IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIG OF SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND IN THE MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR REEFING AND FURLING THE SAILS OF SHIPS AND VESSELS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Gifford McDiarmid, of Southampton, in
the County of Hants, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIG
OF SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND IN THE MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR REEFING
AND FURLING THE SAILS OF SHIPS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 21st June 1870, and dated the 24th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Gifford
McDiarmid at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 24th December 1869.
I, THOMAS GIFFORD M°DIARMI, of Southampton, in the County of
Hants, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE RIG OF SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND IN THE MECHANISM OR
APPARATUS FOR REEFING AND FURLING THE SAILS OF SHIPS AND VESSELS," to be
as follows:
My improvements in the rig of ships and vessels consist of the
following arrangements (which are especially applicable to steam
ships) I dispense with the square sails and their yards now generally
in use, and in lieu thereof I use sails (to be reefed and furled from the
deck on masts, as will hereafter be described), that is to say, I secure to

page_text: the masts one or more revolving masts or rollers, and on to these the sails
are to be rolled in furling or reefing them, which I can effect by con-
necting the sail to such revolving mast or roller, so that when motion is
given to the same and the clue that holds the sheet of the sail and the
head are unfastened the sail may be rolled up. A guide rod or iron is
secured to the upper side of the boom, also to the under side of the gaff
when used, so as to enable a clamp with which the clue or sheet is
provided to slide on, thus facilitating the progress of the rolling of the
sail. Hinged crutches are secured to the mast, and maintain the per-
pendicularity of the roller free to revolve. The rollers are supported in
stays or sole plates, and revolution is effected by toothed gearing, which
can be set in motion by a winch handle or otherwise. The
The tops of the
rollers are secured to the mast by means of strong hoops or other
suitable means, and the tops of the rollers have screw arrangements or
other means of allowing the end of the gaff nearer to the mast proper to
rise, in order to permit the reefing and furling of the sail. A guide or
bridle is used with the sail to keep the sail taut whilst reefing or furling.
By the aid of my Invention sails can be reefed or stowed at once
whatever way the wind is acting on them, whether running or otherwise.
When a ship or vessel is rigged in accordance with my Invention the
mast proper is provided with at least three revolving masts or rollers,
each having its own sail, that is to say, there will be one sail abaft and
one projecting from each side before the rigging. The booms for the
side sails on main mast will be connected to the outside of the ship, and
will not be provided with the slide rod and clamp or traveller.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Gifford M'Diarmid in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 24th June 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
GIFFORD MCDIARMID, of Southampton, in the County of Hants, send 3
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the

page_text: thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Gifford M.Diarmid, Her
special licence that I, the said Thomas Gifford McDiarmid, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Gifford McDiarmid, 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 THE RIG OF SHIPS AND VESSELS, AND IN THE
MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR REEFING AND FURLING THE SAILS OF SHIPS AND
VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas
Gifford McDiarmid, 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 Thomas Gifford M⚫Diarmid, 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:-
My improvements in the rig of ships and vessels consist of the
following arrangements, which are especially applicable to ocean steam
ships, although they may be usefully adopted for other vessels:―I
dispense with the square sails and their yards as now generally in use,
and in lieu thereof I use sails to be reefed and furled from the deck in
the manner hereafter described, that is to say, I secure to each lower
mast one or more revolving trysail masts or rollers, namely, one abaft,.
and one or two, as may be required, on a forcquarter of each lower mast..
The said revolving trysail mast or roller will be provided with booms and
gaffs. There will be a slide guide on to the top of each boom for the clue-
of the sail to travel in and out on, and a groove under each gaff for the
bending rope (to which hanks are attached which secure the sail) to run
in and out through. The sail will be bent or fastened to the trysail mast
or fixed jackstays, or to a slide with travelling hanks, to allow the sail to
come up and down when "set." In some cases I can dispense with
booms and gaffs, or gaffs only, by making the sail jib-headed. The sail

