IMPROVEMENTS IN REEPING, FURLING, AND SETTING THE SAILS OF SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Dyer, of the City of Bristol, Shipowner, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEPING, FURLING, AND SETTING THE
SAILS OF SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 26th August 1856, and dated the 30th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Dyer at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th April
1856.
I, SAMUEL DYER, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING, FURLING, AND SETTING THE SAILS OF SHIPS AND
VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the adoption of certain improved appliances or
mechanism, for effecting the objects aforesaid, from the deck of a ship or vessel,
or in other convenient position, which Invention will be readily understood
from the following description of the arrangements I now think preferable :-
Thus, for instance, in the case of a topsail, I use a yard, and an iron or other
roller. This yard has at each end several sheeve holes (three being preferred)
instead of one, as is commonly adopted. On the upper part of the sling of
the yard I fix a tie block, through which the tie chain or haulyards is or are*
rove, and on each side of such tie block I fix a block, nearly the same size as
the tie block, through which my reefing ropes or chains are rove over a plain

page_text: sheeve for the purposes of rotation; these two chains also reeve through two
cleets, having sheeves at the mast head, one on each side of the tie sheeve."
Underneath the topsail, or any other yard, I fix an iron or other bar or roller,
which is suspended at each bound or end of the yard by two axes, between
each of which axes a studded sheeve is fixed to the iron bar or tube or roller,
so formed as to cause the bar to revolve when acted upon. I produce rotation
by merely hoisting or lowering the yard, and the weight of the yard is a means,
in proportion to its increased weight, of aiding in more speedily reefing the sail.
The rotation is produced as follows:-As before described, the yard is fixed, as
in ordinary ships, at the mast head. I have sheeves (three being preferred)
all made to reeve fore-and-aft; in each of the sheeve holes a distinct piece of
chain is rove, from whence they descend to the yard; the middle one is used as
a tie chain, and the other two I term my reefing chains. The tie or haulyards is
or are rove from aft forward down through the tie block on the yard, and the
end, which I term the standing part, is fixed by a shackle and bolt to the
middle of the fore crosstree at the topmast head. The reefing chains are
rove from aft forward, brought down to the two blocks, one on each side of
the tie block, and reve one in each of them, and taken out along the surface
of the yard to the foremost of the two reefing sheeve holes at the bounds or
end of the yard; it is then passed down through such sheeve hole, and up
through the after sheeve hole, the bight of which chain is allowed to bring
itself in the studded sheeve fixed to the end of the roller; then it is passed in
again along the surface of the yard, and down through a sheeve in the rolling
block of the yard on each side of the tie block; as there are of necessity two
reefing chains, and these two chains are also the furling chains, both ends of
both these chains being made fast on deck, the sail being sheeted home, I hoist
on my haulyards, and the revolution is produced by the action of the tivo
chains simultaneously acting on the two sheeves fixed to the roller, and
without further trouble the sail ascends and unfurls itself to its fullest (or any
lesser portion of its) extent, and when the haulyards are let go, the sail
descends and reefs itself, in part or to a close reef, as required. To furl the
sail, it is only necessary to let go the fore end of the reefing chains and haul
in the after end. This same process of reefing and furling applies to all the
square sails of a ship or vessel, and in the case of fixed yards (such as lower
yards) the process is completely performed to its fullest extent by pulling on one
end or the other of the reefing chains, they being fixed in the same manner as
on the topsail yard. I also do away with the use of clewlines, reef tackles,
reef points, reef cringles, reef carings, buntlines, gaskuts, and all blocks at
present in use, for the purpose of furling or reefing sails, by which a great

