IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF REEFING; FURLING, AND SECURING ALL THE SAILS OF SHIPS OR VESSELS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Dyer, of the City of Bristol, late Shipowner,
at present Master Mariner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
METHOD OF REEFING; FURLING, AND SECURING ALL THE SAILS OF SHIPS OR
VESSELS."
Sealed the 2nd August 1858, and dated the 5th February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Dyer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1858. .
I, SAMUEL DYER, of the City of Bristol, late Shipowner, at present Master
Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF REEPING, FURLING, AND SECURING ALL THE SAILS OF
SHIPS OR VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the adoption of certain improved appliances or
mechanism for effecting the objects aforesaid from the deck of a ship or vessel,
which Invention will be readily understood from the following description of
the arrangements I now think preferable. Thus, for instance, in the case of
à topsail, I use a yard of wood and an iron or other roller; this yard has at
each end several sheeves and cheeks (three being preferred) instead of one as
is commonly adopted. On the upper part of the sling of the yard in the centre,
I use a fourfold tie block, viz., a tie block having 4 sheeves or immediately
parallel with the sides of the mast; I fix a double block on each quarter of
the yard through which the tie chains, which serve also as the reefing and

page_text: furling chain, is or are rove over plain sheeves for the purposes of hoisting
and rotation, and also reeve through two fiddle cleats (or through two double
sheeve holes) at the masthead, which are in either case substitutes for the
tie sheeve. Underneath the topsail or any other yard I fix an iron or wooden
roller (wood having suitable tulip shoes at the ends being preferred), which is
suspended at each hound or end of the yard by two axes, between each of
which axes a studded sheeve is fixed to the iron shoe or roller, so formed
as to cause the roller to revolve or rotate when acted upon. I produce
rotation by merely hoisting or lowering the yard, and the weight of the yard
is a means in proportion to its weight of aiding in more speedily reefing the
sail. In the case of iron yards I use a semicircular tube provided with a
bearing of wood, having teeth as bearings fitted within, through which the axes
of the rolling yard pass, the ends of these axes are also provided with studded
bossed sheeves, and the sling of the yard is also supplied with one fourfold or
two double blocks as above described. The rotation is produced as follows:
As before described the yard is fixed as in ordinary ships by means of a bucket
parrel or rolling chock or truss; at the masthead -I have sheeves, four being
preferred, all made to reeve fore and aft. In the upper sheeve holes I reeve
a chain from aft forwards, which is then led down the foreside of the mast and
rove in the sheeves farthest from the mast in double block on the quarter of
the yard, and then taken out along the surface of the yard to the foremost of
the two reefing sheeve holes at the hounds or ends of the yard, it is then passed
down through such sheeve hole and up through the after sheeve hole, the
bight of which chain is allowed to bury itself in the studded sheeve fixed to the
end of the roller, then it is passed again along the surface of the yard, and
in through the sheeve next the mast in the double block, and up to the
lower sheeve at the masthead, and rove from forwards aft. This operation is
of course, performed by both yardarms, the two ends of the chain in the
upper sheeves at the masthead are shackled together in the same manner, and
a double block attached thereto, which I term my lower haulyard block.
Through these blocks are rove ropes as falls or pulleys through corresponding
blocks fixed to eyebolts in the deck of the vessel, the sail-being sheeted
home. If I hoist on the lower haulyards, the yard will ascend and revolve
outwards so as to extend the sail, and if I let the same haulyard go, the gravity
or weight of the yard will cause it to fall or lower, and a rolling in the reverse
direction takes place as long as the yard continues to descend, or until its
weight is brought up by the lifts, the downhaul (which consists of a pulley or
tackle underneath the middle of the yard) is then made fast, and if I let
go the
lower haulyards and pull on the upper one, the action which the roller had

