IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIG, SPARS, AND SAILS OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIG, SPARS, AND SAILS OF SHIPS AND OTHER
VESSELS. A communication from abroad by Mr. Barton Ricketson, of
New Bedford, in the County of Bristol, and State of Massachusetts,
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
August 1862.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIG, SPARE, AND SAILS OF SHIPS AND
OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
The first part of the Invention relates to the construction of yards to fit
around and turn upon the mast, whereby great facility is afforded for the
attachment of such yards to their masts and their detachment therefrom. .The
two arms of the yard are made of separate pieces of timber, or if made of one
piece are sawn apart, and they are connected at their sides with strong cheek
pieces, which hold them at the proper distanco apart, and between which and
the inner ends of the arms there is formed an opening of suitable size for

page_text: the reception of the mast, the inner faces of the said check pieces being
hollowed out to make the opening nearly circular. The cheek pieces are so
secured to the yard arms by bolts and nuts as to provide for the removal of
one of them without disturbing the other one, which always keeps the two
arms rigidly connected, and when the yard is to be applied to the mast the
movable cheek piece is taken off, and the yard put on the mast sideways, and
after the yard has been so put on the movable cheek piece is again applied to
the yard and secured in place by the nuts. I propose to use wrought-iron
arched tension rods in connection with these cheek pieces to strengthen tho
yard vertically, moving said rods through standards secured in the yard; I
propose to use in connection with such yards a mast made all in one length,
instead of lower mast, top mast, and topgallant mast in separate lengths, and
to provide shoulders all round them at proper heights for the lower yard and
topsail yard to rest upon. These shoulders may be formed by reducing the
size of the mast at the places where the yards are to come; I make one arm
of each yard longer than the other, and by that means I am enabled to tack
better, as the sails are then made to operate like fore and aft sails, or while at
anchor and getting under way can place them so as to cause the ship to fill on
the right tack almost to a certainty, and prevent missing stays or filling on the
wrong tack.
The second part of the Invention relates to fitting the two upper yards so as
to slide down the upper portion of the mast, so that both may with their sails
be lowered down to the topsail yard when it is desirable to take in sail, thus
providing for the sliding down the mast of yards which fit around it to turn
upon it. I propose to apply in this way in large vessels any number of the
upper yards, as those of the topgallant sails and royals, and any sails that may
be used above the royals; but in small vessels all the yards may be applied in
this way to be lowered to the deck.
The third part of the Invention consists of an improved jack stay, which is
constructed as follows:-A fixed cleet is secured longitudinally on the top of
the yard and extending the whole length of the arm, and hollowed out on its
inner side for the reception of one side of the bolt rope of the sail. Opposite
to this cleet there are secured to the yard, at short distances apart, hooks or
hooked lugs, under which there is fitted to the yard a slide of wood, which
may be made in one, two, or more lengths, and which is hollowed out on its
inner side for the reception of the other side of the bolt rope, space being left
between the cleet and slide for the thickness of the cloth of which the sail is
composed. To attach the sail to the yard the slide is removed and the bolt
rope brought against the hollow face of the fixed cleet and close to the top of

page_text: the yard, the slide is then inserted endwise under the hooks or lugs above
mentioned, and by that means the bolt rope being confined in the cavities of
the cleet and slide the foot of the sail is secured. In the cleet there are secured
eye bolts for the reception of a horizontal iron rod, and in the hooks or lugs
there are eyes for the reception of a similar rod. In reefing the sail the reef
points are secured to these rods.
The fourth part of the Invention consists in the attachment of the foot ropes
to a yard by means of rigid hangers of wrought iron or other metal, so applied
as to keep said rollers well out from the sail outside of the shrouds, which
are connected to the mast below said yard, thereby enabling said ropes to be
continued past the mast all along both sides of the yard, and on opposite sides
of the mast, and affording much greater facility for the passage of the crew
along the yard.
The fifth part of the Invention consists in securing the shrouds to the
mast by means of hooked straps of iron inserted through the mast, and plates
applied under said straps outside of the mast, making a closer and snugger
mode of attachment than that heretofore adopted. The shrouds need not,
however, be rove through the straps, but may be attached by shackles or
otherwise.
The sixth part of the Invention relates to the use of metal blocks with
sheaves in place of the dead eyes commonly used to provide for the setting up
of the standing rigging of vessels, and it consists in a certain construction of
said blocks with provision for securing the ends of the lanyards, and for
securing them to the shrouds. The lower block is made of wrought
iron, with a fork for the reception of the two sheaves and their pin, and
with a plate which is bolted to the side of the vessel in the same way as
the "chains" used with ordinary dead eyes. Between the sheaves there is
fitted to their pin a loose plate, on which is formed an eye to serve as a
becket for the attachment of one end of the lanyard. This plate is made with
a convex boss on each side, and so has also the corresponding plate of the
upper block, the sheaves are made with corresponding concave recesses in
their inner sides for the reception of the bosses of the plate, by which means
without making the block unnecessarily wide, or reducing the width of the
outer portions of the sheaves, a broad bearing for the plate upon the pin is
provided, said plate being capable of oscillating on the pin, so that the
becket works from the axis of the sheaves of the block, which is an important
feature of the improvement. The upper block is made with a fork for the
reception of the sheaves and their pin, and with a grooved shank of peculiar
form to fit the eye at the lower end of the shroud, in such manner as to make

