IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIDS FOR SHIPS' MASTS, AND IN THE MEANS OF SETTING UP RIGGING
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MOSES
POOLE, of the Patent Office, London, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twelfth day of December, in the eighth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Moses Poole, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, admors, or assigns, or such others
as I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIDS FOR SHIPS'
MASTS, AND IN THE MEANS OF SETTING UP RIGGING," communicated to me
by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Moses Poole, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Moses Poole, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and

page_text: ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
The Invention consists,-
First, of improvements in fids for fixing the top masts securely; and,
Secondly, in apparatus for setting up the rigging.
I will first describe the apparatus for fixing the top.
In the Drawing No. 1 there is a moveable fid or key, which is caused
to enter into or go out of the mast when it is required to be set up or lowered
down. This fid or key consists of a metal case a. b, b, are two plates having
a rack upon them, which work into the teeth of a pinion c, and which pinion,
in its action, gives motion to the racks. The pinion is moved by a lever d,
fixed to the axis e of the pinion; this axis runs through the mast, and is
secured by a nut f, in such manner as not to project beyond the mast; when
the two portions of the pieces b, b, are out of the case or box, that is, when
the mast is keyed or fixed, the lever which is worked one fourth of a revolu-
tion is applied upon the top mast, and is fixed there by means of a bolt g;
when the mast is required to be taken down, the pieces are caused to enter
again into the case or box, and the lever to be raised until it is brought into
a vertical position with the mast; this lever is at all times affixed to the axis,
and descends with the mast.
Another arrangement is shewn in the Drawing No. 2, in which the fid is
fixed into the top mast. a, a, are two arms connected by a pin joint to a
plate b, fixed at the upper part of the lower mast; these are caused to open or
close when the mast is required to be set up or taken down, by means of the
screws n, n, seen in Figures 4 and 5, which are fixed by pin joints to the ends:
one of these screws is a right-hand screw, and the other a left. These screws
work in a tube c, having nuts moving thereon. There is also on this tube a
projecting piece with holes therein, into which a lever is placed when it is
required to turn the screw, in order that the arms a may be moved. d, d, are
two rings to support the tube and nuts. Another mode of moving the
arms a is shewn in Figures 7 and 8. e, e, are two toothed levers, affixed
by pin joints to the arms a; they enter into the box or case f, and taking
into the teeth of a pinion 9, are worked by it. This box or case is fixed.
therein, into which a lever
On the axis h of the pinion is a piece with holes
bar is to be placed in order to give motion to the pinion when the arms are
required to be moved. i, i, are notches to allow of the free passage of the
apparatus when the mast is being set up or taken down. It will be easily
seen by examining the Drawing, that when the mast is set up, and it is
required to lower it, all that will be necessary to be done will be for the

page_text: man, by means of the lever, either to turn the screws or the pinion, when
the arms will be easily opened and the mast lowered. The arms, in ap-
proaching each other, present two wedges, the one placed upon the other;
it will be seen, that as soon as the arms are in operation under the fixed fid
of the mast, no danger can happen in lowering the mast from the breakage of
any of the ropes, as the mast is supported by them.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS No. 1.
Figure 1 is a view shewing the fid closed. a, a, is the upper and lower
part of the case or box. b, b, are the parts of the fid which carry the rack,
which is worked by the pinion c. Figure 2 shews the same Figure having the
view of the top mast. a, a, a, is the upper,
fid expanded. Figure 3 is a side
lower, and side views of the box or case. 6 is a portion of the fid, and e
the axis of the pinion. d is the lever for working the pinion.
hook to retain the lever in its vertical position; and f, the nut which secures
g is a
the exis
Figur
snews a plan of the
aratus
by
screw; the
apparatus is shewn open. a, a, are the arms fixed to a plate 6, fixed upon. the
upper part of the lower mast. c, the tube for the screw. d, d, are the rings
which keep the tube in its proper position. i, i, are the notches. I, the head
of the lower mast. n, n, the screws placed at the ends of the arm. Figure 5
shew the apparatus closed. Figure 6 shews a mast with the fid m fixed
therein. Figure 7 shows another mode of moving the arms with the rack
and pinion. a, a, are the arms. b, the iron plate placed at the head
of the lower mast. c, the rack. f, the case in which the pinion is
placed. g, the pinion. h, the axis of the pinion. i, the notches or
grooves. 1, the head of the lower mast, the apparatus is here shewn open.
Figure 8 shows the same apparatus closed. Figure 9, a view of a top
mast, with the fid m fixed thereto. Figure 10, the head of the axis of the
pinion.
I will now describe the apparatus for setting up the rigging, which is to be
attached to the shrouds, and to be worked as will be described when the rigging
is required to be tightened or slackened. This apparatus consists of a screwed
or toothed rod 62, which works between two parallel rods b, 6'. The upper
end of this screw rod is attached to a hinged shackle, in which is placed a
pulley. The internal parts of the rods b, b, are convex, and the screwed or toothed
rod is concave on its two sides, as shewn in section A, B. At the upper part