page_text: when the yard was lowering is continued until the sail is completely furled,
and this mode of furling also secures the sail without the aid of gaskuts or any
other gear than the haulyards; this same process of reefing, setting, furling,
and securing, applies to all the square sails of ships, whether the yards be of
wood with roller underneath, or of iron with roller within, and it matters not
whether the yard be one that ascends and descends the mast or is a fixed yard,
as lower yards. I also do away with the use of clewlines, reef tackles, bunt-
lines, reef points, reef earings, gaskuts, and all blocks at present in use, but
clewline blocks may be kept on the yard, and clewlines rove in a storm
preparatory to the possibility of a topsail sheet parting, in which case the
parted clew may be clewed up and the sheet repaired, but without these clew-
line blocks it would only be necessary, in case the sheet should part to let go
the other sheet, furl the sail as described, aud thus keep it quiet until the
sheet be repaired. I also purpose to use a waterproof coat and other improve-
ments and appliances described in my former Patents.
In the case of fore & aft sails, such as a sloop's mainsail, I purpose to place a
revolving boom on the ordinary boom, and revolve or rotate this by means of
cog or worm gearing, or to revolve or rotate the boom itself by the same
.means. I purpose using mast hanks which travel on a rod of iron fitted
to the aft side of the mast or mast hoops, as before described in my former
Patents, or to substitute for the same suitable improved mast hanks. I
purpose using cast-iron jaws to my gafts, cast of malleable iron or other metal,
to which the gaft is fixed by means of swivel necks which move from side to
side or up and down. When it is preferred that the boom should revolve or
rotate to enable the sail to clear the main sheet band, I use an apron fitted
with suitable guiding hanks, which is drawn up and down by a suitable rope
fitted for that purpose, or I- place the sheet block and topping lifts on a swivel
at the extreme end of the boom. For my jibs and all other staysails requiring
hanks I use a hank made of iron or other metal struck out by a die, which is
secured to the sail by means of rivets or sewn at the option of the user.
means of suspending the rollers in the middle, I purpose to use the snspender
already described in my former.Patent, having rollers within its circle or a
dumb suspender of the same form without rollers, covered with leather or other
suitable material.
As a
I reserve to myself the right to claim the above or any modifications

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Dyer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
DYER, of the City of Bristol, late Shipowner, at present Master Mariner,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Samuel Dyer, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
Dyer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Samuel Dyer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 THE METHOD OF REEFING, FURLING, AND SECURING ALL THE SAILS OF SHIFS OR
VESSELS," upon the condition, (amongst others,) that I, the said Samuel Dyer,
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 performed, 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 Samuel Dyer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
*statement :-
This Invention consists in the improvements in the method of reefing,
furling, and securing all the sails of ships or vessels hereafter described.
The said Invention will be readily understood by describing its adaptation
to one of the sails of a ship or vessel, a top sail, for instance, by reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 denotes a side view of a mainmast with all plain sail set in full to
iron yards. The yard and rolling, jackstay are in some respects the same as
described in my former Patent for wooden yards (No. 1,023, anno Domini
1856); also, in the case of iron yards, they are in some respects similar to

page_text: those described in my other Patent (No. 1360, anno Domini 1856) in respect
to the tubular yards. Instead of using three-fourths of a circle of tube, as
therein described, I now use only nine-sixteenths or little more than a semi-
circle, which receives the rolling yard within its hollow, and is now termed or
called a "shield," which office it performs to the sail as respects preserving or
shielding it from chafe against the rigging. The suspension claws are fitted
to the middle and quarters of such tubular yard, so that the claw and rollers
circumscribe seven-eighths of the diameter of the rolling yard, and thus prevent
the yard when heavily pressed from springing out of the tube.
C, C,
For the purpose of rotation I convert my reefing and furling chains into
one endless chain, which acts as a substitute for halyards, so as to dispense
with the present tie chains altogether or continue it in use at the option of
the user, but in this case the tie chain must be made to act either independent
of or in conjunction with my endless chain. For this purpose I have at the
topmast head two fiddle cleats (see A, Fig. 2, or two cleats above the cross-
trees and two cleats below the crosstrees, as at c, c, Fig. 5, through which the
reefing and furling chain is rove, as hereafter set forth. I reeve both ends of
the chain through the upper sheeves of the cleats, or fiddle block of the mast-
head from aft forwards and from thence down the foreside of the mast to the two
double quarter blocks on the yard fitted with a band round the yard parallel
to the sides of the 'mast, see B, B, Fig. 11. The chain is then rove through
the two sheeve holes furthest from the mast in such quarter block, and taken
out along the surface of the yard to the sheeve hole on the fore side of the
yard arm; it is then passed down through this sheeve hole, and up again
through the fellow sheeve hole on the aft side of the yard, so that the
bight of the chain thoroughly embeds itself in the studded boss at the end of
the rolling jackstay; it is then brought in along the surface of the yard rove
through the sheeves next the mast of the double quarter block described, and
up the fore side of the mast into the lower sheeve holes of the fiddle block A
from forwards to aftwards. A similar operation is, of course, performed with
both ends of this chain. The bight of the chain in the upper sheeve hole is
brought close to the masthead, and to this bight is attached a swivel-necked
runner block, which is the upper tie and furling block. The two ends of
the chain rove in the lower sheeve hole are brought to, and shackled to a
yoke of iron, and to this yoke is also attached a runner block with swivel
neck, which I term the hoisting and reefing tie block.. The sail being bent
to the rolling jackstay in the ordinary way, and being set, if I let go the lower
haulyard or reefing block-fall the weight of the yard will cause it to descend,
and the lower haulyard block will continue ascending until the yard has ceased.