page_text: a perfectly rigid connection between the block and shroud. The fork of this.
block may be made of wrought iron, and the shank of brass, the fork being
first forged, and then having the brass shank cast to it by its being placed in
the mould in which the shank is to be cast. The eye of the shroud is made
fast, to the 'shank by seizings, the lower one of which passes through an eye
provided for it in the shank. The upper block is fitted in a precisely similar.
manner to the lower one above described. The advantage to be derived from
this arrangement for setting up the standing rigging consists in its being
operated with greater facility in its working without chafe, which makes both
shroud and lanyard much more durable than when the ordinary arrangement
of dead eyes is employed. The entire freedom from chafing results in a great
measure from the application of the beckets to swing from the axes of the
sheaves of the blocks.
The seventh part of the Invention consists in the application to the mast of
what I call travelling back stays and head stays. I apply the yards in such
manner as to work between the standing rigging of one side and that on the
opposite side of their respective masts. In such arrangement of the yards the
distance which the yard is capable of swinging in. either direction from a
position directly fore and aft is limited by the back stay on the one side and
the head stay on the opposite side of the mast; and in order to enable the
lower ends of said stays to be carried far enough forward and aft to operate
effectively on the mast, and yet to prevent them from interfering with the
range of the yard, I arrange the lower ends of said stays to travel along
curved ways attached to the hull of the vessel within the bulwarks, attaching
to said ends metal slides fitted to the curved ways, the curvature of which is
in the form of arcs concentric with the points of attachment of the upper
ends of the stays. By moving back said stay on one side and moving forward
the back stay on the opposite side, leaving the other head stay in its backward
position, the yards are permitted to swing as far as desirable in either direction.
The upper ends of the stays so applied should be connected with a ring which
is fitted to turn around the mast on a shoulder provided thereon for its
support.
The eighth part of the Invention consists in strengthening the mast by the
application to it of revolving stays and outriggers; the outriggers are two in
number, attached by links or eye bolts to opposite sides of the mast, just
above the topsail yard, and the stays are secured at their upper ends to the
ring above mentioned rove through eyes in the outriggers and secured to the
mast some distance below. The outriggers are connected together by an
iron link or strap which passes under the foot of the topgallant sail, such

