Improvements in Ships' Sails.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th May, 1890-Accepted, 16th Aug.. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Sails.
1, JOHN ROBERTS of 6, Crescent Place, Boston, County of Suffolk, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to ships' sails, particularly top-sails, top-gallant sails, courses,
and main and fore sails; and the said invention consists in providing the sail midway
between the extremities thereof with two or more ropes, which extend across the sail
and are secured thereto from the head to the foot thereof, and are fastened to the yards
or gaff and boom, as the case may be, for the purposes as will presently appear.
The object of this invention is to equalise the strain upon ships' yards in such
a manner as to make them bear nearly three times as much as they do with the
present rig by removing the strain from the yard-arms to the quarter; consequently
the yards need not be more than half as heavy to bear the required strain.
Another object of this invention is to strengthen the gaff and booms of yachts and
fore-and-aft sails and prevent the bagging out of such sails in the centre.
Referring to the accompanying drawings for a better understanding of the details of
construction of my invention :-
Figure 1 represents a top-sail and course, and
Figure 2 a yacht-sail constructed according to my invention.
A designates the top-sail, B the course, and the main or fore sail of a yacht.
DD are the yards, a a the quarter-ropings; bb diagonal ropings; the leech; the
foot-ropes, and E the mast.
Directions for making the sails. Take and rope, as at a the top sails A on the fore
part from one-third the head, as at g both sides, measuring from the centre, to one-
third the foot, as at h, to which an additional sheet. B is to be hooked, coming through
an iron sheave secured with two iron bands at one-third the lower yard, as at i, in line
and leading to the deck. Rope the courses B, also from one-third the head both sides,
as at to the centre of the foot.
To the centre of the foot a midship-tackle is to be hooked, as at that works
on a traveller upon the deck, and situated so far forward on the deck as to be in line
with that part of the swifter that the foot of the sail touches, and the chesstree or
place of the tack when the yard is braced up and so far across the deck that the
extremities of it will be in line with the centre of the yard and foot when the yard is
braced up. The heads of the quarter-ropings a of the top-sails and courses are to be
lashed to the quarters of the yards in the same manner as the outer car-rings, and the
diagonal ropings bb, which extend from the outer car-rings to the foot of the quarter-
ropings a, must be roped on the after part of the sail, so as to show a selvage or leech
on the after part when the outer clews are hauled up on the fore part in squally
weather.
The top-sail is set the same as any other. When set, haul the quarter-sheets taut.
As the breeze increases and the yard-arms begin to buckle to the yard-arm sheets so
much more in proportion than the quarters do to the quarter-sheets as their distances
are greater from the centre or slings, it is evident that the whole strain of the sail is
thrown into the quarters or place of the inner sheets, except that of that part of the
sail which is spread by the outer sheets, and that is only one-third of their respective
yard-arins. The courses also in the same manner equalise the strain on the lower
yards when set without a top-sail above them, as the top-sails do to the top-sail yards, for
when the yard-arms bend to the tacks and sheets more in proportion than the quarters
do to the quarter-ropings and midship-tackle from the deck as their distances
are greater from the centre, the yard-arm must be relieved of all the strain except the

page_text: strain of that part of the sail which is spread by the tacks and sheets, and that is one-
half of the whole. The midship-tackle is not started in tacking or performing any
other evolution, but allowed to travel across the deck.
In yachts and fore-and-aft rigged vessels, the sail, as shown in Figure 2, is to be
roped from about one-half the head to about one foot inside of one-third the foot,
measuring from the clew. The middle roping c¹, is to hear about one-half the strain
of the whole sail, or to be the size of the after leech-rope of a sail of the present rig,
and the leech to bear about one-half of the middle roping. When the sail is set, the
middle rope is lashed to the boom in line. Then when the boom begins to buckle to
the strain on the after leech, as the breeze increases, that strain will be transferred to
the inside roping, similar to the case of the outer and inner sheets of the top-sails.
It is thus seen that the sail will not only set hetter, but that the boom need not be
more than half as heavy.
In reefing you have only to put another lashing for each reef through the cringles
in the roping of the sail and around the boom.
Dated this 10th day of August 1889
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Ships' Sails.
