IMPROVEMENTS IN RIGGING AND SPARRING VESSELS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lewis, of Elizabeth Town, in the State of New
Jersey, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RIGGING AND SPARRING VESSELS."
Sealed the 4th September 1855, and dated the 5th March 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lewis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th March
1855.
I, JOHN LEWIS, of Elizabeth Town, in the State of New Jersey, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RIGGING AND SPARRING VESSELS" to be as follows:-
The objects of my improvements are to fit spars in such a manner that
large sails can be stretched on them so as to present an equal surface to the
operation of wind on the opposite sides of a centre point to which said sails are
attached, so as to balance said sails, and cause them and the spars to move
easily on said point to any desired position, thereby dispensing with the ordinary
masts, jibbs, &c., and giving greater spread of canvas and more easily managed
sails.

page_text: To accomplish this object I construct one, two, three, or more frames,
according to the size of the vessel. Each frame is formed of light and strong
timbers, rising in a pyramidal form from the sides of the vessel, and connected
at their tops by a cap or round top fitted to receive a very strong ball and
socket joint which is attached to the main yard; said yard is made very strong
by suitable horizontal braces to cross bars on the yard. And about midway
between the centre and ends of said yard, cross pieces are attached with spars
or stretchers running both above and below, so as to carry two or more yards
above and below the main yard; these are braced together in such a manner as
to form a strong and light frame, that can be moved around on the ball and
socket joint of the main yard, and between these yards suitable sails are to be
stretched, it being borne in mind to stretch sails on opposite sides of the centre
so as to balance each other.
The forward end of the bottom yard is attached to a traveller on a
semicircular way, and a centre block and fall confines the sail centrally below
the ball joint when required, and when the vessel is "tacking," the sails will
turn and assume their correct position by the after end swinging across the
deck, while the forward end is retained by the traveller near the centre of the
vessel, and the back end of the yard by a suitable tackle; and when these
frames carrying the sails all lay fore and aft of the vessel, very little surface is
exposed to the action of the wind in a gale.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lewis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
September 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LEWIS, of Elizabeth Town, in the State of New Jersey, United States of
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Lewis, Her special license that I, the said John Lewis, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as J, the said John Lewis,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,

page_text: 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 RIGGING AND
SPARRING VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Lewis, by an instrument in writing under my band and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Lewis, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereto annexed, and to the
letters and figures, marked thereon (that is to say): :-
Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved sail and the parts carrying the same,
as seen from the starboard bow; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the
centre of the yards and parts carrying and connecting said yards; and Fig. 3
is a plan of the centre yard. Similar letters designate the same parts in all
the Figs.
The said Invention relates to a peculiar mode of constructing and working
a set of yards or spars connected by framework so as to move on a centre or
pivot, the said frame being balanced on said pivot so as to turn easily thereon,
and also receiving sails so set as to present nearly the same extent of surface
on each side of said centre, and thus be balanced in their action. a is the
deck of the vessel, a portion of the bulwarks of which are shewn as removed in
Fig. 1 to represent the other parts; b is a spring beam attached at 1, 1, to the
vessel, and lying near the plank-shear, one on each side of the vessel's deck.
On these spring beams a pyramidal framework c, c, is formed that rises to the
required height, and terminates with a metallic cap or round top d, to which
the said framework c, c, is securely attached. On the round top d a ball and
socket joint or pivot a connects the same securely to the main yard e, and
allows said yard and the parts connected thereto to move freely into the
required position. The yard e is connected to yards f 1 and g above, and to
yards fand h below, by means of braces i, i, and k, k, extending from outriggers
2, 2, and 3, 3, as seen in Fig 2, and the said braces are placed about equi-
distant between the middle and ends of the said yards, so as to permanently
connect the same and form a large framing to receive sails, the lower part of

page_text: said framing moving between the pyramidal frames c; and the sails themselves
are set between the yards and effectually protected from wear, because they
are merely attached at the top and bottom to the yards, and do not come in
contact with any portion of the framing or spars connecting said yards. The
sails are to be set by means of the usual halliards and lacings, and in order
to set sails above the yard g, I make use of topmasts 1, with stays passing to
the ends of the yard 9 and braces 4, crossways, passing through outriggers
5,5; and to prevent any motion endways of the yards I make use of double
diagonal braces or tie rods m, m, attached at their ends to the yards g
and h, and at the middle connected to outriggers 6, 6, on the yard e. The
yards are thus firmly attached together, and braced in all directions, and can
be turned on the centre x into any desired position; and in order to govern
the motion of this framing carrying suitable sails, I make use of a rope
or chain 7, attached to the centre of the yard h, passing to a ring, bolt, or
winch, connected to the deck perpendicularly below the centre x, so as to
confine the said frame, and cause it only to move as a perpendicular plane
around said points as centres, the extent of which motion is determined by
a traveller n on a semicircular rail o; and when the sail is to be inclined,
the traveller n is secured in the desired place, the rope or chain 7 loosened,
and the after part of the frame moved to either side of the vessel by means
of a double-acting winch barrel p on the yard h, which receives ropes or
chains 8 passing from the bulwarks or other convenient place through blocks
or sheaves on the yard h to said winch barrel, the one passing over the same,
the other under, so as to slacken on the rope leading to one side, while the
sail is drawn over by the other rope or chain. A rope or stay should be used,
passing from the end of one yard to the next, in order to tie the same together.
Two or more frames carrying sails can be made use of according to the
length and character of the vessel, sufficient room being allowed for the sails
to swing clear of each other.
I claim the spring beam b, to receive the framework c, c, and afford a
yielding support to the other parts for preventing sudden strain as specified.
I claim mounting a framing on a centre pivot in such a manner that sails
of nearly equal area can be set on opposite sides of said centre point for the
purpose of balancing the same, and causing the frame to be easily moved on
its centre as specified.
I claim the mode of constructing said frame for receiving sails, by means
of the yards connected by the double ranges of spars or braces as specified.
And I claim the method herein described of fitting and working the lower

page_text: yard so as to determine the position or inclination of the sail frame as
specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lewis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witnesses,
LEMUEL W. SERRELL,
289, Broadway, New York.
THOMAS G. HAROLD,
289, Broadway, New York.
JOHN LEWIS. (L.S.)