IMPROVEMENTS IN REEPING SAILS
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, of Bury, in the
County of Hants, Esquire, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEPING
SAILS."
Sealed the 10th August 1860, and dated the 17th February 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Duncan Preston
Cunningham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 17th February 1860.
I, HENRY DUNCAN PRESTON CUNNINGHAM, of Bury, in the County of Hants,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REEFING SAILS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in reefing sails refer both to those sails which are reefed
and unreefed by being rolled upon or off a rotating yard, spar, or roller, and to
sails which are otherwise reefed. My improvements as regards the reefing of
sails by rolling them on or off a rotating yard consist in so fixing the spar or
spars which are employed to keep off or prevent chafe or injury to the rolled
up sail, when the yard is braced up against the lee rigging or other causes, (and
which are usually denominated chafing spars,) that the yard shall be capable of
connection to and disconnection from the parrall (which forms the medium of its
connection to the mast,) without disturbing or interfering with the said chafing
spars, and also that the said chafing spars shall be capable of being removed
or applied without disturbing the means for connecting the yard to the parrall,
or vice versa.

page_text: It is found that in the use of the boss as now employed and applied to the
centre of the yard, to prevent the slipping of the chain in the bight of which
the yard is suspended, and in which boss a separate cavity is provided for each
alternate, horizontal, or flat lying link of the chain, a certain slackness of the
sail arises on lowering the yard caused by the circle upon which the chain
works being greater in diameter than that of the yard to which the sail is
attached. It is also found that if there be any defect in the proper fitting of
the chain, it is apt to ride on the top of the teeth or cogs and jump; I now
propose to remedy this as much as possible by leaving a greater space between
the cogs or teeth so that two flat lying links and one vertical link shall be
received in one cavity, and I also propose to flatten the surface upon which the
flat lying links rest, although I do not view this as essential to the adoption of
the alternate cogs or teeth; I also propose to construct the boss in two parts,
either vertically or segmentally. My object in doing this is to facilitate and
render more perfect the fixing of the boss upon the yard, also to facilitate the
removal or shifting of the boss.
My improvements as regards reefing the sails which are reefed without
rotating the yard are intended to assist the hauling or drawing out of the reef
carring or that rope or chain which secures the extremity of the reef to the
yard by the use and adaptation of a lever or levers at suitable places, which
lever or levers shall be capable of being worked from or in the top or on deck.
The earrings can be secured by a mechanical arrangement so as to make the
operation as much as possible self-acting.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham in the Great Scal
Patent Office on the 17th August 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
DUNCAN PRESTON CUNNINGHAM, of Bury, in the County of Hants, Esquire,
send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, Her special licence that I,
the said Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Duncan Preston Cunning-

page_text: ham, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
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 REEFING
SAILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Duncan
Preston Cunningham, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
My improvements in reefing sails refer both to those sails which are reefeit
and unreefed by being rolled upon or off a rotating yard, spar, or roller, and to
sails which are otherwise reefed. My improvements as regards the reefing of sails.
by rolling them on or off a rotating yard consist in so fixing the spar or spars
which are employed to keep off or prevent chafe or injury to the rolled up.
sail, when the yard is braced up against the lee rigging or other causes (and
which are usually denominated chafing spars,) that the yard shall be capable of
connection to and disconnection from the parrall (which forms the medium of its
connection to the mast) without disturbing or interfering with the said chafing
spars; and also that the said chafing spars shall be capable of being removed
or applied without disturbing the ineans for connecting the yard to the parrall,.
or vice versa.
It is found that in the use of the boss as now employed and applied to the
centre of the yard to prevent the slipping of the chain in the bight of which.
the yard is suspended, and in which boss a separate cavity is provided for each
alternate horizontal or flat lying link of the chain, a certain slackness of the
chain arises on lowering the yard, caused by the circle upon which the chain
works being greater in diameter than that of the yard to which the sail is.
attached. It is also found that if there be any defect in the proper fitting of
the chain it is apt to ride on the top of the teeth or cogs and jump. I now
propose to remedy this as much as possible by leaving a greater space between
the cogs or teeth, so that two flat-lying links and one vertical link shall be