page_text: saving is effected, and all chafes removed off the sail. I also purpose to place
a permanent or fixed coat of painted canvas or other waterproof material on
the fixed or upper yard, that shall at all times keep the sail dry (provided it
be dry when furled). My top-gallant sheets are rove as at present in ships,
and my top-gallant and top-mast studding-sail booms are placed on the yard,
as in common use. For the leaches of my sails, I purpose to use flat rope, as
is now used for coal-pit purposes, but this is not essential; and the ordinary
square sails may be bent to my yard and roller, only requiring to be deprived
of all blocks, ropes, reef points, gaskuts, &c., heretofore employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Dyer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
DYER, of the City of Bristol, Shipowner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Dyer, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Dyer, my executors,.
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Dyer,
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 Kingdoin of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING, FURLING, AND
SETTING THE SAILS OF SHIPS AND VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others).
that I, the said Samuel Dyer, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their bands 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 Samuel Dyer, 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:-

page_text: The nature of the. said Invention as hath been before described by the
Provisional Specification left and recorded on application for the said Letters
Patent, consists in effecting the objects aforesaid from the deck of a ship or
vessel, or in other convenient. position, by the use and adaptation of certain
improved appliances or mechanism, which Invention will be readily understood
from the following description thereof, and by reference to the accompanying
Drawings therein referred to.
My Invention will be readily understood by describing its adaptation to one.
of the sails of a ship. or vessel, a topsail for instance, by reference to the
accompanying Drawings, in which Fig. 1 denotes a side view of part of a
mast with yard in section; Fig. 2, view of part of a mast provided with
yards, and shewing a topsail close reefed; Fig. 3, view of topsail set in full;
Fig. 4, front view of the yard with roller and appendages, but without any
sail attached; Fig. 5, top plan view of same; Fig. 6, top plan of studded
sheeve with chain embedded; Fig. 7, vertical section of said sheeve; Fig. 8,
edge view of said sheeve; Fig. 9, section of yard and supporting claw attached;
Fig. 9, perspective view of supporting claw attached to yard; Fig: 10, an
elevational view of a fore-and-aft mainsail, with the Invention adapted thereto;
Fig. 11, sectional view of the "suspension claw" & boom.
It will be seen, by referring to the Drawing, that I adopt the usual yard
marked A (though I could use one of smaller diameter of such metal as iron),
the lower or fixed yard being marked A'; the yard has, at each end several
sheeve holes with sheeves (a), two being preferred. On the upper part of the
sling of. the yard a² I fix a tie block a³, through which the tie chain or-haul-
yards B is or.are rove, and on each side of such block I fix a block (C), nearly:s
the same size as. the tie block, through which my reefing and furling ropes or
chains D.are each rove over a plain sheeve in the said block for the purposes
of rotation; these two chains also reeve through the two cleats d, having plain-
sheeves at the mast head, one on each side of the tie sheeve.
...Underneath the yard I fix an iron or other bar or roller E, which I term a
rolling jackstay, (which I prefer to have made of iron cased in wood, similar
to the barrel of a winch, such casing being necessary to increase the diameter
of the ..roller, so as to be equivalent to the diameter (proportionally) of the
studded sheeve.). This roller is suspended at each, hound or end of the yard.
by two bearing pieces (F); a studded sheeve G, details of which are given at-
Fig. 6:(the top plan), Fig. 7 (vertical section), and Fig. 8 (edge-view); being
fixed to the iron bar, tube, or roller, otherwise "rolling jackstay," causes the
same, to rotate when acted on, it being free to turn in its bearings in the pieces
F, which pieces may be secured to the yard by having a shank or threaded part-