page_text: of these two rods b, b, there is a hollow head, around which a screw nut works
to the other end. a is a shackle fixed, to which is fixed the shrouds. Over
the head of these rods is a screwed nut formed of two pieces jointed together,
and closed by a bolt; on the outside of this nut are holes, in which a lever is
caused to enter to give movement to it. It will be seen that when the toothed rod
is placed between the two lateral rods, and the nut is in its position, the toothed
rods may be raised or lowered by turning the nut; by this means the shrouds
may be stretched or slackened as required. The point of connection with the
shrouds consists of a simple hook (the advantage of which is, that the shrouds
may be readily released from it, when so required), with flat sides, at the end
of which is a ring, through which pass the chains which carry the shrouds;
there is also a pin or bolt, which fixes and joins the pulley to the hook, this pin
carries at its upper part an opening, through which the pin of the apparatus is
placed; the other end which passes in the hook has an opening therein, the
lower part of which is rounded, and the upper part has a stop thereon, which
prevents a backward movement; but, should the mast break, this piece may be
easily removed by turning it half round.
is a side view of this rod.
Figure 5
Figure 7,
Figure 1 is a front view of this apparatus. A, B, is a section of the appa-
ratus. a, a, the shackles. b, 6', are the parallel rods. 2, the toothed or screwed
rod. c, the screw nut. d, the bolt which fastens the nut. e, the pulley.
Figure 2 is a side view of the same apparatus. Figure 3 is a front view of one of
the parallel rods. Figure 4 is a section of the upper part of this rod.
Figure 6, a front view of the toothed rod.
a side view of the same. Figure 8 is a side view of the shackle, which, with
the pin, joins the two lateral rods together. Figure 9 is a front view of the
shackle. Figure 10 is the front view of the shackle at the end of the toothed
or screwed rod, and on which the pulley is placed. Figure 11, the side view
of the same. Figure 12 is a front view of another kind of shackle, having a
bayonet joint. a is a ring. b, the end of the toothed rod fixed on the shackle.
c is the joint. Figure 13, a side view of the same. Figure 14 is a side view
of the screw nut. a is a small bolt which closes the nut when it is in its place.
Figure 15 is a front view of the same nut. a is a hole for the bolt which
closes the screw nut. v, the hinge. Figures 16 & 16*, shews the mode of
connecting the rigging to the apparatus. A is the rod to which the shackles a
are fixed by passing through the holes. b is the circular stop to prevent
the backward movement. B is the hook to which the shrouds are attached.
d is a hole through which the chains of the shrouds pass. Figure 17 is a front
view of the same mode of attaching them. Figure 18 shows the lever with
which the screw nut is moved.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood I do not confine myself to
the precise details, so long as the character of the Invention be retained; but
what I claim is,-
First, the modes of arranging fids or apparatus, to facilitate the setting up
and taking down top masts of ships; and,
Secondly, I claim the mode of combining the rods b, b', 63, into apparatus
for setting up ships' rigging, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.