is formed of cordage and provided with two pairs
of knots 16, the braces being passed through the eyes at the sides of the recesses
or concavities 12, and the knots 16 serving to limit the movement of the braces
in the eyes. The knots 16 are spaced apart so that a certain limited movement
of the braces may be had, by which arrangement the braces serve to sustain at
both sides of the same, the canvas forming the recesses or concavities. The
terminals of the recesses are formed by diagonally disposed sections of canvas 17,
which are joined to the material forming the recesses 12, by means of links or
rings 18, and which are joined also to the straight or plane sections 14" of canvas
which form the head and foot of the sail.
The form of sail shown in Figures 6 and 7 is the same as that shown in the
figures just referred to, except that the recesses 12" are all run parallel with the
luff of the sail.
The construction shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 differs from the other forms
in that the recesses 12b instead of running throughout the width or height of the
sail, are divided by a number of plane sections 14" which cross each other at
right angles. In this form the braces 15 are not necessary. The form of the
invention shown in Figure 11 is exactly the same as that shown in Figures 8, 9
and 10, except that the horizontal plane strips 14" are all parallel with the foot
of the sail, which avoids waste in cutting the sail.
When the vessel is hauled close on a wind it may sometimes be desirable to
lace up the loose sections of cloth so as to close the cavities and thus produce a
Hat sail, which is more effective under such circumstances. For this purpose I
provide the gear shown in Figures 12 and 13 which represent horizontal sections
of the mainsail shown in Figure 1, the mast being indicated at 20, in Figures 12
and 13. The grommet-like braces 15 are connected with each other at each side
of the sail by short lines 21, each provided at each end with an eye receiving the
adjacent brace as shown in Figure 12. Passed through an eye in each loose
section 12, of cloth is a short line 22 which lines have each an eye in each end,
such eyes receiving the corresponding brace 15 at each side of the sail and
respectively against the knots 16 of the braces 15. To the braces 15 which are
immediately adjacent to the luff of the sail, I attach to each brace two hauling
lines 23 which are located one at each side of the sail and are respectively rove
through cringles 24 at the luff of the sail. From these cringles 24 the hauling
lines 23 pass downward to the boom so that they may be reached by the crew. At
the leech of the sail, lines 25 similar to the lines 23 are provided, and these
lines 25 are rove through cringles 26 and passed down to the boom. By hauling
on either the lines 23 or the lines 25 the braces 15 may be drawn flat against
the sail and the loose sections 12 of the cloths will be laced up and the sail
rendered flat fit for windward work. Figure 12 shows the starboard leech hauling
line 25 hauled aft to lace the sail; and when so hauled the line may be made
fast to a cleat or pin on the boom. The purpose of providing the hauling lines at
both sides of the sail is to permit the sail to be laced up on either tack, and the

page_text: purpose of providing the hauling lines at both the leech and luff of the sail, is
to permit the hauling to be done from the point most convenient to the crew.
If desired the sail may be provided at horizontal points intermediate the
braces 15 with lacing lines 27 supplemental to those just described, so that by
hauling the lines 27 the bellies in the loose portions 12 of the sail between, may
be drawn up to render the sail still flatter. The lines 27 are at each. side of the
sail and are rove through cringles 28 on the same..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is: -
1. A sail, having recesses or concavities formed therein by loose sections of
cloth, which loose sections of cloth may blow out to either side of the sail so that
the recesses or concavities will always open to windward of the sail.
2. A sail, having a loose section of cloth which may blow out to either side of
the sail, whereby to form a recess or concavity in the sail, such recess or con-
cavity always opening to windward of the sail, and a grommet-like brace serving
to strengthen the loose section of cloth, and having a limited sliding movement
in the sail.
3. A sail, having a recess or concavity formed therein and opening to windward
of the sail.
4. A sail, formed of a number of plane sections of cloth, between which are
secured a number of loose sections of cloth adapted to be blown out to either
side of the sail, and forming recesses or concavities in the sail, which recesses or
concavities always open to windward.
5. A sail with loose cloths forming cavities in the sail and means for lacing up
such loose cloths when desired to make the sail flat.
TEL: 01 1. 1900
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.