page_text: going through the yard and firmly fastened by a screw nut thereon. I produce
rotation by merely hoisting or lowering the yard, and the weight of the yard
is a means, in proportion to its weight, as increased by the appendages of roller
or jackstay, &c., of aiding in more speedily reefing the sail. The rotation is
produced as follows:-As before described, the yard is secured to the mast as'
in ordinarily appointed ships and vessels (by means of a bucket parrel and
truss), but at the mast head I have sheeves d, as aforesaid, three being
preferred, all made to reeve fore-and-aft. In each of the sheeve holes a
distinct piece of chain is rove, from whence each and every of the said chains
descend to the yard.
The middle chain B is used as a tie chain, and the other two D, D, I term
the reefing and furling chains. The tie chain or haulyards is or are rovė from
aft forwards down through the tie block (a³) on the yard, and the end, which I'
term the standing part, is fixed by a shackle and bolt to the middle of the fore
crosstree H at the topmast head; or, if preferred, the standing part- may'
be made fast to an eye in the sling band of the yard, thus doing away with the
need for a tie block on the yard. The said reefing and furling chains are rove
from aft forward, brought down to the two blocks, one on each side of the tie
block, rove one in each of them, and taken out along the top surface of the
yard to the foremost (that is, that which is farthest from the mast,) of the two-
reefing.and furling sheeve holes (a, a,) at the hounds or end of the yard'; it'
is then passed down through such sheeve hole and up through the after sheeve
hole (that is, the one nearest to the mast), the "bight" of which chain is allowed
to embed itself in the studded sheeve G secured to the end of the roller; then'
it is passed in again along the surface of the yard, and down through a "fiddle"
block fixed between the arms of the truss of the parrel of the yard on each
side of the tie block. As there are of necessity two recfing chains, these two
chains are also the furling chains, both ends of both these chains being niade
fast to the deck or in other convenient position, having blocks and falls attached.
The sail being shected "home," I hoist on my haulyards, and then the rota-
tion is produced by the action of the two chains simultaneously acting on the
two sheeves fixed to the roller, and without further trouble the sail ascends*
and unfurls itself to its fullest or any lesser portion of its extent, and when
the haulyards are let go, the sail descends and reefs itself in part or to a close
reef, according as the action may be shortened or prolonged. To furl the sail,
it is only necessary to let go the fore ends of the reefing chains and haul on
the after ends.
I may here remark, that by the use of my Invention there will be little
difference in the mode of reefing and furling sails, reefing being simply

page_text: partially rolling up the sail, and furling completely rolling it upon the roller,
aforesaid.
The same process of reefing and furling applies to all the square sails of a
ship or vessel, and in case of fixed yards, such as lower yards, the process is
completely performed to its fullest extent by pulling on one or other of the
reefing chains, they being fixed in the same manner as on the topsail yard.
These reefing and furling chains might be rendered useful as "lifts."
My Invention enables me to do away with the use of clewlines, reef tackles,
reef points, reef cringles, reef earrings, buntlines, gaskuts, and all blocks at
present in ordinary use, for the purpose of reefing or furling sails, by which a
great saving is effected, and chafes on the sail prevented. I also purpose to
place a permanent or fixed coat of painted canvas or other waterproof material
on either the fixed or the upper yard, that shall at all times keep the sail dry
(provided it be dry when furled). My top-gallant and other sheets are rove
through cleats fixed on the aft side of the yard (see Drawing, Figs. 4 and 5),
and my top-gallant and top-mast studding sail booms are placed on the yard, as
in common use.
For the leaches of my sails I purpose to use flat ropes, such as are now in
use for coal-pit purposes, but this is not essential; and the ordinary square
sails may be bent to my yard or roller, only requiring to be deprived of all the
blocks, ropes, reef points, gaskuts, &c., herein before mentioned as dispensed
with. An iron jackstay rod is fixed to the rolling jackstay in the same manner
as the jackstay now in use on ordinary yards, to which the sail is bent by means
of earrings and head stops, as is the custom in bending the old fashioned sails;
or the sail may be bent to the roller without the aid of this jackstay.by
passing the turns of the head stops round the rolling jackstay, in the manner
practised with ordinarily appointed vessels, for securing the sails to the yards
before the adoption of any jackstay whatever. As the rolling jackstay from
its length and the weight of the attached sail will be caused to spring or bend
downwards in the middle, I support it by means of one or more suspension
claws, formed of iron or other metal (one being preferred on small topsails),
see Figs. 1 and 9 of the annexed Drawing. These suspension claws consist
of two curved pieces of metal, of about seven-eighths of a circle, having rollers
secured between them, and pinned together so as to form a pair, thus having
within a rolling surface, produced by the said rollers, which rollers have the
bearings of their axes in the curved pieces aforesaid; such claw, forming,
as aforesaid, seven-eighths, or thereabouts, of a circle, is placed under the
middle or other part of the roller or rolling jackstay E, and so fixed to the
yard (A or A¹), by means of an eye in the sing or other bands, as to allow

