IMPROVEMENTS IN FITTING. HANDING, AND REEPING VESSELS SAILS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rowett, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FITTING.
HANDING, AND REEPING VESSELS SAILS."
Scaled the 3rd November 1855, and dated the 3rd May 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rowett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 3rd
May 1855.
I, WILLIAM ROWETT, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FITTING, HANDING, AND REEFING VESSELS' SAILS," to be as follows:--
The object of this Invention is a ready, convenient, and safe means of
reefing and handing sails from the deck of the vessel. To accomplish this it
is proposed to fit courses, and schooners' and cutters' square sails, in such a
way that they may be drawn in and out from the yard arms to the centre of
the yard, and at the same time to gather in the canvas as the sail is being
reduced or taken in. To accomplish this it is proposed to form a longitudinal
groove in the yard (which may be lined with metal if preferred), and making
fast the head of the sail to a number of hooks, the points of which are con-
fined and travel within the groove; antifriction rollers are mounted on the

page_text: points of the hooks, so as to facilitate their travelling along the groove. By
this arrangement it will be seen that the sail can be brailed or drawn in by the
head to the slings, when the hooks will slide on to a "bunt bar," which is
fitted into the yard, and forms a portion of the groove in the centre of the
yard. The object of this "bunt bar" is to lower the sail on deck when
required, the "bunt bar" being provided with a simple tackle, by which it
can be lifted out of its resting place in the yard, and suspended by the fore
part of the top to be lowered on deck.
The canvas is gathered in and secured as follows:-A stout rope, which is
made fast to the "bunt bar," extends vertically down the after part of the sail,
passing through several "bulls-eyes," which are attached to the sail for the
purpose. On the lower end of the "bunt rope" there is an eye, by which a
tackle is connected to it, and which is to be hauled taught when the sail is to
be taken in or reefed. To each "leach of the sail, two, three, or moro
"brails" are fastened, each of which are passed through an horizontal row of
small "bulls-eyes" or "thimbles," (which are attached to the after part of the
"on to
sail,) and thence through brail blocks which are fixed to the "bunt rope
the deck. If preferred the brails can be fitted to the front of the sail or on
both sides. The head of the sail is hauled in and out by a suitable tackle,
which will be readily understood, whilst the head and body of the sail are
drawn into the midships; the foot is likewise drawn in by "bridles" on the
foot, so that when taken in it is as perfectly secured as any "fore and aft"
sail when brailed up; but as an additional security it is proposed to take, say,
two or more small lines, having a noose or running bowling at one end, which
is passed loosely round the foot of the sail when drawn in. These running
bowlings are lifted to any part of the sail from the deck by means of a couple
of small lines which pass through a pair of blocks attached to the yard.
Upon their being drawn up to the position desired, and the small lift lines
made fast by hauling taught the slack of the bowlings, the sail will be as
securely held together as if a gasket had been passed round the sail.
The head of the sail may be run in and out upon the yard by "travellers"
of other kinds than the hooks described, such as hoops round the yard, or clip
hooks travelling on a metal bar fixed upon the yard, or any other convenient
method by which the head of the sail would be kept close to the yard. But
it is prefered to use "travellers" working in a groove, as herein-before first
described. This sail may be reefed by gathering in the sail in the middle, (which
is easely done by the brails, and so forth, as before described,) and securing any
given amount of canvas to the bunt rope, or, by having any given number of
ropes fitted like the "bunt rope," reefs may be taken in to any number or