page_text: strap keeping them always at the same distance apart. One of the outriggers
always lies close to the back or windward side of the sail, and the other projects
in a forward direction from the leeward side thereof, and when the yards and
sails swing round in tacking, and the side of the sails which has been to leeward
comes over to windward, as is the case with the improved mode of applying
the yards of this Invention, the outriggers are also shifted, either by the action
of the sail or of the wind, so as to bring the other one against the side of the
sail which is then the back or to windward.
The ninth feature of the Invention consists in an improved means of
attaching the courses and topsails to the mast on opposite sides thereof. It
has been herein-before stated that all of the sails are made with the portion
on one side of or abaft the mast separate from the portion on the other side
or forward thereof. These two portions either of the courses, topsails, top-
gallant sails, or royals, may be more properly considered as separate sails.
The courses and topsails have attached to their inner edges, that is to say, to
the edges nearest the mast, at suitable intervals, travelling bows, which are
capable of running freely up and down upright iron rods attached to the mast
by iron hoops encircling the latter.. The rods are of T form in their transverse
section, and arranged with the head of the T outward and the web next the
mast, and the hoops which are secured to the mast on opposite sides pass
through holes provided for them in said web, the holes being large enough to
permit the rods to pass freely upon them half way round the mast, to allow the
proper adjustment of the sails. The bows have each pivoted to its two jaws
two side plates, which fit to the sides of the web of its respective bar within
the flat head, and so permit the bows to travel freely up and down the bar
without binding as the sail is raised and lowered; the rods may also be
hinged to the mast. I propose to use booms at the feet of the courses, which
may be attached to the mast "by a hook and eye or by any other means that
will permit them to swing with the yards.
The tenth feature of this Invention relates to the attachment of sails to
each other, and is applicable to the attachment of studding sails and generally
in connection with the vertical division of sails. This consists in the attach-
ment of studding sails to the leaches of the inner or principal sails, or in the
attachment of any sails or portions of sails to the leaches of other sails, or por-
tions thereof, arranged nearer to the mast by means of metal slides fitted to run
up and down the leaches. The studding sail is attached at its foot to a bonin
sliding into and out from the yard below it, the arms of the yard, or a sufficient
portion of them being made hollow for their reception, and it is hauled up to
the extremity of the yard above and to a boom fitted to said yard by means of

page_text: halyards applied to its upper corners. I propose generally to use a double
leach in this mode of attaching sails; the inner leach is arranged at such
distance from the outer one that the slide will just work between the two
leaches. Similar slides may be substituted for the travelling bows for attach-
ing the sails to the rods before mentioned, and may be so applied to the
topsails, but I prefer the travelling bows for that purpose.
The eleventh feature of the Invention consists in furnishing the lower outer
corner of a sail with a metal bar having at its lower end an eye to form the
cringle of a sail and another eye for the attachment of the bolt rope extending
some distance up the side of the sail, where it is provided with a cavity for the
reception of the leach of the sail, the object being more particularly to protect
the lower portion of the sail from the chafing action of the metal slides above
mentioned, which, as the outer or studding sail is lowered, all collect upon that
portion of the inner sail:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th February 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of August, in the year of our Lord
.One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Clark, Her special licence that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said William Clark, 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, SPARS, AND SAILS OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS,"
a communication to me from abroad by Mr. Barton Ricketson, of New
Bedford, in the County of Bristol, and. State of Massachusetts, U.S.A., upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Clark, my executors
or administrators, by an. instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of

page_text: 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 William Clark, 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 Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
The principal objects of this Invention are to reduce the cost of the rig,
spars, and sails by a simple construction and arrangement of parts, to obtain
increased speed for a vessel, by so arranging and applying the sail as to carry
a greater area without injuriously straining either the spars or the hull, and
to facilitate the working of the sails, and thereby enable a vessel of a given
tonnage to be worked by fewer hands. In carrying out the Invention I fit
the yards around the mast in such a manner that their axes intersect the axis
of the mast, and make one arm of each longer than the other, so that it may
carry a larger area of sail on one side than on the other, the portion on one side
of or abaft the mast being separate from the portion on the other side or
forward of it. The sails and yards thus applied partake in some degree of the
character of what are known as square, and in some degree the character of
what are known as fore and aft sails, and the yards are worked and secured in
position by braces, in substantially the same manner as the yards and booms
of other vessels. I employ in a vessel one, two, or more masts, according to
its size, or as, all circumstances considered, may be most desirable, and employ
on each mast the usual or any suitable number of yards, generally preferring
to employ as small a number as practicable, as the object is to reduce the
height of the masts and sails as much as possible, and compensate for such
reduction by an increased width, the arrangement allowing a greater width to
be used without those of one mast taking the wind from those of any other;
and I propose generally to dispense with the use of jibs and flying jibs and
their booms, and in some cases with the bowsprit also.
.The general form and arrangement of the yards and sails which I employ is
illustrated in black outline in Figs. 1 and 2, representing a ship and a sloop,
and a comparison of the said form and arrangement with the usual system. is
illustrated in the said Figures by the representation of those systems in red
outline.
The first. part of my Invention relates to the construction of vards to fit

