ANVED TREBLE-PURCHASE CAPSTAN FOR FISHING AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Smith, 61, Cleethrope Road, Grimsby,
William Stephenson, 59, Cleethrope Road, Grimsby, John Vere,
67, Cleethrope Road, Grimsby, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED
Sealed the 26th June 1874, and dated the 15th January 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Smith,
William Stephenson, and John Vere at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 15th January
1874.
RICHARD SMITH, 61, Cleethrope Road, Grimsby, WILLIAM STEPHEN-
SON, 59, Cleethrope Road, Grimsby, JOHN VERE, 67, Cleethrope Road,
Grimsby, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED TREBLE-PURCHASE CAPSTAN FOR FISHING AND OTHER VESSELS,"
to be as follows:→
It is constructed in the following manner:- -A very strong wrought-
iron anindle in fiend to the dan
1

page_text: race which is attached to the deck and spindle. The bottom of the
said capstan is a strong metal casting with large dovetail slots to receive
the three wood whelps (or the barrel can be made altogether of iron)
and contains an inner and outer ring to receive the pauls; these are
fixed in the middle of the said rings so that the capstan can be reversed
or caused to revolve either way. Attached to the whelps or barrel of
the capstan is a large cast-iron bevel wheel containing an inner bevel
wheel, above which is a cast metal frame or top to which is attached a
cross shaft on which revolves two skue bevel pinions which are con-
nected at will by a coupling and lever, thereby connecting with large
bevel wheel, thus constituting the double purchase. Running parallel
with the aforesaid shaft is another with pinion attached (the first-
mentioned shaft containing in addition to the skue pinions a small bevel
wheel) which can by a simple movement be connected or slided into
gear with the small bevel wheel on the first shaft, thus constituting the
treble purchase. The top or frame is connected and secured to the
wrought-iron spindle with an horizontal key passing through the top of
said spindle. By removing this key the frame can be turned round,
thus enabling the crew of the vessel to continue turning the handles
the same way and yet the capstan will be reversed, so taking the turn
in or out of the warp at the will of the crew, which is a great advantage
causing the warp to wear much longer and keep more pliable.
This capstan is especially adapted for fishing vessels, as it possesses
three different purchases, that is to say, single, double, and treble. The
single is intended to heave in the slack part of the warp very rapidly.
The double purchase can be applied instantaneously by a single move-
ment of a coupling and lever, which can be done without the men or
crew ceasing to heave, which thus enables them to recover their net or
gear under all ordinary circumstances. But in fishing in very deep
waters the net and fishing gear is very liable to become so full of sand
and other impediments that it is almost impossible for the crew, which
is limited to five in number, to recover their net or gear, but by applying
the treble purchase, which can also be done instantaneously, thus
increasing the power of the capstan threefold, they can then recover
their gear under all circumstances. And for this treble purchase in
particular we claim protection, as we can apply it to most existing
capstans. But we wish to Patent the whole capstan as an improved

page_text: treble-purchase capstan for fishing and other vessels, as the whole
capstan is entirely manufactured by us, reference to the Drawing
forming part of this Provisional Specification fully shows.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Smith, William Stephenson, and John
Vere in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
SMITH, 61, Cleethrope Road, Grimsby, WILLIAM STEPHENSON, 59,
Cleethrope Road, Grimsby, JOHN VERE, 67, Cleethrope Road, Grimsby,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said Richard Smith, William
Stephenson, and John Vere, Her special license, that we, the said
Richard Smith, William Stephenson, and John Vere, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard
Smith, William Stephenson, and John Vere, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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 "AN IMPROVED TREBLE-
PURCHASE CAPSTAN FOR FISHING AND OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Richard Smith, William Stephenson,
and John Vere, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us or them, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Vere, on behalf of myself
and the said Richard Smith and William Stephenson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by.
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists of an improved treble-purchase capstan for
fishing and other vessels, constructed as herein-after described and
illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
At Figures 1 and 2, Sheet 1, of the Drawings are shewn respectively
an elevation and plan view of the capstan; and on Sheet 2 are shewn
separate views of its several parts.
a is a strong wrought-iron spindle fixed to the deck of the vessel;
either in the manner shewn or it might be formed together with or
affixed to the pawl pan 6 which is bolted down to the deck of the vessel
concentric with the spindle.
The capstan barrel itself may either be formed of wooden whelps held
together by a capstan bottom and bands, as shewn in the Drawings, or
it may be entirely of metal, or otherwise constructed in any suitable
manner. On the under side of the barrel is carried an inner and outer
ring to receive the pawls c, c, between them. These gear with the teeth
of the pawl pan 6 and prevent the barrel from turning backwards. By
turning over these pawls the capstan can be worked in either direction
desired. On the top of the barrel are two concentric bevil toothed
wheels d and e carried by radial arms ƒ curved upwards, as shewn, to
clear the toothed wheel n.
On the top of the spindle a is carried a cast metal frame I which
carries two parallel shafts h and k. The shaft / has upon it two bevil
pinions h¹, h². The pinion gears with the outer bevil wheel d, and
the pinion with the inner bevil wheel e. Both the pinions h¹, h², are
loose upon their shaft, but either one or other can be made fast there-
with by the sliding clutch / worked by the handle m. Both ends of the
shaft are formed to receive crank handles by which it may be turned.
The bevil pinions h¹, h², are made with skew teeth, so that they may
properly gear with the wheels d and e, as the shaft h which carries them
does not pass across the centre of these wheels. The shaft h has also
fixed upon it a toothed wheel n into which gears a pinion 。 on the

page_text: shaft k. This shaft at its ends is also formed to receive crank handles
by which it may be turned. The capstan is worked by turning this
shaft whenever the third power is required, but at other times the
pinion o may be thrown out of gear with the toothed wheel n by shifting
the shaft endwise in its bearings, the weighted catch p being for this
purpose turned back to move it away from the collar on the shaft.
r is a key' by which the frame g is fixed to the top of the spindle a.
If this key is removed and the frame turned one-half round, it may be
again fixed to the spindle; then by continuing to turn the crank handle
in the same direction as before the capstan, barrel will be turned in the
opposite direction..
By constructing a capstan as above described, three, or in fact, four
different powers may be obtained from it. When the shaft h is turned
with crank handles applied to it, either the pinion h¹ or h³ may be set
fast upon it, and so the barrel may be driven either by the wheel d or e,
according to the power required.
If the shaft is turned by the crank handles and the piniono upon
it is put into gear with the toothed wheel n a third power is obtained,
which may differ in extent according as either the pinion h¹ or h² is
made fast with the shaft.
Existing capstans may readily have the arrangement of gear above
described applied to them to convert them into treble-purchase capstans.
Capstans constructed as above described with three different purchases
are especially adapted for fishing vessels. The first purchase is intended
to heave in the slack part of the warp very rapidly. The second
purchase will enable the crew to recover their net or gear under all
ordinary circumstances. But in fishing in very deep waters the net and
fishing gear is very liable to become so full of sand and other
impediments that it is almost impossible for the crew, which is limited
to five in number, to recover their net or gear; by applying the third
purchase, which can be done instantaneously, the power of the capstan
is increased threefold and the crew can then readily recover their gear
under all circumstances.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
performing the same, we would state that we claim the combined

page_text: arrangement of treble-purchase capstans, substantially as above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Vere, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.