page_text: dimentions. The same plan may be applied to the leach, and any given
amount of canvas gathered into the leach, and made as snug as the ropo
itself. By applying a reef tackle on the old plan, the sail may be reefed
round the head rope, and by which the sail would be as ready to be gathered
into the bunt as before. The first described method of reefing these sails
is prefered.
The mode of fitting, reefing, and handing courses and square sails, as herein-
before described, is also applicable to all kinds of square topsails, by keeping
the topsail yard at the mast head when the sail is being brailed into the
"bunt rope," after which the yard may be lowered and the sail made to drop
into the top when desirable. The "bridles" at the foot of the sail may be
dispensed with if prefered, by having a chain or rope extending from ono
yard arm to the other, to which the foot of the sail is connected by "travellers,"
which run on the chain or rope as the sail is drawn in or out upon the yard.
A topsail fitted in this way may be reefed by the leach having the sail gathered
in by the leach to any desired size of reef, or it may be reefed by the head in
the usual way, except passing the points only round the head rope and not
round the yard; but it is prefered to reef this sail by the foot with double reef
pendants through bulls-eyes on the leach and centre (or bunt) rope, leaving
the points to be tied up (when convenient to do so) on the foot, which can
be done by a hand or two from the lower yard, the sail being reefed otherwise
by hands on deck.
By this Invention it is proposed to have the top-gallant sails bent to the
yard in the usual way, and attaching the "clews" to a rotary eye on each
lower yard arm, rotary motion being communicated to the eyes by pinions
on the end of shafts extending from the slings to the yard arms, and fitted at
the slings with convenient gear to transmit motion by means of an endless
band working over a friction pully. The endless band extending down
to the deck can be worked either by hand, a winch, or a capstan; by this
arrangement, if the sail be lowered down, it can be wound round the foot
rope or on to a chain substituted for or attached to the foot rope. By this
arrangement any number of reefs can be taken in, cringles being fixed at
each reef for passing a stopper, which can be done at convenience, and
when done is independent of the machinery by which the canvas is taken in.
To hand this sail, it is lowered by the "lifts" and "tye" down to the stay,
being rolled up as it is lowered, having the appearance when done of a
palacca-rigged topsail. Clews may be fitted to this sail, so that at any time
they can be slipped from the "clow eye" and the sail clewed up, for appearance
sake, when in port.

page_text: All or any of the foregoing arrangements are equally applicable to all
descriptions of square sails.
The mode of fitting gaff and boom (or fore and aft) sails according to this
Invention is by fixing on the after part of the mast a bar of metal, which
much resembles a bar of railway iron, and upon which clip "travellers" slide
up and down, to which the fore leach of the sail is attached. The under
side of the gaff and the upper side of the boom are provided with bars or
rails in the same way as the back of the mast, having "travellers" sliding
backwards and forwards upon them in the same way, and to which the head
and foot of the sail is made fast. If prefered, the mast, gaff, and boom can
be made of the necessary shape to admit of the metal bar being dispensed
with. The jaws of the gaff are fitted with antifriction rollers, so as to keep
the centre of the jaws from resting upon the slide bar.
It is proposed to take in jibs and other stay sails by reeving a "down haul"
from the tack to a leading block or bulls-eye on the head of the sail, and
thence to a given point on the after leach (where the end is made fast). A
second down haul is. made fast at or a little above the clew, whence it is
passed up the after leach of the sail to a leading block or bulls-eye; then it
is passed through a row of bulls-eyes or thimbles, which are fitted to the sail
in a parallel line to the front leach of the sail, and extend down to the foot
rope, and through a leading block on the bowsprit cap on to the deck. The
object of passing the down haul down the after leach (or edge) of the sail,
is to draw it in when being lowered, so as to be stowed upon the boom within
the same length as the foot of the sail. The sheet being passed over a notch
amidships and hauled taught, the sail can be lowered and drawn into the
boom, when a hand or two can pass a gasket round the sail at pleasure; or, by
a similar arrangement to that herein-before described for securing the courses
(when taken in) by means of running bowlings, the sail can be securely
stowed from the deck.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 3
by the said William Rowett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROWET, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Merchunt, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Third, day of May, in the year of our Lord Oue

page_text: thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Rowett, Her special license that I, the said William
Rowett, ny executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Rowett, 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 FITTING, HANDING, AND REEFING VESSELS' SAILS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Rowett, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 William Rowett, do hereby declare
the nature of the 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, and the letters
and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The objects and advantages aimed at by this my said Invention are, a
safe, convenient, ready, and quick method of setting, reefing, taking in, an.
securing sails from the decks of vessels, all of which operations I propose to
perform with considerably less manual labour than required by the means now
in general use.
To apply these improvements to courses, and schooners' and cutters' square
sails, they are fitted in such a way that the head of the sail can be drawn in
and out from the yard arms to the centre of the yard, and at the same time
the body and foot of the sail is taken in or given out as required.
To enable me to obtain these advantages, I form in the yard a longitudinal
undercut groove, which extends nearly the whole length thereof. At the
centre of the yard the lower edge of the groove is formed by a short metal
bar (hereafter called the "bunt bar "), which is so fitted that it can be
removed from its seat in the yard. I then take a number of hooks which
have their points slightly enlarged, and which may be fitted with antifriction
rollers if preferred; these I attach to the head of the sail. I now remove the
"bunt bar" from its resting place in the yard and hang the sail upon it by

