IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING SAILS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Brock Benson, of New York, in the United
States of America, Master Mariner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REEFING SAILS."
Sealed the 12th May 1857, and dated the 20th November 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Brock Benson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th November 1856.
I, ROBERT BROCK BENSON, of New York, in the United States of America,
Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING SAILS," to be as follows:-
My Invention has for object the reefing and letting out the reefs of sails
from the deck, and consists in fitting across the sails as many foot ropes as
there are required to be reefs, and in securing thimbles or eyes at intervals
across the sail. To the bottom of the sail I attach buntlines, and carry them
through the thimbles up through blocks or sheaves, one on each side of the
mast; these buntlines are secured to
mast, and carried down to the deck.
sheet carried through a block on the end
sheets are also carried down to the deck.
is lowered, and the reef buntlines hauled down, when the reef will be taken up,
one rope or line on each side of the
Each end of each foot rope has a reef
of the yard just below it, and these
In order to take in a reef the yard

page_text: the end reef sheets secured to the foot lines are hauled down, whereby the
ends of the reef are held secure down to the yard of the sail immediately below
it. To let out the reef the buntlines and reef sheets are let go, and the yard
hoisted up. In reefing the lower square sails, 1 take the reef in the top of the
sail, carry the buntlines through sheaves above the yard, and down on the deck.
In order to tako in the reef, the tack and sheets are slackened, and the reef
buntlines hauled down, when the reef will be taken in at the upper part of the
sail, the tack and sheets must then be made taut. To let out the reef, let go
the buntlines and haul down the tack and sheets.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Brock Benson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BROCK BENSON, of New York, in the United States of America, Master
Mariner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Ier Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
d, for Ierself, Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Brock Benson, Her special licenco that I, the said Robert Brock
Benson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the
said Robert Brock Benson, 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 SAILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert
Brock Benson, 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 tho same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Oflice within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Brock Benson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, 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 has for its object the reefing and letting out the reefs of sails
from the deck, and consists in fitting across the sails as many foot ropes as
there are required to be reefs, and in securing thimbles or eyes at intervals
across the sail. To the bottom of the sail I attach buntlines, and carry them
through the thimbles up through blocks or sheaves, one on each side of the
mast;
these buntlines are secured to one rope or line on each side of the
mast, and carried down to the deck. Each end of each foot rope has a reef
sheet carried through a block on the end of the yard just below it, and these
sheets are also carried down to the deck. In reefing the lower square sails, I
take the reef in the top of the sail, carry the buntlines through sheaves abovo
the yard, and down on the deck.
The annexed Drawing shews a topsail and lower square sail, fitted with the
appliances for reefing according to my Invention. A is the topsail; and B, the
lower square sail; C, the mast; D, topsail yard; E, lower square sail yard.
a, a, are foot ropes, of which two only are shewn, fitted to the topsail A, but
there may be more than two, or only one, according to the extent to which the
sail is intended to be reefed; b, b, are eyes or thimbles attached to the foot
ropes; c, c, are buntlines fixed at one end to the bottom of the sail at d, d.
Each buntline is carried up through the thimbles in a line over it, and each
set of buntlines unites in one rope either before or after passing through a
reef block, and each rope on each side of the mast unites in one common
rope reaching down to the deck; or the two ropes to which each set of
buntlines is connected may be carried separately down on deck. To the end
of each foot rope is attached a reef sheet f.f, which is either in chain or rope,
and these reef sheets are passed through blocks g, g, on the end of the yard
immediately under the rail, and carried down to the deck through other
blocks i, i, or otherwise. In order to take in a reef, the yard D is lowered,
and the reef buntlines are hauled down, whereby the reef will be taken up,
the reef sheets f, f, are hauled down and secured, which will retain the ends
of the sail securely on the yard immediately below the sail being reefed. To
let out a recf, let go the buntlines and reef sheets, and hoist up tho yard.
5 To the lower square sail B, I have only shewn one head rope K fitted, but,
as with the topsails, there may be two or more; 1, 1, 1, are the reef buntlines
carried through sheaves m, m, and down on to the deck; n, n, are the reef sheets
carried up through blocks o, o, and down on deck, either directly or by being
connected to hoops p, p, to which a rope extending down on deck is fixed. In

page_text: order to take up a reef, the tack and the reef sheets n, n, are slackened; and
the reef buntlines 1, 1, are hauled down, when the reef will be taken in at the
upper part of the sail. To let out the reef, lot go the buntlines and haul down
the tack and sheets.
And having now described tho nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―-
First, the reefing of the topsails of ships, by means of buntlines and reef
sheets acting in the manner herein-before described.
And, second, the reefing of the lower square sails, by the means and in
manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, tho said Robert Brock Benson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.