page_text: around and turn upon the mast, whereby great facility is afforded for the
attachment of such yards to their mast and their detachment therefrom, as
illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the latter exhibiting a top view of a yard and
horizontal section of the mast, and the former a side view of part of the hull
of a ship with the foremast and its yards and sails and the principal portions
of the rigging.
The two arms a, a, are made of separate pieces of timber, or if made of one
-piece are sawn apart, and they are connected at their sides with strong cheek
pieces 6, 6, which hold them at the proper distance apart, and between which
and the inner ends of the arms there is formed an opening of suitable size for
the reception of the mast E, the inner faces of the said cheek pieces being
hollowed out to make the said opening nearly circular. The said cheek pieces
are so secured to the yard arms by bolts c, c, and nuts d,'d, as to provide for
the removal of one of them without disturbing the other one, which always
keeps the two arms rigidly connected; and when the yard is to be applied to
the mast the movable cheek piece is taken off and the yard put on the mast
sideways, and after the yard has been so put on the movable cheek piece is
again applied to the yard and secured in place by the nuts d, d. By this
construction of yards fitted around and turning upon their mast either one can
be removed without disturbing those above it. These cheek pieces may be
made wide enough and long enough to give great strength to the yard, and
.I propose to use in connection with then wrought-iron arched tension rods g
to strengthen the yards vertically, as shown on the lower yard A in Fig. 1,
moving the said rods through standards h, h, secured in the yard. I propose
to use in connection with such yards a mast made all in one length instead of
lower mast, top mast, and topgallant mast in separate lengths, and to provide
shoulders r,r, all round them at proper heights for the lower yard A and
topsail yard B to rest upon. These shoulders may be formed by reducing the
size of the mast at the places where the yards are to come, as shown in Fig. 8,
which is an elevation of the mast. I make one arm of each yard longer than
the other, and by that means I am enabled to tack better, as the sails are
then made to operate like fore and aft sails, or while at anchor and getting
under way, can place them so as to cause the ship to fill on the right tack
almost to a certainty, and prevent missing stays or filling on the wrong tack.
The two upper yards, C and D, are represented in Fig. 3 as arranged to
slide down the upper portion of the mast, so that both may, with their sails, be
lowered down to the topsail yard B when it is desirable to take in sails, and it
is in thus providing for the sliding down the mast of yards which fit around it
to turu upon it that the second part of my-Invention consists. I propose to

page_text: apply in this way, in large vessels, any number of the upper yards, as those of
the topgallant sails and royals, and any sails that may be used above the
royals; but in small vessels all the yards may be applied in this way to be
lowered to the deck; c, e, are the topgallant sail halyards; and f,f, the royal
halyards, applied in the same manner as the halyards of yards are applied in
the ordinary rig of vessels.
The third part of this Invention consists in an improved jack stay. This is
illustrated in Fig. 5, which is a longitudinal vertical section of one arm of-a
yard, in Fig. 6, which is a horizontal section of the same, and in Fig. 8, which
is a transverse section of the same. i is a fixed cleet, secured longitudinally
on the top of the yard, and extending the whole length of the arm, and
hollowed out on its inner side for the reception of one side of the bolt rope j
of the sail. Opposite to this cleet there are secured to the yard, at short
distances apart, hooks or hooked lugs k, k, under which there is fitted to the
yard a' slide of wood, which may be made in one, two, or more lengths, and
which is hollowed out on its inner side for the reception of the other side of
the bolt rope j, space being left between the cleet i and slide f for the thickness
of the cloth of which the sail is composed. To attach the sail to the yard the
'slide 7 is removed and the bolt ropej brought against the hollow face of the
fixed cleet i and close the top of the yard, and the slide 7 is then inserted
endwise under hooks or lugs k, k, and by that means the bolt rope being
'confined in the cavities of the cleet and slide, the foot of the sail is secured.
In the cleet i there are secured eye bolts m, m, for the reception of a horizontal
iron rod n, n, and in the hooks or lugs k, k, there are eyes for the reception of
5a similar rod. In reefing the sail the reef points are secured to these rods..
The fourth part of my Invention consists in the attachment of the foot ropes
to a yard by means of rigid hangers of wrought iron or other metal, so applied
as to keep the said ropes well out from the sail outside of the shrouds, which are
connected to the mast below the said yard, thereby enabling the said ropes to
O be continued past the mast all along both sides of the yard and on opposito
sides of the mast, and affording much greater facility for the passage of the
crew along the yards. This part of the Invention is illustrated in Figs. 3
and 4, in which p, p, are the rigid bangers secured to the yard, and having at
their lower ends eyes through which the foot rope q is rove. The ends of the
said rope are secured to eye bolts at the ends of the yard arms.
The fifth part of this Invention consists in securing the shrouds to the mast
by means of hooked straps of iron inserted through. the mast, and plates
applied under the said straps outside of the mast, making a closer and snugger
mode of attachment than that heretofore adopted. This part of this Invention

