IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STANDING RIGGING OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Elmer Townsend, of Boston, Massa-
chusetts, United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Elmer Townsend
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 10th July 1872, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
ELMER TOWNSEND, of Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America,
now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE STANDING RIGGING OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS," and have petitioned
Her Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration
that I am the true and first Inventor thereof.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Elmer Townsend, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a
a part of this Specification :-
My said Invention relates to a simple contrivance which renders
practicable the substitution of metal rods or bars for the ordinary wire
ropes used as ships' standing rigging, and it affords the means whereby
such rigging may be made of great strength, and yet have sufficient
elasticity or capability of yielding under sudden or severe strains to
prevent the injurious effects frequently experienced on board ships fitted
with the ordinary rigging. By this contrivance I greatly diminish the
liability of injury to the standing rigging from the severe and sudden
strains to which it is exposed in the rolling, pitching, and other move- 1
ments of the vessel produced by the force of the wind or waves, and I
effect this object without encumbering the deck or other parts of the
vessel with inconvenient or unsightly appendages.
I am aware that the use of elastic connections or cushions for the
shrouds and other standing rigging of ships has already been attempted, 2
but none of these contrivances have been found in practice to possess the
combination of strength and elasticity which would render them capable
of affording a strong and secure but yielding support to the masts. But
by my Invention this object is effected in a manner which renders it
thoroughly practicable, and it may be applied to all vessels whereon its 2
use would be advantageous.
The said Invention consists in the combination of metal rods or bars
with couplings or connections which have springs constructed in a peculiar
manner to adapt them to the required purpose.
The manner in which my said Invention is carried into practice is 3
clearly illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, which I will now
proceed to describe.

page_text: Figure 4 illustrates a modification of my said Invention. Like letters
indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
.
a, a, are rods
A is a portion of the ship's hull, and B is the mast.
or bars of wrought iron or other suitable metal, which I use in the place
the wire ropes commonly employed for standing rigging. The lower
end of each of these rods is fitted into a tubular box or cylinder 6 made
of wrought iron or other suitable metal, and which has a shank or
tongue 6¹ whereby it is secured by strong bolts or otherwise to the ship's
side, as shown. By referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that the part a¹
of the rod a which fits the cylinder is larger in diameter than the other
portion of the rod, and that only a small annular space is left between
this part a¹ and the interior surface of the cylinder b. At the end of
this part a¹ is the head or collar a³, which closes the bottom of the said
cylinder. In the aforesaid annular space I place the coiled spring c;
which as clearly shown in Figure 3 is made of a thin taper plate or
strip of steel. By making the spring in this manner I am enabled to
use a spring of great strength in a small space, so that the cylinders or
boxes 6 are not inconveniently large; moreover, the strength of the
metal in the spring is disposed in the most advantageous manner to
allow the rod to yield to the first shock of any sudden or severe strain
upon the mast, the resistance of the said spring increasing in such pro-
portion that the most severe strain will be counteracted before the mast
has moved to an injurious extent. The taper form of the spring causes
a very rapid increase in its resistance to compression, and its confine-
ment between the surfaces of the rod and cylinder ensures its retention
in the proper position to give the greatest effect to its resisting powers
and prevent its sustaining any loss of strength or elasticity. The rods a
are provided at their upper ends with screw nuts d, or other adjusting
contrivances, whereby the tension of the springs c may be regulated.
Instead of making the rods a extend the whole distance from the
cylinder 6 to the cross trees C, I may construct my improved standing
rigging partly of rigid rods a and partly of chains e, as shown in
Figure 4.
In this case the rods may be provided with means for
adjustment at a*, as shown.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. The combination of a metallic rod with a spring for the standing
rigging of ships or other vessels, as herein set forth.

page_text: Second. A coiled spring of the peculiar form specified placed within
the annular space surrounding the part of the rod enclosed by the
cylinder or box, as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Elmer Townsend, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Third day of July, in the year 5
of our Lord One thousand eight.hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
H. E. TOWNSEND. (L.S.)
WM. ROBT. LAKE,
Patent Agent,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.