CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MADE MASTS
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHARLES
AUGUSTUS FERGUSON, of Millwall, in the Parish of All Saints, Poplar, in the
County of Middlesex, Mast Maker, and JAMES FALCONER ATLEE, of Prospect
Place, Deptford, in the County of Kent, send grecting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth
did, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing
date at Westminster, the Twenty-second day of December, in the eighth
year of His reign, give and grant unto us, the said Charles Augustus Fer-
guson and James Falconer Atlee, His especial licence that we, the said
Charles Augustus Ferguson and James Falconer Atlee, our exors, adiñors,
and assigns, and such others as we, the said Charles Augustus Ferguson and
James Falconer Atlee, our exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also in all His said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, our Invention
of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MADE MASTS;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that we, the said Charles Au-
gustus Ferguson and James Falconer Atlee, or one of us, under our hands
and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, should cause a particular
description of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Charles Augustus Ferguson and James Falconer Atlee, or one of us, by and
with the consent and approbation of the other, and at his request and desire,
do hereby declare that the nature and particulars of our aforesaid Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect,
is herein-after fully set forth and described; (that is to say):-
It consists in a new mode of laying together and joining the separate
pieces of timber of which made or built masts are to be formed, in such way
and by such means as enables us to make much less waste of the said
timber, and likewise to use timber of variable length and of smaller scantling
or size that has been heretofore used for masts of the like dimensions, and
yet to produce equal if not superior strength, firmness, stability, and duration,
notwithstanding the price or expence of constructing such masts is very
considerably diminished on account of the size and quality of timber which
our said Invention enables us to convert and use; and the manner in which
we construct and build or make such masts is as follows:-
In the first place, the mast, as constructed upon our improved plan, con-
sists of a central piece which runs of the same size or dimensions from top
to bottom, or from one end of the mast to the other, and which piece may
be either square or polygonal; (that is to say), it may have more sides than
four; thus it may be hexagonal, octagonal, or be cut or formed into any
required number of equal or nearly equal sides, according to the size of the
mast to be constructed, or as circumstances may require.
Secondly, having determined upon the number of sides with which our
central piece shall be formed, we cut and apply angular pieces of timber to
the said sides of the central piece, such angular pieces being so cut and
formed upon three of their sides that one of their sides shall apply in close
contact with one of the sides, or with a part of one of the sides, of our central
piece, while two other sides of the said angular piece of timber shall form
radii of a circle, having its center in the center of the mast, or thereabouts,
and consequently these two sides will come into close contact with other pieces
of timber similarly cut, formed, and fitted, and make up an entire round or
circle of timber when the fourth or last of the sides of the said angular pieces
shall have been properly rounded.
Figs. 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawing represents transverse sections or
cross cuts of masts so formed; thus, in Fig. 1 the central piece A is square,
and eight angular pieces are laid round it as at B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I,
their joints being radial, as before described, their inner edges so cut or formed
that each of them may come into close contact with half a side of the square

page_text: central piece, and their outer sides being cut or formed to the round of the
mast. In Figure 2 an octagonal center piece is adopted, and therefore eight
lateral pieces are placed round it as before, though their form is different, for
in this case one entiro side of each of these pieces comes into contact with
each of the entire sides of the central piece, but the joinings of each piece to
the other are still radial, and the outside is rounded as before. Such then
is the manner in which we cut our several pieces of timber to join or bring
them into contact with each other, and we claim such mode and form of
cutting and fitting the same when used and applied in combination with our
new and improved means of joining and fixing the said pieces of timber
together, which we shall next proceed to describe.
We have hitherto spoken of one central piece of timber which is to run
the whole length of the mast, but it is well known that for long masts it
would be impossible to procure a single piece of timber of sufficient length
for this purpose; we do, however, select the longest timber we can procure
for central pieces, in order to avoid joints, and endeavour to form the said
central piece out of two or at most three pieces; and instead of scarfing or
tableing these pieces, which is the usual practice, but which cuts much
timber to waste and greatly diminishes its strength, we join them butt to
butt by means of wrought-iron screw bolts and nuts in the following manner:
-In the first place the two butts or ends that are to come together are
sawed off quite square and planed smooth, we then bore at least three and
sometimes four corresponding holes in the butt or end of each piece of
timber, at least three feet deep from each face of each joint, and large
enough to receive screwed bolts of iron from three quarters of an inch to an
inch and a half in diameter, according to the size of the mast or of the
timber used for its formation; and these holes must be exactly opposite to
each other that the said bolts may pass half their length into each piece of
timber. Near the end or bottom of each of these holes we cut and form a
square hole from the side of the timber next to each bolt to receive two
screw nutts of square or hexagonal form, which fit the said screw bolts, and
then by means of spanners or hammers and cold chisels, or other proper
tools, we turn or screw the said nutts with iron washers under them upon the
said screw bolts so introduced into the said holes in the wood until the two
butts are drawn closely, perfectly, and firmly together; and so closely and
firmly can we unite them in this way, that we find the butt end of one piece
of timber is actually drawn or driven into the other to such an extent that we
find it expedient to place a disk or plate of sheet lead or copper, having holes
in it for the said bolts to pass through, between the two ends or butts to prevent