I, JOHN ROBERTS of 6 Crescent Place, Boston, County of Suffolk, State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to ships' sails, particularly top-sails, top-gallant sails, courses,
and main and fore sails; and the said invention consists in providing the sail midway
between the extremities thereof with two or more ropes, which extend across the sail
and are secured thereto from the head to the foot thereof, and are fastened to the yards
or gaff and boom, as the case may be, for the purposes as will presently appear.
The object of this invention is to equalise the strain upon ships' yards in such a
manner as to make them bear nearly three times as much as they do with the present
rig by removing the strain from the yard-arms to the quarter; consequently the yards
need not be more than half as heavy to bear the required strain.
Another object of this invention is to strengthen the gaff and booms of yachts and
fore-and-aft sails and prevent the bagging out of such sails in the centre.
Referring to the drawings filed with the provisional specification
Figure 1 represents a top-sail and course, and
Figure 2 a yacht-sail constructed according to my invention.
A designates the top-sail, B the course, and the main or fore sail of a yacht.
DD are the yards, a the quarter-ropings: diagonal ropings; d the leech; the
foot-ropes, and E the mast.
Directions for making the sails. Take and rope, as at a, the top sails A. on the fore
part from one-third the head, as at g both sides, measuring from the centre, to one-
third the foot, as at h, to which an additional sheet is to be hooked, coming through
an iron sheave secured with two iron bands at one-third the lower yard, as at j, in line
and leading to the deck. Rope the courses B, also from one-third the head both sides,
as at j, to the centre of the foot.
To the centre of the foot a midship-tackle is to be hooked, as at e, that works on a
traveller upon the deck, and situated so far forward on the leck as to be in line with
that part of the swifter that the foot of the sail touches, and the chesstree or place of
the tack when the yard is braced up and so far across the deck that the extremities of
it will be in line with the centre of the yard and foot when the yard is braced up.
The heads of the quarter-ropings a of the top-sails and courses are to be lashed to the
quarters of the yards in the same manner as the outer ear-rings, and the diagonal

page_text: ropings bb, which extend from the outer car-rings to the foot of the quarter-ropings a,
must be roped on the after part of the sail, so as to show a selvage or leech on the
after part when the outer clews are hauled up on the fore part in squally weather.
The top-sail is set the same as any other. When set, haul the quarter-sheets taut.
As the breeze increases and the yard-arms begin to buckle to the yard-arm sheets so
much more in proportion than the quarters do to the quarter-sheets as their distances
are greater from the centre or slings, it is evident that the whole strain of the sail is
thrown into the quarters or place of the inner sheets, except that of that part of the
sail which is spread by the outer sheets, and that is only one-third of their respective
yard-arms. The courses also in the same manner equalise the strain on the lower
yards when set without a top-sail above them, as the top-sails do to the top-sail yards,
for when the yard-arms bend to the tacks and sheets more in proportion than the
quarters do to the quarter-ropings and midship-tackle from the deck as their distances
are greater from the centre, the yard-arm must be relieved of all the strain except the
strain of that part of the sail which is spread by the tacks and sheets, and that is one-
half of the whole. The midship-tackle is not started in tacking or performing any
other evolution, but allowed to travel across the deck.
In yachts and fore-and-aft rigged vessels, the sail, as shown in Figure 2, is to be
roped from about one-half the head to about one foot inside of one-third the foot,
measuring from the clew. The middle roping c¹ is to bear about one-half the strain of
the whole sail, or to be the size of the after leech-rope of a sail of the present rig, and
the leech to bear about one-half of the middle roping. When the sail is set, the
middle rope is lashed to the boom in line. Then when the boom begins to buckle to
the strain on the after leech, as the breeze increases, that strain will be transferred io
the inside roping, similar to the case of the outer and inner sheets of the top-sails.
It is thus seen that the sail will not only set better, but that the boom need not be
more than half as heavy.
In reefing you have only to put another lashing for each reef through the cringles
in the roping of the sail and around the boom.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. A ship's sail having one or more ropes extending vertically midway across the
same, secured to the sail and to the yards or gaff and boom, substantially as
described.
2. A ship's sail having one or more ropes extending vertically midway across the
same, secured to said sail and to the yards or gaff and boom, and a rope also secured
to the sail extending from the top outer corner of the sail to the foot of the vertical
rope, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of May 1890.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.