page_text: to descend and is brought up by the lifts. During its descent the chains will
operate on the studded bossed wheels at the yardarms, and cause the rolling
jackstay to revolve, and the sail consequently is reefed or rolled upon the
rolling jackstay as far as the yard continues to descend. When the yard is
brought up by the lifts it then represents a fixed or lower yard. A down
haul, which is attached to the under sling of the yard, is then made fast, and
the lower haulyard falls being let go, also the topsail sheet. If I pull on the
upper haulyard the same motion is given to the rolling jackstay that it had
whilst descending, and the sail is further reduced until it is wholly furled, and
immediately it is furled it is safely secured without the aid of gaskut or any
of the customary frappings now in use, and no person is required to leave the
deck for any purpose. To enable the reefing chain to ascend and descend
when the tie chain and yard are fixed, I have in the middle of the yoke a hole
through which the after end of the tie chain is rove, and the tie runner block
is attached to this end after reeving it through this yoke, and this enables the
yoke to slide up and down with the furling chain on the tie, so as to enable
the tie to be always tight whilst the process of furling and sheeting "home" is
going on. This yoke is represented in Fig. 5, and marked E.
Another way of working these yards is by fitting to the sling or middle of
the yard a fourfold tie block (not drawn), and in the masthead to fit four
sheeves, two above and two below, just leaving space between them for the tie
and furling chains to reeve. These chains are rove in a similar manner to
those already described, viz., the two chains rove in the upper sheeves at the
masthead are passed through the two sheeves furthest from the mast, the one
from-starboard to port and the other from port to starboard, then carried
out and in along the yard, as already described, and then. in through the
sheeves nearest the mast, and up through the two lower sheeves in the mast-
head from forwards aftwards, these ends are then united together as before;
and the whole represents or becomes an endless chain; blocks are applied as
before and the hoisting or lowering of the yard causes rotation.
For the parrels of my topsail and topgallant yards I use a parrel clamp of
iron, having rollers in the fore and aft side to prevent the possibility of the
parrel hanging the yard aloft, as is frequently the case in squally weather; or
I make a bucket parrel of sheet-iron, which is also provided with rollers,
or these rollers may be substituted by using a tongue of hard wood, hung in
the middle by a bolt in the rolling chock on the fore side of the mast, and one
on the clamp pin on the aft side, so loosely as to hinge freely whenever the
yard is disposed to cant forwards or aftwards. These tongues of wood are
always perpendicular to the mast, whatever may be the cant of the yard.