page_text: being bent or fastened in the aforesaid manner can be reefed or furled
by giving motion to the revolving trysail mast, which motion can be
effected by toothed or other gearing. When the trysail mast revolves the
head and foot outhauls must be slacked, and the throat raised gently to
allow room for the head of the sail to roll on. The heels of the trysail
masts are stepped in sockets in the deck, and secured to the mast by iron
hoops or bands, and their heads are secured to the lower mast head by
strong iron hoops or bands, which bands are to be provided with clamp
hinges, so as to allow the trysail masts or rollers to be removed if
necessary.
By the aid of my Invention the sails can be reefed or furled at once
in whatever way the wind is acting on them, whether running or other-
wise, consequently I can have a much larger sail, it being always under
command.
When a vessel is fully rigged in accordance with my Invention each
lower mast will be provided with three revolving trysail masts, cach
having its own sail, that is to say, there will be one sail abaft the lower
mast, and one projecting from each side (of same) before the rigging.
In case of steamers going head to wind the gaffs and booms will all be
brought fore and aft. There will also be a cover attached to a jackstay
on the fore part of each lower mast, which cover being laced round the
mast and its trysail masts will form a wedge shape, so there will be little
aloft to impede the progress of the vessel in a head wind. Vessels will
also ride much easier at anchor, not having so much "lumber" aloft, at
the same time there can be greater advantage taken of a fair (or slant
of) wind. The sails being much larger and so easily handled can be
"set" sooner, carried longer, and taken in quicker.
Having thus far particularly described the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and stated in general terms the manner in which the same is to
be performed or carried out in practise, which I shall do by referring to
the accompanying Drawings by the words, figures, and letters placed
thereon and herein referred to, it being always understood that the
foregoing descriptive statement must be referred to if necessary for the
proper understanding of my said Invention.

page_text: boom; Fig. 2, gaff with groove underneath, and bending rope with head
of sail bent or fastened; Fig. 3, boom with traveller on slide for sheet of
sail; Fig. 4, view of a vessel having its rig arranged according to my
said Invention, the sails being shewn as furled, covers being shewn as
protecting the sails.
In all these Figures where the letter A appears it denotes the trysail
mast or roller secured to the mast proper, as in the Drawings, by means
of bands connected to the trysail mast or roller, and embracing free to
move the mast proper, and B, boom (one for cach sail), which is pro-
vided with a slide guide C, on which a slider or traveller D can be
worked, to which the clue or sheet of the sail is fastened, such traveller
being also fastened to a foot outhaul E, as shown; G, gaff (one for cach
sail), to which an approximatively tubular groove H of the cross section
thus (that is, having at bottom a mouth or opening (×) extending
its whole length), through which the rope for bending the sail to is
worked, this opening being for the lower part of the banks of the sail
to pass through, as will be readily understood by reference to the
Drawing.
For working my sails I adopt the following arrangements:-Round
the mainmast are three rollers to carry sails, as shown in in plan, Fig. 5,
in a triangular shape. The two rollers on either side marked a, a, arc
connected by an endless chain wound round a ring fixed to the roller,
and the other connected to a grooved wheel b, b, fixed in the lower
portion of a winch placed just in the front of the mast; the third roller
in consequence of being so close to the winch does not admit of an
endless chain being used. The way I actuate this is by the main toothed
wheel c of the winch gearing into a small pinion fixed on a shaft con-
nected to the winch. On this shaft is a screw which gears in the ring
fixed on the roller, and thus produces rotary motion, and this may be
thrown into and out of gear when desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same may be performed or
carried out in practice, I hereby declare that I claim, the herein-before
described "Improvements in the Rig of Ships and Vessels, and in the
Mechanism or Apparatus for Reefing and Furling the Sails of Ships and
Vessels," particular and important features whereof are the adoption in
the place of the ordinary yards for square sails of the herein described

page_text: trysails or upright rollers, which are secured to the masts and worked
upon deck, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Gifford McDiarmid, have
hercunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June,
in the year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy.
T. G. MODIARMID. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS MORGAN,
Secretary to the
Inventors' Patent Right Association, Limited,
Patentces' Agents,
21, Cockspur Street,
Charing Cross.