page_text: means of the hooks; the bunt bar is then lifted into its place in the yard
by means of a simple tackle suspended by the fore part of the top. By this
arrangement it will be seen that the points of the hooks will be securely
locked within the groove, but will be at liberty to travel longitudinally along
the yard. To the centre of the bunt bar a stout rope is made fast, which
extends vertically down the middle of the after part of the sail through
several bulls-eyes, which are attached to the sail for the purpose. On the
lower end of this vertical rope (hereafter called the bunt rope) there is an eye
for connecting a tackle to it, by which it is to be drawn tight when the sail is
to be taken in or reefed. One or more brails are attached to each leach of
the sail, which are carried horizontally across the sail to the bunt rope, thence
vertically on to the deck, being passed through thimbles or bulls-eyes attached
to the sail and brail blocks fixed to the bunt rope. The head of the sail is
hauled in and out upon the yard by a single rope or by tackle, as may be most
<lesirable, which will be readily understood by all seamen. Whilst the head
of the sail is being drawn in upon the yard, the body is drawn in by the brails,
and the foot is also secured by means of bridles, which are fitted at proper
intervals to the foot of the sail. By this arrangement the sail can be made
as secure as any fore and aft sail when brailed up; but as an additional
security, a line fitted with running eyes can be triced up, and made to answer
as brails to any number round the sails, and by bringing the two clues together
with a canvas strap put round the sail above the foot rope and passed round
the clues; by the aid of a lever, a hand or two can twist the sail round so as
to prevent the wind having any power upon it, in which position a canvas
cover can readily be passed over it, by which the sail will be perfectly
secured and protected. The lever can then be let go, and the sail is ready to
be sent down if required, or cau be loosed again with great facility. It will
be seen that brails can be readily applied to both or either sides of the sail
if preferred, but I believe that brails on the back of the sail will be found
quite sufficient for all ordinary purposes.
In place of forming the groove in the yard, it can be constructed by suitably
shaped pieces fixed upon the yard, and the head of the sail may be run in and
out upon the yard by travellers of other kinds than the hooks described, such
as hoops round the yards, or clip hooks travelling on a metal bar or rod, which
would much resemble a bar of railway iron, fitted upon or to the yard, or any
other convenient method, by which the head of the sail would be kept close to
the yard. But I prefer the hooks travelling in the groove, or clip hooks
travelling upon a metal bar or bars, having the centre portion so fitted that it

page_text: can be used in the same way as the bunt bar, already described. Sails fitted
according to this part of my Invention may be reefed by gathering in the sail
in the middle, or by disconnecting one half of the sail from the other at the
bunt rope, by the use of the clip used in various other ways, or by clip slides
as may be desired; or by securing any given amount of canvass to the bunt
rope, which can be readily done by the brails, and so forth, as herein-before
described; or by having any number of ropes placed vertically and fitted in
the same way as tlie bunt rope, described; or the system of brails may bo
applied to the leach of the sail, and any amount of canvas gathered in and
made as snug as the rope itself. By applying a reef tackle on the old plan,
the sail may be reefed by passing the reef points round the head rope only in
place of round the yard, by which arrangement the sail could be as readily
gathered into the bunt as before; but when I wished to reef the sail by the
head, I would prefer to use, in place of reef points, loops slipped over small
hooks or buttons formed on the front of the slides, by which the sail travels in
and out upon the yard, by which the sail would be as ready to be gathered
into the bunt as before. The first-described method of reefing this sail is
preferred.
The mode of fitting, reefing, and handing courses and square sails, as
herein-before described, is also applicable to all kinds of square topsails; by
keeping the topsail yard at the mast head when the sail is being brailed into
the bunt rope, after which the yard may then be lowered and the sail made to
drop into the top when desirable. The bridles at the foot of the sail may be
dispensed with by having a chain or rope extending from one lower yard arm
to the other, to which the foot of the sail is connected by travellers, which run
on the chain or rope as the sail is drawn to and from the yard arm. A
topsail fitted in this way may be reefed by the leach having the sail gathered
in by the leach to any desired size of reef; or it may be reefed by the head in
the usual way, except passing the points only round the head rope in place of
round the yard, or by loops fitted on the fore part of the sail and hooked.or
buttoned on to the hooks or buttons constructed on the fore part of tho
travelling slides, by which the sail is kept to the yard, as herein-before
described as applied to courses; but it is preferred to reef this sail by the foot
with reef pendants passing through bulls-eyes- on the leach, in the same
manner as cutters and schooners' mainsails are now reefed. The reef pendants
can be fitted in various ways, as may be found most convenient to suit the yard,
or circumstance of the case.. The centre or bunt rope must in this case be
carefully fitted, running through the thimbles or bulls-eyes on the after part of