page_text: received in one cavity, and I also propose to flatten the surface upon which the
flat-lying links rest, although I do not view this as essential to the adoption
of the alternate cogs or teeth; I also propose to construct the boss in two parts,
either vertically or segmentally. My object in doing this is to facilitate
and render more perfect the fixing of the boss upon the yard, also to facilitate
the removal or shifting of the boss.
My improvements as regards reefing the sails which are reefed without
rotating the yard are intended to assist the hauling or drawing out of the reef
earring, or that rope or chain which secures the extremity of the reef to the
yard, by the use and adaptation of a lever or levers at suitable places, which
lever or levers shall be capable of being worked from or on the top or on deck.
The earrings can be secured by a mechanical arrangement so as to make the
operation as much as possible self-acting.
The method of carrying the first part of my Invention into effect is illustrated
in Figure 1 and Figure 1ª of the Drawings hereunto annexed; E is the yard
which is fitted to revolve in axial supports in the manner and for the purpose
described in the Specification of my Patent, dated 30th November 1850. A, A,
are two spars attached to the yard at D, D, and B, B, by the means shown in
Figure 1. The two points of connection or attachment at B, B, are so arranged
with reference to the two holes C, C, which are the points of connection with
the parrall P, P, at the corresponding holes C¹, C¹, (Figure 1ª,) through
which the connecting bolts are inserted, that the yard can be connected to and
disconnected from the parrall without disturbing or interfering with the chafing
spars A, A, and so that these again can be removed or applied without
interfering with or requiring the disconnection or partial disconnection of the
yard from the parrall.
The next part of my Invention is illustrated in Figure 2 of the Drawings
hereunto annexed; this Figure represents a boss fitted at its lower part with
teeth or cogs arranged so as to take the alternate links of the chain according
to the plan described in the Specification of my Patent, dated 30th November
1850, and at its upper part with teeth or cogs arranged in the improved
manner herein-before described, namely, with an increased space between the
adjacent teeth or cogs and with the surface between them flattened.
The next part of my Invention is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed. Figure 3 is a section of a boss fixed on the
yard C, C, and formed in two parts, the dotted line A, A, being in this case
the line of division. B, B, represent plates fixed to the yard by hoops or other
securities. These plates are furnished with a raised ridge or shoulder, as seen
at. D, D, Figure 3, and again in the detached view, Figure 4. Cavities to

page_text: correspond with these raised ridges are formed in the two parts of the boss,
which parts being properly adjusted are secured together by bolts passing
through the holes shown by dotted lines b, b, or by any other suitable means.
It will be seen that when thus secured the boss cannot slip on the yard, and
that if one side of the boss be broken or injured it can be removed and another
applied without the whole boss being taken off.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the method of furnishing and connecting the rolling yard, the parrall,
and the chafing spars by the means, in the manner, and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 18 of the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Second, the method of placing the teeth or cogs of the boss of the rolling
yard at such distances apart that two flat-lying links and one vertical link
shall be received between two adjacent teeth or cogs; also the method of
flattening the surface upon which the flat-lying links rest, both in the manner
and for the purposes herein-before described, and illustrated, in Figure 2 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
Thirdly, the method of constructing the aforesaid boss in two parts, the
same being divided either vertically or segmentally in the manner and for
the purposes herein-before described, and partially illustrated in Figures 3
and 4 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Fourthly, the method of applying a lever or levers to or arranging a lever
or levers in combination with the reef earring of ordinary sails (or sails which
are reefed without rotating the yard), in the manner and for the purpose
herein-before described, and illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Duncan Preston Cunningham,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of August,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
H. D. P. CUNNINGHAM. (L.S.)