page_text: is illustrated by Fig. 9, which is a horizontal section of the mast, Fig. 10,
which is a side view of a portion of the same, and Fig. 11, which is a vertical
section at right angles to Fig. 10. F, F, are the straps made of flat wrought
iron with square hooks 8, s, 'at their ends, and eyes t, t, for the reception of
the shrouds F, F; and G, G, are the plates secured to opposite sides of the
mast under said straps. The mortises v, v, provided through the mast for the
reception of the straps, are deep enough in a vertical direction to let the hooks
of the straps pass through, and the length of the straps between the hooks s, s,
is equal to the sum of the thickness of the mast and of the two plates C. The
straps, after being inserted through the mortises, are secured by fastening the
plates G, G, to the mast by bolts or otherwise inside of their hooks 8, s, the
said plates covering the lower portions of the mortises and serving as bearings
for the straps F, F. Each strap F serves to attach two of the shrouds on
each side of the mast, a single rope rove through one of the eyes t and secured
by a seizing below the strap serving for two shrouds. The shrouds need not,
however, be rove through the straps, but may be attached by shackles or
otherwise.
The sixth part of this Invention relates to the use of metal blocks with
sheaves in place of the dead eyes commonly used to provide for the setting up
of the standing rigging of vessels, and it consists in a certain construction of
such blocks with provision for securing the ends of the lanyards and for
securing them to the shrouds. This part of the Invention is illustrated in
Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15. Fig. 12 is a side view of the lower part of a shroud
with the improvement applied; Fig. 13 is a front view of the same; Figs. 14
and 15 are vertical sections, at right angles to each other, of the upper block;
I and J are the blocks. The lower block I is made of wrought iron, with a
fork 21 for the reception of the two sheaves K, K, and their pin 22, and with
a plate 23, which is bolted to the side of the vessel in the same way as the
chains used with ordinary dead eyes. Between the sheaves K, K, there is
fitted to the pin 22 a loose plate M, on which is formed an
as a becket for the attachment of one end of the lanyard L.
made with a convex boss 24 on each side, as shown in the
and 15, on the corresponding plate M* of the upper block. The sheaves are
made with corresponding concave recesses in their under sides for the reception
of the bosses 24 of the plate M, by which means, without making the block
unnecessarily wide or reducing the width of the outer portions of the sheaves,
a broad bearing for the plate M upon the pin 22 is provided, the said plate
being capable of oscillating upon the said pin so that the becket e works from
the axis of the sheaves of the block, which is an important feature of the
eye 25 to serve
This plate M is
sections, Figs. 14

page_text: improvement. The upper block J is made with a fork 21* for the reception
of the sheaves K*, K, and their pin 22*, and with a grooved shank 26, of the
form shown in Figs. 14 and 15, to fit the eye 27 at the lower end of the
shroud, in such a manner as to make a perfectly rigid connection between
the block and shroud, so that the block cannot chafe the eye of the shroud.
The fork 21* of this block may be made of wrought iron and the shank 26
of brass, the fork being first forged and then having the brass shank cast to it
by its being placed in the mould in which the shank.is to be cast. The eye
of the shroud is made fast to the shank 26 by seizings 28, 28, the lower one
of which passes through an eye 29 provided for it in the shank. The pin 22*
of the block J has fitted to it, between its sheaves K*, K*, a loose plate M*,
in all respects like the loose plate M of the lower block. I, said plate having
an eye 25* to serve as a becket to attach the opposite end of the lanyard L to
that which is attached to the becket 25 of the lower block, and the said
becket 25* being, like 25, freo to work from the axis of the sheaves of its
respective block.. The advantage to be derived from this arrangement for
setting up the standing rigging consists in its being operated with greater
facility in its working without chafe, which make both shroud and lanyard
much more durable than when the ordinary arrangement of dead eyes is
employed. The entire freedom from chafe results in a great degree from the
application of the beckets to swing froin the axis of the sheaves of the blocks.
The seventh part of this Invention consists in the application to the mast
of what I call travelling back stays and head stays. I apply the yard in such
a manner as to work between the standing rigging of one side and that on
the opposite side of their respective mast. This is illustrated in Fig. 3. In
such arrangement of the yards the distance which the yard is capable of
swinging in either direction from a position directly fore and aft is limited by
the back stay on one side, and the head stay y on the opposite side of the
mast; and in order to enable the lower ends of the said stays to be carried
far enough forward and aft to operate effectively on the mast, and yet to
prevent them from interfering with the range of the yard, I arrange the lower
ends of the said stays to travel along curved ways u, u, attached to the hull of
the vessel within the bulwarks, as shown in Fig. 3 in dotted outline, attaching
to the said ends metal slides to, w, fitted to the said curved ways, the curvature
of which is in the form of arcs, concentric with the points of attachment of the
upper ends of the stays. By moving back the said stay y on one side, and
moving forward the back stay x on the opposite side, leaving the other head
stay in its forward, and the other back stay in its backward position, the yards
are permitted to swing as far as desirable in either direction. The upper ends