page_text: These yards can have bevil wheels at the yardarms, the large wheel being
fitted on edge to the end of the rolling yard or jackstay, and the small wheel
or pinion on its flat between the yard and roller. In the case of iron yards,
these wheels may be geared either on the upper, lower, or aft side of the
tubular yard. The pinions attached to the yard are to be provided with
studded bosses, cast "in one," with the cog so that the bight of the chain
embeds itself for the purpose of rotation; in this case the cleats and sheeves
are entirely dispensed with at the yardarms.
•
I can suspend the rolling jackstay on the fore side of the yard, and for-the
purpose of preventing the yard from canting, I use one long bucket, with two
parrel hoops or two bucket parrels, which are attached to the sling band of the
yard by the requisite eyes and pins; these two bucket parrels are united on
the aft side by means of a bolt of iron, with eyes and pins. The suspension
claw used for this purpose is of course fixed not beneath but in front of the
sling band. In some instances I would seat the lower yards on the truss, and
fasten the fore or mainstay to a shackle on the end of the same; by this
means the foot of the topsail may be cut perfectly straight, and thus save the
large roach now required to clear the collar of the stay. The yard is seated on
a double swivel, which enables it to swing fore and aft to the braces, or up
and down to the lifts.
For the purpose of working heavy courses, I place immediately abaft the
lower mast on deck a capstan having two handles working pinions, which are
fixed on an axis or axes, which is an elongation or are elongations of such
handles, such pinions gearing with and giving motion to a bevil wheel on the
head of the capstan, by which means I am enabled to dispense with the use of
capstan bars or handspikes. This same capstan on a larger scale may be used
for lifting anchors or other bodies where great strength is required. A system
of rollers can be placed in connection with the bearings of this capstan to
prevent friction.
Fig. 7 is an end view of the axis and studded boss. Fig. 8 is the yardarm,
having both the axis and the studded boss with brass or wrought-iron bearings
fitted.
In the case of lower yards a double block is attached to each side of the
sling of the yard parrallel to the centre of the trussel-trees of the top; to these
trussel-trees are attached two double swivel blocks as substitutes for the fiddle
cleats at other mastheads, and the chains for reefing and furling are rove
through these blocks in precisely the same manner as described in the case of
topsail yards and topmasts with cleats.

page_text: For the clews of my sails I use the spectacle clew, Figs. 22, 23, 24,
Fig. 22 having clip-hooks and toggle open. Fig. 23 represents the same
spectacle clew shut, and having the chain topsail sheet attached before it is
presumed to have parted. This clew is provided with a 'toggle which crosses
the joint of the clip hooks, and is of sufficient size and strength to receive the
small link of the chain when a topsail sheet breaks, thus affording an easy
mode of immediately rebending or resecuring the sheet without the aid of joint
shackles, S-hooks, or any of the ordinary modes of repairing such accidents.
Said Fig. 23 represents the sheet hung to the clip hooks in the first instance,
Fig. 24 the clew when in use after the chain is presumed to have parted or
broken; or, if preferred, I use a ring of iron having only a toggle across it, so
as to dispense with the clip-hook entirely. See Fig. 24*.
For my jibs I use a hank made of solid wrought iron, stamped or forged,
into the form required, as see Fig. 12, which is to be secured to the sail by
means of screws, rivets, or seizing, at the option of the user, and the sail
having these hanks is bent or unbent without disturbing the stay from the
boom end, such stay being provided with one of my patent shoes. See
Figs. 15 and 16. This shoe is provided with a socket, which receives the
end of the stay of hemp rope or of wire rope, and the lower end of this shoe is
also provided with a flat plate of iron to receive the self-bending jib hank;
but when it is preferred to reeve the stay then this flat plate is substituted by
a round end to the shoe, and in this case the hank, Fig. 13, is used.
Said Fig. 13 is another form of jib hank also made of iron, but which
can only be attached to the stay in the ordinary mode of reeving the stay
through the hanks. Fig. 17 represents the jib hank side view, with sail attached
and stay rove.
Fig. 29 is the aft side of a sloop's mast, with iron stay seated in chairs,
which is intended to receive the luff of the mainsail; such mainsail to have
an opening above the main sheet block band, which, (when the sail is full set,)
is kept together by clips similar to the jib hank; these are kept together by
means of a strong strip of canvas, and are drawn up previous to the sail being
reefed, by means of a line rove through a cleat on the side of the gaft, and
when the sail is to be wholly set again, the same is drawn down by a rope at
the opposite end; the sail is reefed by revolving the boom by means of gearing
at the inner or mast end.
For the eyes of the rigging of topgallant and royal masts I use a tube of
iron, see Figs. 26 and 27, having a shoulder round which the rigging is fitted,
and by its use I am enabled to strike my mast, and.leave the rigging at the