page_text: the sail and passing up before the topsail yard, and made well fast to the top-
mast head as the yard is lowered down. The centre of the sail is gathered in
folds, and prevents it from being carried away to the lee side of the stay when
reefing. By this arrangement, the reef pendants are easily pulled down to the
yard arms, and the centre of the sail being secured in folds, leaving the points
to be tied up at pleasure from the lower yard, which can be done ever more
conveniently than the points of cutters' mainsails are now secured, the sail
being otherwise entirely reefed or taken in from the deck of the vessel.
By this Invention it is proposed to have the mizen topsail bent to the yard
in the usual way, or by means of the slide bar or groove, as before described,
and attaching the clues to rotating eyes on the cross-jack yard arms, rotary
motion being communicated thereto by pinions on the end of a shaft. or
shafts, which extend from the slings to the yard arms. The shaft or shafts aro
fitted at the slings with convenient gear for transmitting rotátory motion
thereto by means of an endless band working over a friction pully; the
endless band extending down to the deck can be worked either by hand,
winch, or capstan.
By this arrangement, as the sail is lowered down it can be wound up round
the foot rope, or on to a chain substituted for or attached to the foot rope,
and any number of reefs can be taken in, cringles being fixed at each reef
for passing a stopper, at convenience, and when done is independent of the
machinery by which the canvas is taken in. To hand this sail, it is lowered
down to the heel of the topmast or to the mizen stay by the common halyards,
or by a screw fixed on a slide bar fitted on the front of the mast, in the same
way as fitted to the back of the mast for fore and aft sails, being rolled up as
it is lowered, having the appearance when done of a polacca-rigged topsail;
clews may be fitted to this sail, so that at any time they can be slipped from
the rotating eyes by using a slip clip, when the sail can be clued up, for
appearance sake, when in port.
By this Invention, the main top-gallant sail may be bent to the yard in the
usual way, or connected to the yard by the clips on the slide bar, or by the clip
hooks travelling in the groove, as herein-before described, and the gear now in
use rove through thimbles or bulls-eyes between the head of the sail and the
yard, and then through bulls-eyes and or thimbles placed on curved lines.
graduated from the head of the sail to the leach, so as to distribute the pressure
or weight of the sail. All or any of the foregoing arrangements are equally
applicable to all descriptions of square sails.
The mode of fitting gaff and boom (fore and aft) sails according to this