page_text: of the stays so applied should be connected with a ring 2, which is fitted to
'turn around the mast on a shoulder 2¹ provided thereon for its support.
The eighth part of this Invention consists in strengthening the mast by the
application to it of revolving stays and outriggers. This is illustrated in
Figure 8, and in Fig. 16, which is a horizontal section of the mast just above
the outriggers; N, N, are the outriggers, two in number, attached by link's
or eye bolts 30, 30, to opposite sides of the mast just above the topsail yard B,
and 29, 29, aro the stays secured at their upper ends to the ring, before
'mentioned, rove through eyes in the outriggers, and secured to the mast some
distance below. The outriggers are connected together by an iron link
or strap 31, which passes under the foot of the topgallant sail, such strap
keeping them always at the same distance apart. One of the outriggers
'always lays close to the back or windward side of the sail, and the other
'projects in a forward direction from the leeward side thereof, and when the
yards and sails swing round in tacking, and the side of the sails which has
*been to leeward comes over to windward, as is the case with my mode of
applying the yards, the outriggers are also shifted, either by the action of the
sail or by the action of the wind, to bring the other one against the side of
the sail which is then the back or to windward.
The ninth feature of this Invention consists in an improved means of
attaching the courses and topsails to the mast on opposite sides thereof.
This is partly illustrated in Fig. 3, but more clearly in Figs. 17 and 18,
which are respectively a side view of a portion of the mast, and the appendages
for the attachment of the sails, and a horizontal section of the same. It has
:been herein-before stated that all of the sails are made with the portion
*on one side of or abaft the mast separate from the portion on the other side
For forward thereof. These two portions, either of the courses and topsails,
topgallant sails or royals, may be more properly considered as separate sails.
The courses and topsails have attached to their inner edges, that is to say, to
⚫the edges nearest the mast, at suitable intervals, travelling bows P, P, which
are capable of running freely up and down upright iron rods Q, Q, attached to
the mast by iron hoops S, S, encircling the latter. The rods Q, Q, are
of T form in their transverse section, and arranged with the head of the T
outward, and the web next the mast, and the hoops which are secured to the
• mast on opposite sides, as shown at 80, 30, in Fig. 18, pass through holes
*provided for them in the said web, the said holes being large enough to permit
the rods to pass freely upon them half way round the mast to allow the proper
adjustment of the sails. The bows P, P, have each pivotted to its two jaws
by pivots 81,-31, two side plates 32, which fit to the sides of the web of its

