Improvements in or connected with Sailing Vessels.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Feb., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Dec., 1894-Accepted, 19th Jan., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Sailing Vessels.
I GEORGE HORATIO TOWNSEND BEAMISH of Spyhill House, Queenstown
Ireland Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of my invention is to provide sailing vessels with means whereby the
degree of inclination and plane of the sail can be adjusted to neutralize the
careening effect of the wind on the sails.
The sail to which my invention is applied may be extended somewhat after the
manner of a flying kite and in addition to the ordinary sheet adjustment of a fore
and aft sail it is provided with means for inclining the plane of the sail to the plane
of the deck of the vessel so as to neutralize or in part neutralize the careening
effect of the wind pressure on the sail and thereby enable the vessel to maintain an
upright or nearly upright position when sailing with the wind on either side instead
of being careened to leeward as with sails arranged in the ordinary way.
The tripod form of mast may be used or the mast may be single with shrouds
and stays. The sail is extended by spars connected in any suitable way with or
near to the top of the mast the arrangement being such that the spars and sail can
vibrate along a guide with the point of attachment with the upper part of the
mast as a centre. The guide may be of a straight segmental or other suitable
form the sail being attached thereto so that it can be moved therealong laterally
to the vessel. The adjustment for the tack to one side or the other can be effected
by guys working through blocks at the ends of the guide and connected to the
back of the sail.
This 1st der of Fobruary 1894
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in or connected with Sailing Vessels.
I GEORGE HORATIO TOWNSEND BEAMISH of Spyhill House Queenstown
Ireland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to provide sailing vessels with means whereby the
degree of inclination and plane of the sail can be adjusted to neutralize the
careening effect of the wind on the sails.
The sail to which my invention is applied may be extended somewhat after
the manner of a flying kite and in addition to the ordinary sheet adjustment of a
fore and aft sail it is provided with means for inclining the plane of the sail to the
plane of the deck of the vessel so as to neutralize or in part neutralize the careening
effect of the wind pressure on the sail and thereby enable the vessel to maintain an
upright or nearly upright position when sailing with the wind on either side instead
of being careened to leeward as with sails arranged in the ordinary way.

page_text: The tripod form of mast may be used or the mast may be single with shrouds
and stays. The sail is extended by spars connected in any suitable way with or
near to the top of the mast the arrangement being such that the spars and sail can
vibrate along a guide or boom or guides or booms with the point of attachment
with the upper part of the mast as a centre. The guide or boom may be straight
segmental or other suitable form, the sail being attached thereto so that it can be
moved therealong laterally to the vessel.
The adjustment for the tack to one side or the other can be effected by guys
working through blocks at the ends of the guide or boom and connected to the tack
of the sail.
In order that my invention may be well understood I will describe with reference
to the accompanying drawings the best means with which I am acquainted for
carrying out my invention.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a vessel showing the sail placed vertically
and parallel with the centre line of the vessel as an ordinary fore and aft sail.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the vessel showing the sail adjusted to neutralize
careening.
Figure 3 is a stern view of the vessel corresponding to Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to Figure 3 and
Figure 5 is a side elevation of the vessel showing the sail "brailed up
partially furled on the yard the boom outhaul being slackened up.
" and
Figures 6 and 7 represent in side elevation and plan respectively a vessel
provided with a modified form of sail according to my invention.
Referring to Figures 1 to 5-
The sail A (which somewhat resembles a lateen sail) is attached to a yard A' B.
This yard with the sail attached (Fig. 3) is hoisted by the haliard A² connected
at or near the upper end A' of the yard to the mast X.
When this yard is hoisted the lower end B is secured midships by the heel
rope B'.
A boom CD provided with suitable jaws on the forward end C is placed in
position on the yard A' B by the haliard C, "topping lift" E, and sheet E', which
may be done in the usual manner and the clew F of the sail is hauled out by the
"outhaul" H and is secured at H to the yard A' B.
Struts K and K (Fig. 1) and any suitable arrangement of battens may be
provided to stiffen the yard A B and distribute the thrust from the boom at C to
retain the flatness of the sail. This gives the sail somewhat the character of
a kite.
The end B of the yard may be adjusted to any desired angle with the plane of
the deck by means of the "outhaul "I acting through pulley blocks at M M¹ at
or near the extremity of each of the booms N N¹. These booms are themselves
adjustable angularly by means of the " guys P. P1 P2 P3 and "topping lift" QQ'
the said booms being hinged at their lower extremity to a cross beam N² attached
to the mast and to brackets on the hull of the vessel.
"
When the sail is set as an ordinary fore and aft sail as shewn in Fig. 1 the lower
end B of the yard A' B and "tack of sail are secured midships.
When the tack" of the sail is hauled out to M' and the sheet E¹ is trimmed
for close haul on port tack as shewn in Figures 2, 3 and 4 the sail is adjusted to
neutralize careening, the arrow a in Figure 3 shewing, the direction of wind and
the arrow shews the upward resultant on the sail to prevent careening. In light
winds the tack of sail may be secured midships or "trimmed" from side to side
within the width of the vessel the sail being then like an ordinary fore and att
sail or nearly so and the booms N and N1 may be swung inboard or unshipped.
"
span trucks'
The portion of the yard A¹ B that is in contact with the booms N N' and their
connecting beam N2 may be provided with friction hoops and connected to the
booms by rope-loops or "parrels " provided with friction rollers or
placed in position round the booms N or N¹ to steady the yard on the booms N
or N' and prevent swaying after the yard A. B has been passed off of N².

page_text: In Figures 6 and 7 a somewhat different form of sail is shewn and with this
form of sail I provide cross sprits S and T whereby the sail is efficiently supported
and prevented from stretching in either direction. The parts corresponding to
those shewn in Figures 1 to 5 are designated by the same reference letters.
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. In or for sailing vessels, a sail which in addition to the sheet adjustment of a
fore and aft sail is provided with means for inclining the plane of the sail to the
plane of the deck of the vessel so as to neutralize or in part neutralize the careening
effect of the wind pressure on the sail substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In or for sailing vessels the combination with the mast spars and sail of guides
arranged at each side of the mast and means whereby the sail and spars can be
vibrated therealong from a point of attachment at or towards the top of the mast
substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The arrangements and combinations of parts in or for sailing vessels
substantially as, and for the purpose, herein before described and illustrated in the
several figures of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.