Improvements in Means for Manoeuvring and Operating the Sails and Ropes of Vessels.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVIDIONAL DI BUITIVATION.
Improvements in Means for Manoeuvring and Operating the Sails and
Ropes of Vessels.
A communication from LA SOCIÉTÉ PRENTOUT LEBLOND AND BONIFACE AND
FRÉDÉRIC GAGU, 12, Quai du Härve, Rouen (Seine Infre.), in the Republic of
France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
-
The present invention relates to the application of electric energy in the
management of the sails, ropes and equipments of vessels of any kind, by means
of winches actuated by electricity from, say, a dynamo actuated by any kind of
motor, with or without accumulators.
The fore-yard, top sail yard, flying top sail yard, top gallant sail yard and
flying top gallant sail yard, or the like are provided with braces or ropes passed
round the drums of a winch or winches, their ends being secured to the aforesaid
yards respectively.
An electric winch is provided with as many drums as there are yards on the
mast, that is to say in the above case five drums would be required since there
are five yards. The brace fixed at the end of the yard is wound two or three times
round the corresponding drum and ascends again and is secured to the other end
of the yard; grooved pulleys being provided to guide the various braces or ropes.
Each brace is endless and whenever the sail is trimmed or moved in position
the rope which is wound up in one direction is unwound in the other.
The yards of the same mast not always having the same amount of obliquity
or slant, the drums will have to be constructed of different diameters to secure
the desired result, and this arrangement will then allow of a simultaneous trim-
ming or operation.
Each of the drums is provided with means to allow the trimming of the sails
separately, according to the wind. For hoisting the top sails, the arrangement
comprises a double electric winch placed behind each square mast and provided
with two drums on which are wound the halliards, the first serving. say the flying
top-sail and the second the flying top-gallant-sail. Suitable blocks serve as
return pulleys for the halliards. Each winch drum is loose on its shaft and is
provided with a gearing and a brake by means of which it is possible either to
hoist or to lower the sails in combination, or each separately.
The same winch carries on both the port and starboard side a winch-head
(poupée) by means of which it is possible to hoist or lower the various secondary
sails.
Dated this 92nd dow of June 1899
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Means for Manoeuvring and Operating the Sails and
Ropes of Vessels.
A communication from LA SOCIÉTÉ PRENTOUT LEBLOND AND BONIFACE AND
FRÉDÉRIC GAGU, 12, Quai du Hârve, Rouen (Seine Infre.), in the Republic of
France.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 111, Hatton Garden, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The present invention relates to the application of electric energy in the
management of the sails, ropes and equipments of vessels of any kind, by means
of winches actuated by electricity, from, say, a dynamo actuated by any kind of
motor, with or without accumulators.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents a plan view of an arrangement for working square sails.
Figure 2 shows in elevation an arrangement serving for hoisting top sails, top-
gallant sails, etc:
1 is the fore-mast, and 2 the fore-yard with braces 9, 9; 3 indicates the yard
of the top-sail with braces 10, 10; 4 represents the flying top-sail yard with
braces 11, 11; 5 indicates the yard of the top-gallant sail with braces 12, 12;
and 6 is the yard of the flying top-gallant sail with braces 13, 13.
The fore-yard, top sail yard, flying top sail yard, top gallant sail yard and
flying top gallant sail yard, or the like are provided with braces or ropes passed
round the drums of a winch or winches, their ends being secured to the aforesaid
yards respectively.
.
An electric winch 7 is provided with as many drums 14 as there are yards
on the mast, that is to say in the present case 5 drums would be required since
there are five yards. The brace fixed at the end of the yard is wound two or three
times round the corresponding drum and ascends again and is secured to the
other end of the yard; grooved pulleys 8, 8, 8, being provided to guide the
various braces or ropes.
Each brace is endless and whenever the sail is trimmed or moved in position
the rope which is wound up in one direction is unwound in the other.
The yards of the same mast not always having the same amount of obliquity
or slant, the drums 14 will have to be constructed of different diameters to secure
the desired result, and .this arrangement will then allow of a simultaneous trim-
ming or operation.
Each of the drums 14 is provided with means to allow the trimming of the
sails separately, according to the wind. For hoisting the top sails Figure 2, the
arrangement comprises a double electric winch 15 placed behind each square
mast and provided with two drums on which are wound the halliards 18 and 19,
the first serving say the flying top-sail 16, and the second the flying top-gallant-
sail 17. Suitable blocks 20, 20 serve as return pulleys for the halliards. Each
winch drum is loose on its shaft and is provided with a gearing and a brake
by means of which it is possible either to hoist or to lower the sails in combi-
nation, or each separately.
The same winch 15 carries on both the port and starboard side a winch-head
(poupée) by means of which it is possible to hoist or lower the various secondary
Fails.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. Means for manoeuvring and operating the sails and ropes of vessels com-
prising electric winches, driven in any suitable manner; and ropes wound on the
drums of said winches and connected to the parts to be operated, substantially as
described.
2. The complete means for manoeuvring and operating the sails and ropes, of
vessels substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of March 1900.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the, Applicant.