page_text: respective bar within the flat head, as shown in Fig: 18, and so permit. the:
bows to travel freely up and down the bar without binding, as the sail is raised
and lowered. The rods Q, Q, instead of being applied to run round the
mast on loops S, S, are hinged to the mast. I propose to use booms y, y,.
at the feet of the courses, and these booms may be attached to the mast by a
hook and eye, as shown at 45 in Fig. 3, or by any other means that will
perinit them to swing with the yards.
The tenth feature of this Invention relates to the attachment of sails to each
other, and is applicable to the attachment of studding sails, and generally in:
connection with the vertical division of sails. This is illustrated in Fig. 3, and
also in Figs. 19 and 20, and it consists in the attachment of studding sails to
the leaches of the inner or principal sails, or in the attachment of any sails or
portions of sails to the leaches of other sails or portions of sails arranged
nearer to the mast, by means of, metal slides fitted to run up and down the
leaches.
Fig. 19 is a face view of the lower portion of one of the principal sails and
view.
of a studding sail attached to it by the metal slides; and Fig. 20 is a top'
of one of the slides. The slides T are made with two hollow jaws 33, 33, to
fit easily to the leach 34 of the inner sail U, and with the mouth or opening 35,
between the jaws, just wide enough to pass freely along the cloth of the sail,
and are secured firmly to the inner leach of the studding sail V, by sewing,
seizings, or lashings, as shown at 36, 36, in Fig. 19. The studding sail is
attached at its foot to a boom W sliding into and out from the yard below it,
the arms of the yard, or a sufficient portion of them, being made hollow for
their reception; and it is hauled up to the extremity of the yard above, and to
a boom fitted to the said yard, by means of halyards applied to its upper
corners. 'I propose generally to use a double leach in this mode of attaching
sails, and this is shown in Fig. 19. The inner leach 44 is arranged at such
distance from the outer one 84 that the lips of the mouth 35 of the slide T
O will just work between the two leaches. Slides like T may be substituted for
the travelling bows P, P, for attaching the sails to. the rods Q, Q, before
described, and are shown so applied to the topsails U, U', in Fig. 3, but I
prefer the travelling bows for that purpose.
The eleventh feature of this Invention consists in furnishing the lower outer.
5 corner of a sail with a metal bar having at its lower end an eye. to form the
cringle of the sail; and another eye for the attachment of the bolt rope, and
extending some distanco up the side of the sail, where it is provided with a
cavity for the reception of the leach of the sail. The object being more
especially to protect the lower portion of the sail from the chafing action of

page_text: "
the metal slides T, T, above mentioned, which as the outer or studding sail V
is lowered all collect upon that portion of the inner sail. This part of the
Invention is illustrated in Figs. 19 and 20*, in which X represents the bar;
87 is the eye which forms the. cringle; 88 is the eyo to which the bolt
rope 39 of the sail is attached. The greater portion of the outer edge of the
said bar is made concave, as shown at 40 in Fig. 20*, for the reception of
'the leach 34 of the sail, which is secured to it by seizings 41, 41, passing
through slots 42, 42, provided in the said bar, but the lower portion 48 of the
said edge is made thin for the mouths of the slides T, T, to pass over the said
sides. The part of the bar inside of the concave portion 40 is made thin for
the mouths of the slides to pass over. The inner edge of the bar X is made
thin, and perforated to sew the sails U to it, as shown at 45, 45, in Fig. 19.
Having described the nature of this Invention, and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the construction of the yards to fit around the mast with a movable
cheek piece b on one or both sides, substantially as and for the purpose herein
specified.
.
Secondly, the construction and arrangement of. the upper yards to slide up
and down upon as well as turn about the mast, when such yards are fitted to
and all round the mast, substantially as herein specified.
Thirdly, the improved jack stay, herein described with reference to Figs. 5,
6, and 7.
Fourthly, the attachment of the foot ropes to the yards by means of rigid
hangers p, p, so applied as to keep the said ropes outside of and out of contact a
with the shrouds, substantially as herein specified.
Fifthly, securing the shrouds to the mast by means of the combination of
hooked straps F, F, passing through the masts and plates G, G, outside thereof,
substantially as herein specified.
Sixthly, the employment, in connection with sheave blocks applied to take s
the place of the dead eyes in standing rigging, of beckets 25, 25*, formed upon
plates M, M, arranged to oscillate upon the sheave pins 22, 22*, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein specified; also the construction of the
upper block J with a shank 26, of the form described, whereby a rigid con-
nection with the shroud is provided for.
Seventhly, the travelling back and head stays x, y, applied and operating
substantially as and for the purpose berein set forth.
Eighthly, the combination of the revolving stays 29, 29, and outriggers N, N,
applied to the mast, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.
8

page_text: Ninthly, the attachment of the topsails and courses to masts by means of
rods Q, Q, and slide bows P, or slides T, T, constructed and applied sub-
stantially as herein specified.
Tenthly, the attachment of sails or portions of sails to each other by means
of slides T, T, secured to one, and fitted to slide up and down the leach of the
other, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Eleventhly, fitting the lower and outer corner of a sail with a metal bar X,
constructed substantially as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARA.
(L.B.)