IMPROVEMENTS IN. REEFING AND FURLING SAILS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Howard, of 18, Church Street, Seaham
Harbour, Durham, and William Wood, of Church Street, Seaham
Harbour, Durham, aforesaid, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN.
REEFING AND FURLING SAILS."
Sealed the 4th April 1865, and dated the 18th October 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Howard and
William Wood at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 18th October 1864.
We, STEPHEN HOWARD, of 18, Church Street, Seabam Harbour, Durham,
and WILLIAM WOOD, of 12, Church Street, Seaham Harbour, Durham,
aforesaid, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REEPING AND FURLING SAILS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in working sails on two yards, one below the
other, the upper yard being shorter than the lower yard, the sail being reefed
and furled on the lower yard instead of being reefed on a roller abreast of the
yard as at present adopted.
The reefing and furling halyards are fixed to the lower yard-arm and are
carried through a sheave fixed on the upper yard arm. The starboard

page_text: halyards are carried to the port quarter of the upper yard, the port halyards
are carried to the starboard quarter of the upper yard; thence up the mast,
and there fixed to the irons or cross-trees of the mast by a chain, strap, and
blocks.
The reefing and furling halyards at present in use lead from the yard arm
to the cap, causing the halyards to chafe the rigging and causing a great
strain at the mast-head; this is obviated by our Invention as above described,
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Stephen Howard and William Wood in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, STEPHEN
HOWARD, of 18, Church Street, Scaham Harbour, Durham, and WILLIAM
WOOD, of 12, Church Street, Seaham Harbour, Durham, aforesaid, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto us, the said Stephen Howard and William Wood, Her special licence
that we, the said Stephen Howard and William Wood, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Stephen Howard
and William Wood, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should 'and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend,, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland; the Channel: Islands, .'and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS," upon the condition (amongst
others)-that-we,-the-said Stephen Howard and William Wood, our executors
or. administrators, by.an.instrument, in writing under our, or their, or one
of their hands and: seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said; Letters
Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Wood, on behalf of myself-and
the said Stephen Howard, do hereby declare the nature of our. said.Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention of improvements in reefing and furling sails consists in
two yards, one a little below the other, but not quite under the upper yard
(not as in former Patents, a roller attached to the yard).
These two yards are connected by means of an iron with two hoops, one
at each end of the yard, the upper hoops being made fast by means of a bolt
after it is drove on the upper yard. The lower yard revolves through the
lower hoop after having six pieces of iron let in where the reefing chains
work to keep it from chafing (not as in former Patents, a pin in the end of a
roller or welph wheels, considering it to be cheaper and stronger than any
other Patent.
There are two pawlshoops placed one at each end of the revolving yard-
arm, and the pawl is attached to each yard-arm iron by a bolt. This pawl
and hoop being placed at each end of the yard, in case the reefing chains
were to break, the sail would still be in its proper place by the pawl at each
yard-arm holding it fast (no other Invention has any means of stopping the
sail from unwinding off the rollers when the reefing chains break or other
gear gives way this must be in some cases both dangerous to life and pro-
perty). There is also a spring and tripline at the end of each yard arm, the
spring being to assist the pawl in its proper place; the tripping line is used
to lift the pawl up when required. It leads an eye-bolt on the top of the
yard-arm iron along the yard and down to the deck.
There are two bearers, one on each quarter of the yard.
so as to screw up and down when required, this screw being
turn the bearers from chafing the sail.
They are fixed
placed so as to
The reefing chains are fixed to an eye-bolt on the revolving yard, then
leading through a clamb on the upper yard along to the opposite quarter,
through a block up to and under the trussel-trees, then leading down to
the deck with blocks and tackles. The blocks are four ordinary swivel blocks,
one in each quarter of and two fixed under the trussel-trees by a chain, strap,
or bolts.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner in
which the same is or may be carried into effect, we declare that what we
claim and desire to be secured by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First, the yard-arm irons which connect the yards together.

page_text: Secondly, the pawls, hoops, springs, and appendages.
Thirdly, the screw which is attached to the working of the bearer.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Wood, on behalf of myself and
the said Stephen Howard, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Seventeenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five."
WILLIAM WOOD. (L.S.)