page_text: this effect from taking place; and we do so always place such disk or plate
of metal.
Figure 8 in the annexed Drawing represents the appearance of the said
holes with the nutts in them, as viewed from the front, with the iron bolt
dotted in as they are fixed in the same, J being one piece of timber, and K
the other, and the line a, b, the joining in which the plate of lend or copper
is introduced. We likewise find it expedient to have a right-handed screw
at one end of the bolt, and a left-handed one on the other, in order that the
driving or tightening of one nut may not loosen the other. The middle part
of the screwed bolt exactly fits the hole made in the timber to receive it, and
is driven in by force, but may be round or square towards its middle to
prevent its turning round.
Another means which we occasionally make use of, but which we do not
recommend, as not being so good or strong, is to cut corresponding channels
in the two ends of timber that are to come together opposite to each other,
so that the bolts will drop into the same, one half the length of the bolt still
being in one piece of timber, and the other half in the other, and in this
casc larger square holes are made from the sides of the timber in the proper
place for introducing the nutts, which are to be turned and screwed upon the
bolts, as before described; and in either case after having screwed up the
bolts and nutts as tightly LS possible or expedient, we fill up the remainder
of the cavity that was formed for introducing the bolt and turning the nut
with pieces of hard wood, fixed with pitch, rosin, or varnish, which effectually
prevents the nut from turning back again or becoming loose by any future
play or vibration of the mast. And we make all the bolts used in the same
joint of different lengths, in order that the holes which must in both cases
be cut for the nuts, may at different distances from the butts or joints, and
so as not to maim the said timber by such holes coming too near together.
A difference of from eight to ten inches in the length of each bolt will be
sufficient for this purpose. Having so formed and joined our central piece of
timber, the angular side pieces are next to be applied to it; and these we
so select or cut into lengths as to insure that no two joinings of butts or
ends shall come together, which we consider to be one of the essential parts
of our Invention and improvements. This likewise enables us to bring in
and make use of many short lengths of timber which would otherwise be
useless; thus, for example, if the central piece has eight sides, we may
begin by making the first augular piece seven feet long, the second, or that
which lays by its side, fourteen feet long, the third twenty-one feet long, the
fourth twenty-eight feet long, the fifth thirty-five feet, the sixth forty-two feet,

page_text: the seventh forty-nine feet, and the eighth fifty-six feet long, after which long
pieces are added or joined to each of the above until we arrive at or near the
top of the mast, when the pieces will diminish again in the same or any other
ratio that may be selected, and the consequence of this will be that the several
butt joinings up the mast will appear in a screw-like form, and that no more
than one cross joining can occur in each seven fect of the mast, or in any
greater or less length which may have been selected for the progression. Each
of the lateral or angular pieces that surround the central one are joined butt
to butt by iron screw bolts and nuts in precisely the same manner as has been
described with respect to the central piece, except only that instead of intro-
ducing three or four of such bolts and nutts, we deem two of them sufficient
for each joint; and we introduce them in those faces which form the radial
joints, as shewn at Figure 4. If a third bolt should be deemed necessary, we
should introduce it on the face L, as none of these bolts and nuts are intended
to appear on the outside of the mast; and we always take care to so set out
the lengths of our lateral pieces that the joint or joints (if any) in the central
piece may fall in the middle between two joints. In order to attach and secure
the said lateral angular pieces to the central piece, wo use douls or round
coaks, and the kind which we prefer for this purpose are those formed of the
compressed or condensed timber for which Mr. James Falconer Abbec obtained
the King's Letters Patent on or about the Eleventh day of Junuary, 1825,
and which are known under the name of Atlee's Patent Douls; but if the same
cannot be procured, the ordinary round coaks or douls of hard wood will
answer the purpose. These douls or coaks are to be introduced into the
central piece, and into the faces of the lateral angular pieces which come into
contact with the same at the distance of about one foot asunder; but we intro-
duce them in a spiral direction, as shewn at Figure 5, which is a perspective
view of a central piece of 8 sides; the doul c would therefore be a foot higher
than that at d, and that at d a foot above that at e, consequently in an 8-sided
central piece the douls that occur in the same side or face as at d, f, g, will be
8 feet asunder, but they may be set to a closer or wider guage at pleasure,
observing always to follow the same spiral direction in using them, in order
that none of the pieces of timber may be maimed or crippled by the coaks or
douls coming to close to each other. In the event of making use of a square
central piece, as shewn in the section, Figure 1, we observe the same spiral
direction for placing the coaks or douls; but then two of them will come
within a foot of height of each other on each of the square sides of the central
piece; the said coaks or douls in that form of mast as shewn by the letters
h, i, j, k, l, m, n, and o. If therefore h is the lowest coak or doul, the coak i

