A MACHINE WHEREBY AN ADDITIONAL AND IMPROVED PURCHASE OR POWER WILL BE GIVEN IN WORKING SHIPS WIND- LASSES AND CAPSTANS
Year: 1828

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
JOHNSON YOUNG, of the Town and County of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Iron
Founder, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-first day of June, in the ninth year of His reign,
did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Johnson Young, His especial licence that I, the said George
Johnson Young, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Johnson Young, my exors, adñiors, 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, the Dominion of Wales, and Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "A MACHINE WHEREBY AN ADDITIONAL
AND IMPROVED PURCHASE OR POWER WILL BE GIVEN IN WORKING SHIPS WIND-
LASSES AND CAPSTANS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a
proviso obliging me, the said George Johnson Young, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High

page_text: Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said 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
George Johnson Young, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described
and ascertained in the Plans hereunto annexed, and following explanation
thereof (that is to say):-
The application of the Patent to the generating or giving an additional and
improved purchase or power to the working of ships' windlasses consists in
having a large toothed wheel placed and securely fixed on the windlass barrel
or axle. Parallel to and above the windlass barrel or axle is placed a smaller
barrel or axle in one or more pieces, and which is or are fixed to the windlass
pall or to other bits, and in this upper or additional barrell or axle are
attached, fixed, or made lever holes at convenient distances for working the
same by handspikes, similar to the way now used for working the windlass.
Upon this additional barrell or axle is securely fixed a smaller wheel of similar
construction to the large wheel, and over or around the wheels runs an endless
chain, the links whereof respectively fall into the concavities formed by the
teeth in the rims of the wheels, forming altogether in working a pleasing
motion, and at rest a most complete and secure fixture. The power may be
applied to the windlass either by a handle attached or working upon the upper
and additional barrel or axle, or by handspikes to be used thereon, or the
windlass may be worked or used as heretofore by applying the handspikes to
its barrel or axle. The application of the Patent to the generating or giving
an additional and improved purchase or power to the working of the capstan
(is on the same principal as the application to the windlass, but to make it
applicable to work within the capstan an additional wheel is required, and the
teeth of the large wheel are within instead of without its outer rim. The
large wheel with the teeth inside the rim is attached to and placed at the
bottom of the capstan. The smaller wheel is fixed to the spindle of the
capstan in the same way. The smaller wheel is fixed to the additional barrel
or axle of the windlass, and another small wheel of similar construction, but
not necessarily of similar size, is fixed on the deck under the capstain, and
the chain passes round the smaller wheels, the small wheel fixed on the deck
being placed there to keep the chain in contact with and to act upon the
large wheel, and consequently upon the capstan, to the bottom of which the
large wheel is fixed. The capstan has an additional reel or drum head, with
holes or cavities for the handspike, which is placed above the other reel or

page_text: The most
drum head, and is attached to the spindle of the capstan only, and by working
by this additional reel or drum head the power is generated or applied, or the
capstan may be worked without the additional power by rising the old or
under reel or drum head. The great improvement in this method of generat-
ing power to ships' windlasses and capstans consists in the application of the
chain or belt which revolves, goes, or passes round or acts upon the wheels,
which must not be too tight, but pass easily and loosely round the wheels on
which it is placed, by which means the teeth of the wheels are not injured by
the lurching or heaving of the vessel, the chain affording sufficient scope or
play for such motion; whereas by the winch now occasionally used in working
the windlass, and which is on the principle of wheel and pinion, a continual
expence is incurred in repairing, and a continual danger incurred from the
frequent breaking of the wheels, and especially of the cogs or teeth thereof,
occasioned by the heaving or lurching of the vessel, even when the winch is
not being used, and by this continual breakage the winch has become almost
useless. The application of the improvement to the capstan will be chiefly a
saving of expence, as the operation of the wheel and pinion in the capstan is
not so liable to damage as in the application to the windlass.
advisable form and description of chain, though I do not bind myself to the
form and description, is made of malleable iron formed in circular centre links
held together by oblong-made links (or by oblong and triangular made links
if palls be attached, as hercin-before mentioned), through which pass bolts to
to secure the whole together. By this description of chain, and the cavities
formed by the teeth of the wheels being a semicircular form, the interstices
or spaces between the centre links are filled respectively as the wheels revolvo
in working by the teeth of the wheels, and the circular links themselves fall
into the corresponding concavities formed by the teeth in the rims of the
wheels. By using a double additional power, that is, by having a complete
additional power fixed on each end of the windlass barrel or axle outside or
inside the windlass bits, and nearly adjoining thereto, the carrick palls, which
are used in many ships, may be done away with, and instead thereof palls can
be attached to the chains which are bolted on the suspended angle of the
triangular links, each link having a hole perforated through it for that purpose,
and these palls, as the operation of heaving the anchor goes on by the revo-
lution of the wheels and chains, fall naturally and regularly into notches or
teeth placed in concave boxes fixed on the deck of the ship, and immediately
under the large wheels of the additional power machine, and this forms an
arrangement of superior construction, and affords complete security, an object
so desirable in maritime affairs. The additional power in either case, and

page_text: whether for the windlass or capstan, depends upon the relative size of the largo
and smaller wheels to each other upon the principle of wheel and pinion.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Johnson Young, have hereunto-
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of December, in the year-of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight.