IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING, FORE- AND-AFT SAILS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS, PATENT to John Hart, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham,.
Master Mariner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING, FORE-
AND-AFT SAILS."
Sealed the 13th April 1865, and dated the 18th October 1864..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hart at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th October
1864.
I, JOHN HART, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Master Mariner,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REEFING FORE-AND-AFT SAILS," to be as follows:-
1. I use the boom of a fore-and-aft sail, and make the same revolve.and roll
the sail upon and off the boom. I fit the fore end of the boom into a socket,
which is prolonged so as to form a strong pin in a line with the axis of the
boom. The pin passes through a hole in the middle of a pair of (what I call)
outer jaws, in which hole it works as a swivel. The head of the pin is a nut.
A boss is firmly fixed either upon the socket at the fore end of the boom or
upon the pin between the socket and the outer jaws. The two ends of the
outer jaws are fastened to the two sides of a pair of (what I call) inner jaws
by pins or other means, so as to form two joints on which the boom and outer
jaws can be lifted up or down without altering the position of the inner jaws.

page_text: The inner jaws embrace the mast, and are free to revolve round it. The
swivel and the inner jaws and outer jaws together form a universal joint.
All the apparatus is between the fore end of the boom, and the mast is made
of iron, but it may be made of any other material suitable in point of strength
and durability. The middle of the outer jaws is strengthened at the point
where the pin passes through by being increased in thickness. At this point,
and immediately over the pin itself, I have a key headed screw, which works
in another hole in the outer jaws, at right angles to the pin, and in such
manner as that when screwed tightly down the end of such screw presses upon
the pin, and prevents it from revolving in the swivel. At the after end of the
boom I use a travelling-band-with-a-middle-ring-and-two-eyes,-to-one of which
eyes the topping lift is fastened, and to the other of which eyes the sheet is
fastened. I use ordinary throat and peak halyards to the gaff. I use an
endless chain, which passes over a common block at the mast head, and
under the boss at the fore end of the boom; and one part of such-endless chain
passes on each side of both the gaff and boom. To keep the endless chain
from slipping off the boss I use a guard or guide consisting of two pieces of
iron or brass pinned together at the ends and placed above the boss. Both
parts of the endless chain pass through this guard or guide, and to render the
friction harmless a roller is placed on each pin between the side pieces of such
guard or guide. The guard or guide is either left loose or is fixed to the
mast or to the boss by simple or hinged standards. "A piece of chain of about
three feet in length is made fast by one end to the upper side of the throat of
the gaff, and the other end is hooked to the descending part of the endless
chain. The downhaul is a tackle hooked to the descending part of the
endless chain as high from the deck as possible. To reef the sail I slack the
peak and throat halyards, which causes the weight of the gaff to bear down
upon the endless chain.. I also haul on the downhaul, and as the endless
chain passes under and round-the boss it causes the boom to revolve, and the
sail is thus rolled round the boom. To make sail I slack the downhaul and
loist upon the peak halyards and throat. halyards, as usual, which rolls the
sail off the boom again. I use the (ordinary:hoops upon the mast. Travellers
--are attached either to the hoops themselves or to one side of a strip of canvas
of which the other side is attached to the hoops. The weather of the sail has
a thicker rope than ordinary, and the travellers embrace that rope and keep
the weather of the sail in position with reference to the mast, and at the same
time they slide up and down the weather of the sail, so as to allow the sail to
be rolled upon or off the boom. If the strip of canvas be not used I keep the
hoops and travellers in proper relative position to each other by making them
"

page_text: fast at equal distances to a line hung from the throat of the gaff. Each
traveller is a semicircle of iron or brass, with the ends turned in towards the
centre at right angles, and on each end is placed a conical or oval roller, free
to revolve. I use an ordinary sail without reef points or reef earings
2. I reef fore and aft sails upon the gaff by applying to the gaff instead of to
the boom the Invention before described with the following additions and altera-
tions: Near the peak end of the gaff I have one end of a rope fastened. A
traveller of the description already detailed is attached to this rope, of which the
other end is carried down to and through a sheave placed on or near to the end
of the boom, and then a tackle is attached to it, which goes under the boom.
The lee or leach of the sail has a rope thicker than ordinary, and the traveller
embraces such rope and goes up and down the lee of the sail, the effect being
to keep the sail extended during the operation of reefing. The peak halyards
are made fast to the middle ring, which I place near the peak end of the gaff.
I use an ordinary downhaul, but no throat halyards. I do not use the piece
of chain three feet in length. In lieu of an endless chain I use a reef tackle
of chain, one end of which is made fast to an ordinary tackle on deck. The
other end is passed over a double-sheaved block at the mast head, and then
under the boss.(which is placed at the throat of the gaff). The reef tackle
then leads up again, and over the other sheave of the double-sheaved block,
and is afterwards led down again to the deck. To reef the sail I slack the
peak halyards and reef tackle, and haul on the downhaul and on the tacklo
attached to the traveller at the peak. As the reef tackle is slacked it passes
under and round the boss, and the gaff is made to revolve, and the sail is
rolled round the gaff. To make sail I slack the downhaul and the tackle
attached to the traveller, and hoist upon the peak halyards and reef tackle,
which rolls the sail off the gaff again..
3. Instead of making either the boom or gaff to revolve as above described,
I place at intervals from the travelling band to the boss hoops or rings with
eyes in each ring for four of five rods. These rods form a frame, upon which
the sail is bent, and the frame is made to revolve by means similar to those
before described; or instead of making the boom or gaff to revolve I use a
roller placed above or alongside of and fixed to an ordinary boom or gaff, in
such manner as that the roller is free to revolve, and I cause it to revolve by
the same means as I have before described for making the boom or gaff to
revolve.
+

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of-the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Hart in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
April 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOUN
HART, of Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Master Mariner, 'send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give-and-grant-unto-me, the
said John Hart, Her special licence that I, the said John Hart, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, 'the said John Hart, 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 REEFING FORE-AND-AFT
SAILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that 'I, the said John Hart, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
,nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 John Hart, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in using the boom of a fore-and-aft sail, and making
the same to revolve and roll the sail upon and off the boom. For this purpose
I fit the fore end of the boom into a socket and connect it with the mast-by
means of a pin, outer jaws, and 'inner jaws, in the same manner as already
described with reference to a gaff in the Specification of my former Patent
for "Improvements in Reefing Fore-and-aft Sails," dated Twenty-first day of
July One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and numbered "1817." I
fix a whelped boss of iron or other suitable material (and marked F in the
Drawings hereto attached) firmly, either upon the socket at the fore end of

page_text: the boom (as shewn in Fig. 9) or upon the pin between the socket and the
outer jaws (as shewn in Fig. 8). The middle of the outer jaws is strengthened
at the point where the pin passes through by being increased in thickness.
At this point, and immediately over the pin itself, I have a key-headed screw
(marked 'I) which works in another hole in the outer jaws at right angles to.
the pin, and in such manner as that when screwed tightly down the end of
such screw presses' upon the pin and prevents it from revolving in the swivel.
At the after end of the boom is a travelling band (marked P) with a middle
ring which has an eye on its lower, side, to which eye the sheet (marked. R)
is fastened. The topping lift (marked Q) is attached to an eye on the upper
side of the travelling band, or the topping lift has an eye at its end which
works on and along a bar of iron fastened at each end to the middle ring. I
use ordinary throat and peak halyards to the gaff. An endless chain (marked
K in Figs. 6 and 7) has one bight passing through and over a common block
at the mast head, and the other bight passing under the boss at the fore end
of the boom (as shewn in Figs. 6 and 7), and one part of such endless chain
passes on each side of both the gaff and boom; or this endless chain, instead
of being carried upwards and passed over a block above the gaff, may be
shorter and carried downwards and round a bossed winch placed either on or
below the deck and worked by manual labour or power. To keep the endless
chain from slipping off the boss I use a guard or guide (marked L, Figs. 7, 8,
and 9) consisting of two pieces of iron or brass pinned together at the ends
and placed above the boss. Both parts of the endless chain pass through this
guard or guide, and to ease the friction a roller (marked M) is placed on
each pin between the side pieces of such guard or guide. The guard or
guide is either left loose or is fixed to the mast or to the boss by simple or
hinged standards. The guard or guide is fixed to the mast, as shewn by
Fig. 11, wherein L, a, is the standard, having a binge at L, b. If the guard
or guide is fixed to the boss (as shewn in Figs. 8, 9, and 10), the boss has a
projection (L, e, Figs. 8, 9, and 12) attached to it with a raised flange or
side, and the standards (L, a, 'Fig. 12) are attached to a hoop or ring (L; d,
Fig. 10) which embraces this projection so loosely as that the boss may
revolve without causing the hoop or ring to revolve also. This hoop or ring
is cut at its lower part and the two ends are turned down (as shewn at L, c;
Fig. 12), and through them is passed a screw (L, f,) holding a shackle to
which a rope is attached, which rope being made fast on deck holds the hoop
or ring (L, d,) from revolving with the boss; and if the screw (L, f,) be
screwed tight, so as to make the hoop or ring grip the projection of the boss
it assists the action of the screw (marked I) in preventing the boss and boom

page_text: from revolving at all. A short piece of chain (marked N, Fig. 7) is made
fast by one end to the top of the throat of the gaff, and the other end is
hooked to the descending part of the endless chain. The down haul
(marked'O) is a tackle hooked to the descending part of the endless chain as
high from the deck as possible. To reef the sail I slack the peak and throat
halyards, which causes the weight of the gaff to bear down upon the endless
chain. I also haul on the down haul, and as the lower bight of the endless
chain passes under and round the boss it causes the boom to revolve, and the
sail is thus rolled round the boom. To make sail I slack the down haul and
hoist upon the peak halyards and throat halyards as usual, which rolls the sail
off the boom again;. I use the ordinary-hoops-upon-the-mast, and-I-keep-the
weather of the sail in position with reference to the mast so as at the same
time to allow the sail to be rolled upon or off the boom, and I also keep the
loops and travellers in proper relative position to each other by the same
means as described in the Specification of iny said former Patent.
ordinary sail without-reef points or reef earings..
I use an
My Invention also consists in reefing fore-and-aft sails' upon the gaff by
applying to the gaff, instead of to the boom, the Invention herein-before
described with the following additions and alterations:-The peak halyards are
made fast to a middle ring (marked X) near the peak end of' the gaff, and
I keep the lee of the sail extended during the operation of reefing by means
similar to those described in the Specification of my said foriner Patent.
I use an ordinary down haul, but no throat halyards, the short piece of chain
(marked N) not. being required. In lieu of an endless chain I use a reef
tackle of chain (marked V on Figs. 13 and 14), one end of which is made fast
to an ordinary tackle on deck; the other end is passed through and over a
double-sheaved block at the mast head and then under the boss (marked F)
(which is placed at the throat of the gaff). The reef tackle then leads up
again and through and over the other sheave of the double-sheaved block, and
is afterwards led down again to the deck. To reef the sail I slack the peak
halyards and reef tackle and haul on the down haul and on the tackle attached
to the traveller at the peak. As the reef tackle is slacked it passes under
and. round the boss.and the gaff is made to revolve, and the sail is rolled
round the gaff. To maké sail I slack the down haul and the tackle attached
to the traveller at the peak and hoist upon the peak halyards and reef tackle,
which rolls the sail. off the gaff again.
'My Invention also consists in the following (that is to say) :-Instead of
making either. the boom or gaff to revolve as above described, I place at
intervals from the travelling band to the boss hoops or rings with eyes in each

page_text: ring for four or five rods. These rods form a frame upon which the sail is
bent and the frame is made to revolve by means similar to those before
described for making the boom or gaff to revolve.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the preventing the revolution of the boom by means of the screw and
other apparatus above described.
Secondly, the guard or guide adapted to and in connection with the boss, as
above described.
Thirdly, a travelling band on the boom with two eyes, or an eye and a bar,
to which the topping lift and sheet are fastened, as above described.
Fourthly, the rotation of the boom or gaff, or of a frame of hoops in
connection with the boom or gaff, by the means and in the manner above
described.
Lastly, the causing the boom or gaff to revolve and roll the sail on and off
the same in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hart, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five.
JOHN HART. (L.S.)