A CERTAIN TURNING OR SLIPPING FID FOR SECURING AND RELEASING THE UPPER MASTS OP SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
BROOKING, of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, Admiral in the Royal Navy,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing. date at
Westminster, 'the Sixth day of May, in the ninth year of His reign, did. give
and grant unto me, the said Samuel Brooking, His especial licence that I,
the said Samuel Brooking, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, and such others:
as I, the said Samuel Brooking, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, should at
any agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, my Invention of "A CERTAIN TURNING OR SLIPPING FID FOR SECURING
AND RELEASING THE UPPER MASTS OP SHIPS AND VESSELS;" in which said Letters"
Patent there is contained a proviso that I, the said Samuel Brooking, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Brooking, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, an.

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be practised, used, and carried into effect,
are herein-after fully and faithfully set forth and described, that is to say:-
My said improved fid for supporting the top masts of ships, and for assisting
in the striking or lowering them whenever it may be necessary, consists of a
cylinder of wrought or cast iron or other metal, or hard wood, of a length
equal or nearly equal to the width of the heel of the mast it may have to
support, and of a diameter of from three to seven inches, according to the size
of the mast. The said metal cylinder or slipping fid has one of its sides
flattened or cut away, so that when viewed from either of its ends, it will have
the appearance of Fig. 1 in the annexed Drawing. The said metal cylinder
or slipping fid has likewise a cylindrical arm or pivot rather smaller than itself
on each of its ends, upon which it can turn or revolve in the two bearings or
collars a, a, Fig. 2, which is perspective view of the said revolving fid mounted
in its bearings for use, 6 being the first-mentioned cylinder, c, its flattened
face, d, d, the two cylindrical arms or pivots, and e, e, a metal lever or hand-
spike which fits into holes in each of the said projecting arms or pivots for the
purpose of turning the said cylinder or revolving fid round whenever required;
the said bearings or collars are firmly fixed or bolted down to the two tressel
trees upon the top of the central cross tree, or that cross treo which usually
takes its bearing upon the checks of the lower mast in such manner that the
length of the said cylindrical or revolving fid may be immediately over and
parallel to the said central cross tree, as may be seen in Fig. 3, which is a
plan of the tressel and cross trees, and likewise a section of the lower mast at
their surface, and Fig. 4, which is a side view of the same, with the head of:
the lower and heel of the upper mast introduced in their proper places, and
likewise shewing the position of the said cylindrical or revolving fid when
properly fixed for use. The same letters of reference as before used are applied
to the several parts of the revolving fid; and f is the head of the lower mast,
g its checks, h the tressel trees, i the central and k, the two exterior cross
trees, e the heel of the upper mast, and p a notch or shoulder which I cause to
be made in the hinder part of the heel of the top mast to rest upon my said
fid, as will be distinctly seen in the section of the same in Fig. 5. This notch
or shoulder rests upon the upper flat surface of the cylindrical revolving fid,
the heel of the top mast being kept to its bearing against the said revolving
fid by iron palls on each side, as at m, m, or by a chock or wedge driven in
between the foremost cross tree and the heel of the top mast at n, or by
lashing the heel of the top mast to the head of the lower mast, or in any other
convenient and effective manner that will prevent the said top mast from
slipping away or getting off the flat top of the said revolving fid, and thus will

page_text: the said top mast be kept and maintained steadily in its place without any fear
of its derangement or falling down; and the better to secure its stability, I do
not make the notch or shoulder in the heel of the mast at right angles to its
axis, but I incline it a little upwards, as shown in Fig. 5, which is a transverse
section through the middle of the said revolving fid and the heel of the top
mast drawn to a larger scale. The great advantage, however, of my aforesaid
Invention, and that upon which I chiefly ground its merit and advantage, is
the facility and expedition with which a topmast may be struck by my said
improved fid, as well as its great strength and little liability to be deranged or
carried away by either wind or shot; to lower a top mast by my said improved
fid, instead of having to slacken the stays, shrouds, and other rigging connected
with the masts, all that is necessary is to disengage the palls m, or to strike
out the wedge n, or disunite the two masts if they have been lashed together, as
the case may be, and then by applying a sufficient force to the handspikes e, e, to
turn the revolving fid about an eighth part round; its flat surface, which before
served as a foundation to support the top mast, now becomes converted into
an inclined plane, down which the heel of the mast will slide, as may be seen
in Fig. 6, and by continuing the revolution a little further, the flat side of tho
said revolving fid will become perpendicular, and consequently will oppose no
resistance to the descent of the top mast. In raising the top mast again, the
mode of proceeding must be evident after the foregoing description, because,
in the first instance, the flat side of the revolving fid must be placed by the
handspikes in its perpendicular position, and be so kept until the top of the
notch or shoulder in the heel of the top mast arrives on a level with the axis
or centre of the revolving fid when it must be moved into its level position
while the heel of the top mast is thrown back upon it by the introduction of
the chock or wedge n, or a handspike between it and the foremost cross trec
k, or by ropes or other means, when the heel of the said top mast is to be
made secure by the palls, wedge, lashing, or other means herein-before
described, after which the handspikes e, c may be withdrawn, with a view to:
produce greater strength and stability in the construction of my aforesaid
revolving fid. I introduce a bed of cash iron or other metal flat on its bottom,
but hollowed out on its upper side to fit the convexity of the under sido of the
cylindrical revolving fid, and equal to its whole length between the bearings;
and this metal bed is bolted down upon the top of the central cross tree,
whereby the weight and pressure of the top mast is distributed over the whole
central cross tree, instead of resting upon the bearings of the revolving fid, as it
otherwise would do; the form of this bed in its transverse section is shown at o,
in Figures 5 and 6, and although a mere straight square bar applied under the

page_text: fid would assist its strength, yet I prefer the concave form, not only as being
stronger, but likewise as affording a cavity to hold grease or other lubricating
materials, to assist in diminishing the friction of the cylinder when turning; in
small masts this auxiliary will not be necessary, and I therefore consider my
Invention as complete either with or without it. I likewise cover and protect
the notch or shoulder 2, and all the lower part of the heel of the mast, by a
plate of iron r, r, bent to the proper form, and firmly bolted in its place.
Lastly, I hereby declare that the only matters and things which I consider
as my Invention, and in which I claim an exclusive right, privilege, and
advantage under my herein-before in part recited Letters Patent are,
the cylindrical revolving metal fid, with its bearings and appurtenances, as
shown by Figure 2, and its bearing or strengthining bed; also the manner of
fixing and using the said fid, and of connecting and combining the same with
the notch or shoulder in the heel of the topmast, as shewn in the several
Figures, and as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Brooking, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.
SAMUEL (L.s.) BROOKING.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-third day of October,
in the year of our Lord 1828, the aforesaid Samuel Brooking came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
abovo written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.