page_text: will be a foot or thereabouts above it on the same side, j and k will be the
same distance above each other on the next side, the like of land m on the
third side, and of n and o on the fourth, and, consequently, the next coak or
doul above h will be 8 feet above it, as in the former arrangement. We
likewise introduce lateral coaks or douls between the angular side pieces
before named, and particularly when we adopt the form and construction
shewn at Figure 1, in which p, q, r, and s shew the position of such douls or
coaks introduced at the distance of about every 3 or 4 feet from each other
throughout the whole length of the mast, and thus it will be seen that only
the four radial joints that pass from the four corners of the square central
piece A are without connexion, like the whole of the radial joints in Figure
2. But notwithstanding no such douls or coaks are shewn in the said Figures
yet we reserve to ourselves the right of using them between all the radial
joints of our masts in which, from the nature and form of the joint, it may be
possible to introduce them.
Lastly, having so put and formed and fixed our said masts together in the
manner and by the means herein-before described and above set forth, we
finish and complete the same by applying any of the usual and accustomed
iron, copper, or other metal hoops around the outside of the same, for the
purpose of strengthening the said masts and keeping the said angular lateral
pieces together. In taper masts, drift hooks, or those to be driven, may be
used, but in parallel masts such hoops must draw or screw together by keys,
screw nuts, or the like means, or bands of rope may be applied in temporary
cases where hoops of metal cannot be procured.
And whereas the said James Falconer Atlee, named in our aforesaid Patent,
and joint proprietor and inventor of the present improvements in made masts,
has obtained His Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for certain improvements
in bands or hoops for masts and other purposes, which said Patent bears
date on or about the 15th day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and twenty-eight, so we recommend and adopt the said patent hoops to
be applied to our aforesaid masts, but whether the same or any other kind
of metal band or hoop be used we always place a hoop or band over the joining
of the two butts or ends of everal lateral angular piece, and another hoop or
band between each of them at about equal distances asunder, and under such
intermediate bands or hoops, or at other equally divided distances along our said
masts, we occasionally drive oblique bolts, or bolts in the direction of chords,
to the circle of the masts, in such manner that each bolt shall pass thro' or lay
hold of three at least of the said lateral angular pieces which we use as afore-
said, in the manner shewn in Figure 6 of the annexed Drawing, by which

page_text: means all the said lateral angular pieces are held and tyed together, and pre-
vented from separating from the said contral piece, even if no hoops at all were
used; and on this account we prefer such mode of bolting to bolting thro' the
central piece in the direction of diameters of the said mast, as has been before
practised; and we further recommend that bands or hoops of metal should in
all cases be used, notwithstanding the introduction of the said oblique bolts.
From the above description, it will be manifest that our Invention consists
in the mode herein-before described of using lateral pieces of timber placed
round a central piece by means of radial joints, and affixed together by coaks
or douls and iron screw bolts, without scarfing, and in such manner that the
joints throughout the whole shall be broken, as it is technically called, or that
no two of them may come together, and securing the said pieces of timber in
their places by hoops or bands and bolts driven transversely through the same;
all of which has been fully set forth and explained, and constitutes the Inven-
tion which we claim to have secured to us by our said herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Augustus Ferguson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twontu ciml
CHARLES AUGUSTUS (L.S.) FERGUSON.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twentieth day of June, in the
year of our Lord 1828, the aforesaid Charles Augustus Ferguson came before
our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and everything 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.
Inrolled the Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.