IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Byas, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Ship Carpenter, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING
AND FURLING SAILS, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREFOR.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Byas at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th March 1878.
THOMAS BYAS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Ship Car-
penter. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS, AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR
"
This Invention relates to improvements in reefing and furling sails, and in the
apparatus employed therefor, and has for its object to reef and furl sails with
rapidity and ease.
Upon each yard, at the centre of its length, is mounted a toothed or sprocket
roller or whelped boss, which is embraced by the sling bands which carry the said
A chain is passed over this
yard, and by which it is connected with the mast.
roller or boss, being led to a winch near the deck through suitable guides. By
hauling the chain in one direction, so that it causes the roller and the yard to which
it is fixed to revolve, the sail is furled by being rolled upon the yard; and by
hauling the chain in the other direction, the sail is unfurled.
The foot ropes are carried upon a separate stay or stretcher parallel with the yard,
but not revolving therewith, being fixed at its ends to the brace bands, and at its
centre to the sling bands. These stays or stretchers will also serve to carry the
studding sail booms when studding sails are required.
The courses or lower sails are kept taut during furling by a clip piece on either
side, which embraces the edge or leech of the sail, and which accommodates itself to

page_text: the varying width of the sail by working upon a screw formed on the yard-arm, so
as to cause the sail to roll up evenly. This clip piece is formed with an eye, which
runs upon a guide on the stay or stretcher to prevent the clip piece from revolving
with the yard.
1
Rollers or hoops are mounted in the sling bands and in the brace bands to enable
the yard to roll easily.
The top-sails, top-gallant sails, royals, and other upper sails are or may be made
self-setting on being unfurled by attaching one end of each sheet (that is, the ropes
or chains by which the said upper sails are set) to the clew of the said sail, then
passing it through a block carried by the stay or stretcher of the yard of the sail
below it, and connecting the other end of the said sheeting to the yard-arm above.
Thus in unfurling the sail the end of the sheeting attached to the yard-arm is coiled
upon it, whereby the other end attached to the clew pulls upon the sail, and
sets it.
All the sails are split at the centre from top to bottom (to clear the sling bands),
and the two parts are connected by hanks or travellers, which run upon and clip
the edges of the said parts. The said hanks or travellers are retained in position
when the sail is unfurled by a central rope or web, upon which they are fixed at
the requisite distance apart. As the sail is furled these travellers slide along the
edges of the parts of the sail, and when the sail is fully furled are retained in position
upon a tail piece or continuation of the edges of the slit formed at the lower part of
the sail to receive them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Byas in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th September
1878.
THOMAS BYAS, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Ship Car-
penter. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS, AND IN THE APPARATUS
EMPLOYED THEREFOR
"
My said Invention relates to improvements in reefing and furling sails, and in
the means or apparatus employed therefor, and has for its objects to reef and furl
sails with rapidity and ease.
The Invention has reference to that class of sails known as "square" sails.
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
Figure 1 illustrates my Invention as applied to one of the courses or lower sails,
and to the top-sail next above it. From the following description with reference to
these sails the manner of applying my Invention to other sails will be readily
understood.
In the Drawing the course or lower sail is marked A, and its yard B; the top-
sail is marked C, and its yard D.
Upon each yard, at the centre of its length, is mounted a toothed or sprocket
roller or whelped boss, which is embraced by or situated within the sling bands,
which carry the said yards, and by which they are connected with the masts. This
whelped boss is shewn (marked a) in Figure 2, which is a transverse section of one
of the yards, wherein the yard is marked X, and the sling band Y.
Rollers b, b, are mounted in the sling bands for the yard to roll easily upon.
A chain E is passed over the roller or boss a, being led to a winch or hauling
apparatus F on or near the deck (see Figure 1). By hauling the chain by means
of the hauling apparatus in one direction, the yard is caused to revolve, and the
sail is furled by being rolled on the yard; and by hauling the chain in the other
direction, the sail is unfurled.
Each yard is provided with a similar arrangement of sprocket wheel or whelped
boss and chain, led to a winch or hauling apparatus, or with hoisting yards.
It will be found convenient to roll the yards by means of tye and haul yards in
various ways well known to seamen.
G are the stays or stretchers carrying the foot ropes; they are parallel with the
yards, but do not revolve therewith, being fixed at their ends to the brace bands
H, H, and at their centre to the sling band Y. The .brace bands have also rollers
similar to the rollers b mounted in them to allow the yard to roll easily within
thein.
.
The courses or lower sails are kept taut during furling, and neatness of furling
thereby ensured, by means of a clip piece c (shewn separately in plan in Figure 3)
on either side, the said clip pieces being each either fixed or hinged to a band d
running upon a screw formed or fixed on the ends of the yard or yard-arms.
These clip pieces care of a formation, as shewn in Figure 3, to embrace the leeches
or raised edges of the sail, so as to hold the said edges, but not to impede the move-
ments of the sail in furling and unfurling. As the sail is rolled upon or unrolled'
from the yard the said clip pieces, by running upon the screws e, accomodate them-
selves to the varying width of the sail, and cause it to roll and unroll evenly.
When the sail is of the same or nearly the same width throughout, the clip pieces.
may be fixed to the brace bands instead of running upon screws.
The band d is prevented from revolving with the yard- by an eye f, which runs!
upon a guide g on the stretcher, or it may run upon the stretcher itself.