page_text: the sail to roll and unroll, as before described, and without offering any
obstruction thereto.
To prevent the sail flying to leeward whilst being furled or reefed, I can
attach a guide to each clew by seizing on the leach of the said sail near the clew
a thimble or bull's-eye, having the eye or hole placed so as to look up and down
the leach of the sail on the fore part of the clew of the sail, through which a
rope is rove up and down, one end being fastened to the lower yard to an eye
made in the pin of the topsail-sheet sheeve, and the other taken upwards
through a cleat, having a sheeve on the hounds of the topsail yard; it is then
carried on along the yard to the sling, and rove through a small block, or cleat
and sheeve, fastened to the yard near the sling band, then up to the crosstree,
where it is made fast, and thus represents an endless rope, and the yard on
ascending or descending passes and repasses over it without detriment. Instead
of having sails such as described, I can open my square sails from head to
foot about one inch or so. On each side of this opening I place a double
leach; between these two,leaches I have a width of canvas "on end" to slide
up and down; this I term an "apron," and it is kept in place six or more
"four-holed guides," made of iron or other metal, and so fixed as to rise and
fall with the yard when it rises or lowers. The lower end of this "apron" is
attached to a roller fixed in an iron frame in the foot of the sail, which is made
to revolve by means of a rope or chain attached to the yard, and this is appli-
cable to all yards. In this case the roller or jackstay is suspended in the
middle as well as at the ends by passing the roller or jackstay through a plate
of iron fixed on end. This last-mentioned arrangement dispenses with the use
of the suspension claw, before described.
In adapting my Invention to fore-and-aft sails, I find it convenient to adopt
the following arrangements :-Instead of having the roller or rolling jackstay
secured immediately beneath the "gaft," I place the roller or rolling jackstay
just above the "boom," as shewn in the Drawings at Figs. 10 and 11, in which
Figs. the same letters of reference denote the same parts as in the other Figs.
of the said Drawing, except that here the mast is marked v, the boom a, the
gaft y, the sail, and the apron, hereafter described, 2¹.
The after reefing chains are rove through a block on the after end of the
boom round the studded sheeve, as in case of the jackstay on topsail yard.
The standing or end part is made fast by means of a shackle on one side of
two sheeves in the gaft end, and the other or hauling end is rove between
these two sheeves, and from thence through a block at the cap on the mast
head. To the end of this chain is attached a double block with fall "leading"
to the deck. The peak haulyards are as in ordinary ships, as also the throat

page_text: .
haulyards, which, when both are lowered together, the standing part of the
chain falls with the "gaft" towards the boom, then pull on the tackles at
the other ends of the -chains, and rotation is produced by merely taking in
the slackened chain towards the deck by pulling on the falls on the fore
end of the gaft: The same process is adopted by attaching the standing
part of the chain to the underneath part of the jaws of the gaft, then down
round the larger roller sheeve, and up again through a. block fixed to the
trussel-trees. To this end a block is attached as before, with falls leading to
the deck, and to pull down on this fall, aids the after reefing chain in produc-
ing rotation. To unfurl, it is only necessary to hoist on the peak and throat
haulyards. The apron ¹ is made to lace and unlace by hand as the sail ascends
or descends, and is intended to make room for the mechanism, as well as to
remove all impediments consequent on the rake of the mast.
Having described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I claim as the
Invention intended to be secured by the said Letters Patent is, the reefing,
furling, and setting sails, in the manner and by means of the arrangements
shewn and described by reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Dyer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
SAMUEL DYEK. (L.S.)