IMPROVEMENTS IN SAILS, RIGGING, AND SHIPS' FITTINGS, AND MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1851

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
WATSON, of Moss Lane, Hulme, Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixteenth day of January, in the fourteenth year of Her reign,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Frederick Watson, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial license, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Frederick Watson, my
exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Frederick Watson,
my exors, admiors, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times hereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
that part of Her Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
called England, Her Dominion of Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and also in Her Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and
Man, and in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SAILS, RIGGING, AND SHIPS' FITTINGS, AND MACHINERY AND
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Frederick Watson, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be enrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next

page_text: and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Frederick Watson, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly set
forth, described, and ascertained in and by the following description or Specifi-
cation thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, in
which the same letters of reference are used to refer to the same parts
where different views of the Diagrams are shewn, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in adapting, constructing, or arranging sails or
rigging to boats or ships in such manner that they shall communicate motion
or power to paddle wheels or other propellers thereof in a manner similar to
the motion given to machinery or geering usually employed for grinding corn
or other similar purposes by the ordinary windmill.
In the Drawings Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a boat shewing my
apparatus erected on the centre of the deck, consisting of á strong wooden
framework, on the top of which are fixed the sails arranged in a circular
form to revolve on an axis or main shaft by the action of the wind, which
horizontal main shaft drives a perpendicular shaft by means of bevil wheel
gearing at the top; the said perpendicular shaft is also connected to a horizontal
shaft by bevil wheel gearing at the bottom or lower end; on this horizontal
shaft is fixed a pulley, and on the paddle wheel shaft a corresponding pulley;
these pulleys being connected by an endless chain or other similar contrivance
give motion to the paddle wheel or other propellers by the impulse of the wind
given to the sails as the primary moving power. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same;
Fig. 3, a front elevation thereof; Fig. 4, a plan of a single sail, on an enlarged
scale, with the necessary apparatus, shewing my improved method of bringing
the sails to the action of the wind, or allowing them to recede from it; Fig. 5,
a view, part in section and part in elevation, shewing the circular framework
for supporting the sails, and apparatus with the motion given to the propelling
power by an endless chain working on pulleys; Fig. 6 is a plan of the same.
a represents a nut, which secures the cone b, and facilitates its removal when
necessary; c, c, ropes or wires which stay the arms sf; e, e, are sails made of
canvas, or other suitable material, attached to the arms f, which, by the
rotary motion given to the windwill fly by the wind, turns the main shaft m;
the end d of this main shaft m is made loose on the centre plate a', which is
made of iron, brass, or copper tubing, or any suitable metal or material of
light construction; h, h, are circular stays to keep the arms fat equal
distances asunder; i is a slide with a circular plate in the centre, having

page_text: holes or perforations to receive the cords for the purpose of bringing the sails
to the action of the wind, or allowing them to recede from it, which slide i
slides on the tubes or bars ; ;-and the main shaft m, in a parallel position
backwards or forwards, worked by the ropes 1, 1, and the windlass r. The
motion of the said slide i tightening or slackening the ropes or wires g, bring
the sails to the action of the wind, or allow them to recede as aforesaid;
without ascending the rigging. o; o, are beams which form the framework
to carry the perpendicular shaft t and the bevil wheels n... The perpendicular
shaft t revolves in a footstep on the lever v, which may be moved from right
to left, or left to right, for the purpose of reversing the paddle shaft, and
throwing the wheels u in and out of gear, thereby stopping or changing the
course of the vessel. The perpendicular frame p is made to move or swivel
round the upright shaft as an ordinary turn-table upon the circular stand s;
9 is an additional balance sail or vane, which being connected to the frame-
work pacts upon the circular stand or turn-table by the action of the wind,
and adjusts the fly sails, so that the wind acts directly upon them as required.
w and are pulleys, which, by means of the endless chain y, communicate
motion or power to the paddle shaft z, or other propeller, thus giving motion
to or propelling the vessel, instead of employing the steam engine or other
similar power.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the arrange-
ments for carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to be distinctly
understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details herein mentioned,
as such may be varied, according to the construction or position of the appa-
ratus or gearing for the screw or other propeller, for the purpose of carrying
out and otherwise without departing from the principle of my Invention, as
herein set forth. But what I claim as of my Invention, and desire to secure
by Letters Patent, is, the adaptation of sails or rigging, constructed or ar-
ranged as herein-before described, and illustrated in the Figures or Diagrams,
from No. 1 to 6 inclusive, on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, to boats, ships,
or other vessels, for the purpose of communicating to the hulls thereof motion,
whether by the agency of paddle wheels, screws, or other propellers, the
motive power acting upon the said sails being wind instead of steam
or otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Watson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
FREDERICK (L.S.) WATSON.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of July, in the year
of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid Frederick Watson came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, 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 Fourteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.