page_text: The top-sails and other upper sails mny, if desired, be provided with clip pieces
similar to those shewn with regard to the course.
With regard to the top-sail D, I have shown an arrangement by which the top-
sails, top-gallant sails, royals, and other upper sails may be made self-setting on
being unfurled. One end of a sheet or rope I is attached to each clew of the sail,
and is passed through a block or pulley i carried by the stretcher or by the brace
bands of the yard of the sail below it. The other end of each rope or sheet I is
attached to the yard-arms of the yard above. In unfurling the sail the ends of the
ropes or sheets I attached to the yard-arm are coiled upon it, whereby the other
ends attached to the clews pull upon the sail, and set it.
All the sails are split in the centre from top to bottom (to clear the sling bands),
and the two parts are connected by a series of hanks or travellers h (one of which is
shewn separately in plan in Figure 4). The said hanks are formed with eyes or
clips at each end, which embrace and run upon the two inner edges of the two
parts of the sail, so that when the sails are set they connect the two parts of the
Lail together, and so also that they do not interfere with the furling of the sail.
The upper hank or traveller is connected by hinging or otherwise to the sling bands.
The edges of the two parts are "roped," preferably with wire rope, which may be
secured to the sail by flexible metal strips passed through the rope, and sewn to the
canvas, or by wire or otherwise. The hanks or travellers will run upon this roping
without "chafing." This edging is made longer than the depth of the sail, termi-
nating in a tail piece J, shewn separately in Figure 5, which represents the central
portion of a sail rolled upon its yard. The hanks or travellers, when the sail is
furled, run completely off from the sail and on to this tail piece, thereby allowing
the sail to roll up snugly. The foot ropes of the sails run across the split in the
middle so as to bear the strain of the foot of the sail. The hanks or travellers h are
retained in position when the sails are unfurled by central ropes k, upon which they
are fixed at the requisite distance apart; this rope & carries a web of canvas, which
when the sail is unfurled fills the gap between the two portions of the sail to
prevent loss of wind; or the hanks or travellers may be attached to this web of
canvas.
The tail pieces, when the sails are unfurled, may be turned up out of the way by
roping attached to their ends and to the rope kc, so that the unfurling of the sails
will haul up the said tail pieces, as shewn in Figure 1.
"
Although I have shewn in Figure 2 the sling bands as being carried by a crane
truss," any other suitable truss or connection may be employed.
The sling bands Y are preferably single at bottom, so that the split in the sail
may be as narrow as possible.
The clip pieces c are shewn in the Drawing as being in front of the yard, but I
prefer that they be situated further abaft, so as to rest upon the yard, and prevent
the said clip pieces from chafing and wearing the sail.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The improvements in reefing and furling "square" sails, and in the appa-
ratus or means employed therefor, consisting in the general arrangement and
combination of parts berein-before described.
Second. The arrangement for furling "square" sails evenly upon their yards,
consisting of a clip piece or guide attached to the yard-arm, and embracing cach
"lecch" of the sails; also causing the said clip pieces or guides to adjust them-
selves to the varying width of the sails by causing them to run upon screws on the
yard-arms.
Third. Providing square' sails with a tail piece upon which the "hanks" or
travellers which connect the two parts of the sail are received when the sails are
fueled

page_text: Fourth. The arrangement for causing top-sails to be set during_unfurling,
essentially as herein-before described with reference to the top-sail in Figure 1 of
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Byas, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
THOMAS BYAS. (L.S.)