IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF WINCHES AND WINDLASSES FOR NAUTICAL AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LANE HIGGINS, of Oxford Street, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
'send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fifteenth day of June,
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the Tenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Lane Higgins, my exors, 'adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John Lane Higgins, my
exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Lane Higgins,
'my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in the Islands of Jersey,
Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's
Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF WINCHES AND WINDLASSES FOR NAUTICAL AND OTHER PURPOSES;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said John Lane
Higgins, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months.next and immediately after the

page_text: 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
John Lane Higgins, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to prevent the surging of ropes and chains
when they are being hove round the barrels of winches.or windlasses.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet A, show various views of a winch constructed
for this purpose. A is the barrel or winch end, as it is technically called; it
has three circular grooves, but that number may be varied. B is a roller
working on a strong short spindle near to the axis of the barrel; the outer
ends of the spindles of the rollers B decline at a small angle, so as to make
the rollers B receive the rope from the' inner groove and conduct it straight
into the second groove, and so on to the third. C shews the manner in which
the rope is brought round the barrel and roller; the rope comes on at the
inner end of the barrel and off at the outer end, and thus all surging is
avoided.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, Sheet B, shew various views of another form of barrel
for the same purpose as the foregoing. The number of grooves is not material,
but I prefer three, as shown in Sheet A. The roller may be placed on a
pinion spindle, as shown in Sheet B; but as this produces much friction,
a separate spindle, as shewn in Sheet A, is preferable.
Figures 7, 8, and 9, in Sheet C, show various views of a windlass. A is
the barrel, with ribs of iron or other metal fixed longitudinally or circularly
for the purpose of holding the chain. B is a roller placed parallel with the
barrel. Figures 7 & 9 show the chain or rope rove round the barrel and
the roller; by this arrangement the chain comes on at one end of the barrel
and off at the other without any riding or surging. The windlass may be
worked by a wheel and pinion or any of the usual modes, but I recommend
the wheel and worm, as shewn in the Drawing.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would have it under-
stood that I do not confine myself to the precise details, shown and described,
so long as the peculiarity of my Invention be retained, which consists, with
respect to the winch, in the application of the additional roller in combination
with the grooves in the barrel, as described in respect to Sheets A and B;

page_text: also in the application of the additional roller to the windlass, as described
in respect to Sheet C, in order better to conduct the ropes or chains being
hauled and to prevent surging or riding.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lane Higgins, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
JOHN LANE (L.B.) HIGGINS.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid John Lane Higgins came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fifteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.