page_text: Invention is by fixing on the after part of the mast a bar of metal, which
much resembles a bar of railway iron, and upon which clip travellers slide up
and down, to which the luff of the sail is attached. The under side of the gaff
and upper side of the boom are provided with bars or rails, in the same way
as the back of the mast, having travellers sliding backward and forwards upon
them in the same way, and to which the head and foot of the sail is made
fast. If preferred, the mast, gaff, and boom can be made of the necessary
shape to admit the metal bar being dispensed with. The jaws of the gaff
are fitted with antifriction rollers, so as to keep the centre of the jaws from
resting upon the slide bar or mast unevenly.
It is proposed to take in jibs and other staysails by reeving "down haul "
from the tack to a leading block or bulls-eye on the head of the sail, and
thence to a given point on the after leach (where the end is made fast). This
down haul can be passed through thimbles or bulls-eyes on the after leach, as
may be desirable. A second down haul is passed through a block (on the
jibboom when applied to a jib) at or near the bowsprit cap, thence through
thimbles or bulls-eyes fixed to the after part of the body of the sail, and thence
up to the leach of the sail, where it is made fast, or carried from thence
through a bulls-eye to any part of the leach, as may be required, by the cut or
shape of the sail, and so made fast. It will be seen by all sailors that the
foregoing method of taking in staysails can be readily applied to gaff topsails
and studding sails.
In further explanation of my Invention, I have hereunto annexed sundry
sketches, in partial illustration of the same. Similar letters marked thereon
denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the back of a square sail fitted with a bunt rope
and brails. A, yard; B, sail; C, bunt rope, which extends vertically down the
back of the sail, to which it is attached by D, thimbles or bulls-eyes; E,
tackle connected to the bunt rope, for hauling it tight when the sail is to be
reduced or taken in; F, upper port brail, which is made fast to the leach of
the sail at the point f, and is carried through G, small bulls-eyes or thimbles
attached to the sail; H, brail block fixed to the bunt rope for leading the brail
on to the deck; F, lower port brail, which is made fast to the leach at f', and
carried through G', small bulls-eyes or thimbles, fitted on to the sail to II',
brail block, through which the brail passes on to the deck; f, upper starboard
brail, which is made fast to the leach of the sail at f, and is passed through
G, small bulls-eyes or thimbles, which are fitted to the sail; H, brail block,
for leading the brail on to the deck; F³, lower starboard brail, which is made

page_text: fast at f, and passes through G", thimbles or small bulls-eyes, which are fitted
to the sail; II, brail block for leading the brail on to the deck.
Figure 2 shows a vertical section of a yard, with the groove cut therein for
the clip or slide hooks I to travel in, and to which the sail is attached.
Figure 3, side view of a form of hook (1), which can be used as a tra-
veller in the slide grooves in the yards, the upper point (i) being used to
suspend the loops used in place of reef points when the sail is to be reefed
by the head. Figure 4 is a front view of ditto.
Figure 5 is a view of the front of a yard, fitted with a K. metal bar, upon
which slide the clip hook travellers, to which the head of the sail is made fast.
Figure 6, side view of a clip hook traveller, with vertical section of the bar
upon which it travels along the face of the yard.
Figure 7, side view (or plan) of a clip traveller, suitable for fore and aft gaff
and boom sails, with section of metal bar upon which it slides.
Figure 8, enlarged view of portion of (K). The rod or bar of metal upon
which the clip slides travel with a hoop or garter attached to it, by which it
may be fixed to either mast or spar.
Figure 9 is the view of a course or top-gallant sail, having brails fitted
to it in curved lines radiating from the yard to leach and foot of the sail.
F, the brails, which are made fast at the points marked f', and are
passed through G', thimbles or small bulls-eyes, attached to the back of
the sail.
Figure 10 shows the plan of fitting L, the down hauls or brails, to a jib,
according to this Invention. L, down haul, which is made fast on the after
leach of the sail at 1, and is then passed up through M, a leading block at the
head of the sail, thence down the luff to M', a leading block at the tack of tho
sail, through which the brail or down haul passes on to the deck. L', a brail
or down haul, which is made fast to the after leach of the sail at the point l',
thence it is carried up to M, a small leading block, bulls-eye, or thimble,
thence down through a row of G, small bulls-eyes or thimbles attached to tho
body of the sail. M³, leading block on the bowsprit cap, through which the
down haul is passed to the deck.
Figure 11 is a design for a slip clip for tacks and sheets, and which
would be very useful in lowering boats. O' and O are two levers, jointed
together by P; P, a pin, extending through the cross levers, and rivited on
both sides; R, a small bent spring, to cause the levers to seperate when not
held together by S, a staple, which is slipped into an eye formed on the side
of each lever.

page_text: Having now described my said Invention, and in what manner the same
may be performed, what I claim is, the fitting, handing, and reefing of vessels'
sails, as herein-before described, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rowett, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER.
WILLIAM (L.B.) ROWETT.