IMPROVEMENTS IN RIGGING STEAM AND SAILING SHIPS
Year: 1870

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Richard Fox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th July 1870.
I, THOMAS RICHARD Fox, of Wavertree, near Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIGGING STEAM AND SAILING SHIPS," to
be as follows:-
-:
The first part of my Invention relates to rigging or the rig of such
navigable vessels as are propelled by steam or other power, and has for
object to provide means whereby (1) the yards of a ship can be expedi-
tiously and conveniently braced fore and aft in a line with the keel or
at any desired angle thereto when the ship is propelled head to wind,
and (2) to allow each lower and upper yard to be lowered to the deck
with all sails and gear belonging to them with less labour than with any
arrangement of rigging hitherto in use. For these purposes each lower
yard is placed above the lower rigging and stay, and around the mast
immediately above the rigging band there is placed a band which is free
to revolve. The said revolving band is formed or fitted with a socket to
receive a traveller or truss; said traveller or truss is attached to the

page_text: lower yard by means of a strong metal plate and two hoops which pass
around the yard. Lugs are forged on or secured to the said band to
receive a bow shackle whercon a block is free to move through the
said block, and through a block or sheave on the mast, thence to the
deck, the hoisting and lowering chain or rope is rove. Guides are fitted
on the mast for the. traveller or truss to move in, and a catch is provided
to secure the revolving band when the yards are being lowered. The
parral or tub of the upper yard is formed with a projection large enough
to receive when such yard is hoisted a block, which is attached to the
upper yard by a pin formed with a shoulder. The tie chain or rope is
rove through the said block, its end being made fast to the parral or tub,
the projecting part of which latter serves to steady the upper yard when
hoisted. When it is desired to brace the yards fore and aft the upper yard
is lowered on to the lower one, and the whole moved round with the
revolving band, but when it is desired to lower both yards with the sails
and gear on to the deck it is necessary to withdraw the shoulder pin
from the block attached to the upper yard so as to free the latter, to
ship the catch above mentioned into the revolving band so as to bring
the traveller or truss opposite the guides on the mast and then to slack
away the hoisting or lowering chain or rope. When raising the yards
from the deck the socket of the revolving band must be in position to
receive the traveller or truss. The yards being hoisted the shoulder
pin is inserted and the catch withdrawn, such yards are then in a position
for being braced or set.
The second part of my Invention relates to sailing ships, and has for
its object to provide means whereby the upper and lower yards with
their sails and gear can be lowered to the deck or raised therefrom into
position for use. The means employed for this purpose are substantially
those described under the above first part.
A modification of the above arrangement of rigging, also of my
Invention, is effected by varying the form of the traveller or truss and
substituting a fixed band or socket for the revolving one, all the other
parts being left the same.