page_text: cap secured and ready to receive the mast when sent aloft again, thus, in a
storm dispensing with work which is attended with great danger by sending
the rigging of the lighter and loftier masts on deck.
For the purpose of setting up my topgallant and royal rigging when at sea
I use a fid of very simple construction, see Figs. 25 and XXX., which consists
of a block of iron having two holes for the ends of two setting screws to fix in,
the setting screws are fitted into two plates of iron in the trussel-trees of the
mast, (see Fig, 25), and the fid is brought to rest on their points, when the
screws being turned by means of a marling spike or any other iron, the
rigging is either tightened or slackened according as the screw is turned either
to the right or left.
For my lower rigging I use a chain plate with worm and screw, as per
Fig. 6, by which means I am enabled to tighten or slacken my rigging at
pleasure, merely by applying a wrench to the square head of the worm and
turning it right or left according as the rigging is required to be made tighter
or slacker, or by applying the point of a marling spike to the hole in the head
of the screw.
On the sling bands of my yards I place a yoke of iron on the upper part of
the band, sufficiently strong to secure the eye of the iron double blocks to and
through the sides of this yoke, a pin is introduced which passes through the
eye in the block strop, and this pin secures the block to the yoke and sling
band, (see Fig. 11, B, C, B, or this yoke may be substituted by the
ordinary quarter bands.
In case of boom sails, such as schooner's fore-and-aft foresail where the boom
is on board, or does not go very far beyond the taffrail, the topping lift and
sheet block can be both attached to the boom-end by means of a spectacle
plate having a hole for the centre or axis, of the boom to rest in, one hole or
eye for each topping lift, and one for the sheet, block to be pinned or hooked
to; this mode dispenses with the apron, as in the sloop's mainsail over the
sheet block, but the apron at the fore leach or luff of the sail is always
necessary when the ordinary mast hoops are used.
Instead of the old-fashioned jaw of wood, I use a jaw of iron having a
double hinged neck to which the gaft is connected by means of a tulip shoe
not drawn.
Another mode of working the sails of a ship is by gearing at the yard-
arms, having an iron rod extending the whole length of the yard above, and a
studded boss in the centre or sling of the yard, round which the tie chain is
parbuckled, and when operated upon is made to revolve; and this action
bearing on the cogs at the yardarms, causes the yard to which the sail

page_text: is attached to revolve in an inverse direction, and the yard also descends as
the sail is wound round the lower one; and when the yard rests upon the
lifts continuing the same rotation (by letting loose one haulyard and pulling on
the other) will roll up the sail until entirely furled; it is also self-secured
without the aid of any gear whatever.
I also have a suspension claw, with two small wheels attached, through
which the chain tie passes for the purpose of keeping the chain nearer the
mast.
In all the bearings or axes which I use, I recommend the adoption of systems
of rollers for the purpose of preventing friction, but as this is a mere question
of expense, it is always at the option of the user.
The rolling jackstay can be placed on the fore side of the yard if preferred
by the user; in this case it is only necessary for the cleats at the yardarms to
be placed on the upper and lower sides of the yards, instead of being placed on
'the fore and aft side; the chains are rove in the same manner as before, only
substituting the double block in the sling with the single block, and placing a
sheeve in the rolling chock of the yard to reeve the other part of the chain
through. The suspender receives the rolling jackstay as before, and every
thing at the masthead is the same as already specified.
Instead of a permanent fairlead for the clews of my topsails in furling,
I make use of the topmast studding sail haulyards, which are rove in a sleeve
hole or block at the topsail yardarm the usual way, and when not in use as a
studding sail haulyard, the end is rove through the bulsseye at the clew of the
sail and made fast to the lower yard, it then becomes a guide for the clew of
the topsail to pass over, when sheets are let go preparatory to furling.
With regard to the Drawings I would further remark, that Fig. 20 is a front
view of the tubular yard; Fig. 21, top view of the same; Fig. 19 is a top
view of wooden yard; Fig. 18, front view of the same; Fig. 3 is a front-view
of mainmast, with topgallant sail furled, topsail close reefed, mainsail set in
full; Fig. 4 is a side view of the same mast; Fig. 5, half side view of topmast
with cleats, chains, and blocks for setting, reefing, and furling; Fig. 9, mast
hank; Fig. 10, guide plate for apron over mainsheet block strop; Fig. 14,
sling band and suspension claw, as received from the smith, shewing position
of rolling jackstay when in use; Fig. 28 is a topmast, with topgallant mast
housed, shewing the funnel; Fig. 27, left in the cap; Fig. 30 is a section of
a schooner's mainsail, shewing bonnet and mode of rotation by gearing.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I have to state, that I wish it to be understood
that I lay no claim to any particular parts or portions of the above described

page_text: 5
mechanical arrangements except when used for the purposes of my Invention;
and I hereby declare that I claim the combinations of appliances and of
arrangements to effect the reefing, furling, and securing the sails of ships or
vessels, in the method herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Dyer, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this 31st day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-eight.