IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED, THEREWITH."
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Allix, of Saint Heliers, Jersey, Shipwright,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS, AND
IN APPARATUS CONNECTED, THEREWITH."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Allix at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents; with his Pêtition; on the 5th
April 1866.
I, GEORGE ALLIX, of Saint Heliers, Jersey, Shipwright, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING
SAILS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to the reefing and furling of courses by
causing the yard to revolve by means of ordinary topping lifts fitted as par-
buckles, as hereafter described, also to the connection of the yard with the
mast, and to the fittings on the ends of the yard. I fix the ordinary truss
bow by rivets or otherwise to the sides' or side pieces of the double claw in
the centre of the yard, which claw is fitted with rollers between the side
pieces. I rivét a span to the claw between the side' pieces and connect the
ordinary slings thereto. My fittings on the ends of the yard consist of a
forked stay, with a hole in the centre to receive a pin on the end of the yard and
free to revolve with the yard. This forked stay is connected by lugs or other-
wise to the yard-arm hoop in which the yard-arm revolves; the chafing spar

page_text: is connected to this hoop. To the forked stay and either to the outside or
inside of the forks I joint a fork and upper stay fitted with a sheave near its
lower end, and with a thimble-eye or sheave at the upper end to lead the
parbuckle to the yard arm; the ordinary lift forms this parbuckle, being rove
in the usual manner through a lift block at the mast head, and carried down
through the thimble and over the sheave on the jointed upper stay, and
secured to the yard arm. When the sail is set there are several turns of the
lift round the yard arm, so that when the lift is pulled to reef or furl the sail,
the yard by giving off the turns of the lift is caused to revolve, and thereby
roll up the sail. To set the sail to any extent required it is merely necessary
to slack off the lifts and haul on the tacks and sheets, or on a down haul
fitted to the foot of the sail.
Sometimes instead of the forked stay fixed to the yard-arm hoop, I employ
a single stay formed with a socket to receive the pin on the end of the yard.
I joint the fork and upper stay to this single stay as before described. Where
double topsails are employed the improvements before described are applicable
to the lower topsail.
My Invention relates, secondly, to the reefing of topsails and topgallant
sails. 1 form the fittings on the topsail yard in the manner before described.
I employ the parbuckle and the jointed fork and upper stay before described,
and the latter by yielding under the pressure of the parbuckle prevents the
turns of the parbuckle upon the yard arm riding over each other. The par-
buckle is rove in the manner described in the Specification of my Patent of
29th September 1864, No. 2899, but to a block on the bight of the parbuckle
I attach one end of the topsail tie; this tie is first rove through a sheave or
block in the mast, or through a block on the trestle-trees, then through a
block attached to a bracket or span on the claws of the centre of the yard,
next through another sheave or block in the mast or through a block on the
trestle-trees, then through a block on the lower cap, and the end is finally
secured to the block on the bight of the parbuckle as before stated; the other
end is attached to the ordinary purchase or baulyards. I form the portion of
the topsail yard, round which the parbuckle is wound, of only about half the
diameter of the centre of the yard, in order that as the sail is being lowered
all slack may be avoided.
My Invention relates, thirdly, to the double-hooped parrall described in
the Specification before mentioned. I form each hoop in two parts or halves,
and secure the parts together by bolts passed through lugs on each part, so
that the parrall may be removed from the mast when required. I connect
the hoops to each other by a stay, to which is swivelled a cross bar fixed to

page_text: the double claw. I attach the inner ends of the chafing spars to the ends of
this cross bar by lugs and rivets or otherwise in such manner that a slight
oscillating motion is allowed to the cross bar and to the claw. The
The arrange-
ments of fittings on the ends of the yards, as before described, are also
applicable to booms of fore-and-aft sails.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Allix in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
ALLIX, of Saint Heliers, Jersey, Shipwright, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her. Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Allix, Her special licence that I, the said George
Allix, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said George Allix, my 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 REEPING AND FURLING SAILS, AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Allix, 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 Sea
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Allix, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates, firstly, to the reefing and furling of courses by
causing the lower yard to revolve by means of ordinary topping lifts fitted as

page_text: parbuckles as hereafter described, also to the connection of the lower yard
with the mast, and to the fittings on the ends of the yards.
}
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a view, as seen from the bow of
a vessel, of the topmast, a portion of the mainmast, and a portion of the yards
and sails illustrating my present improvements; Figure 2 is a similar view, as
seen from the stern of the vessel; Figure 3 is a plan of one end of the lower
yard.
A is the lower mast; B, the lower yard; C, the topmast, and D, the
topsail yard.
I fix the ordinary truss bow a by rivets or otherwise to the sides or side
pieces of the double claw b in the centre of the yard B, which claw is fitted
with rollers d between the side pieces. I rivet a span e to the claw b between
the side pieces and connect the ordinary slings thereto. My fittings on the
ends of the yard consist of a forked stay 9, with a hole in the centre to receive
a pin h on the end of the yard and free to revolve with the yard. This forked
stay g is connected by lugs or otherwise to the yard-arm hoop. i, in which the
yard arm revolves; the chafing spar j is connected to an arm k, carried out
from this hoop. To the forked stay g, and either to the outside of the forks
as shown, or to the inside thereof, I joint a fork and upper stay 1, fitted with
a sheave m near its lower end, and with an eye n or sheave or thimble at the
upper end to lead the parbuckle to the yard arm; the ordinary. lift o forms
this parbuckle, being rove in. the usual manner through a lift block p. at the
masthead, and carried down through the eye n and over the sheave m on the
jointed upper stay and secured to the yard arm. When the sail is set there
are several turns of the lift o round the yard arm, as shown, so that when the
lift is pulled to reef or furl the sail the yard B by giving off the turns of the
lift is caused to revolve, and thereby, roll up the sail. To set the sail to any
extent required it is merely necessary to slack off the. lifts and haul on the
tack and sheets, or on a down haul fitted to the foot of the. sail
Sometimes instead of the forked stay fixed to the yard-arm. hoop. I employ
a single stay, as represented in plan at q, Figure 4, formed with a socket to
receive the pin h on the end of the yard. I joint the fork and upper stay.
to this single stay 9, as before described. Where double topsails are
employed the improvements before described are applicable to the lower
topsails.
My Invention relates, secondly, to the reefing of topsails and topgallant
sails. I form the fittings on the topsail yard in the manner before described
and as shown in. the Drawings. I employ the ordinary parbuckle and the
jointed fork and upper stay 1, before described, and the latter by yielding

page_text: under the pressure of the parbuckle prevents the turns of the parbuckle upon
the yard arm riding over each other. This yielding of the upper stay forms
an important feature in my fittings. The parbuckle is rove in the manner
described in the Specification of my Patent of 29th September 1864, No. 2399,
that is to say, through blocks on the topmast head, but to a block s on the
bight of the parbuckle I attach one end of the topsail tie t; this tie is first
rove through a sheave or block u in the mast, or through a block on the
trestle trees; then through a block attached to a bracket or span e on the
claws b at the centre of the yard; next through another sheave or block a in
the mast, or through a block on the trestle trees; then through a block y on
the lower masthead, or on the lower cap, and the end is finally secured to the
blocks on the bight of the parbuckle, as before stated. The other end is
attached to the ordinary purchase or baulyards. I form the portion of the
topsail or topgallant yard D, round which the parbuckle is wound, of only
about half the diameter of the centre of the yard, as seen at c, Figures 1 and 2;
in order that as the sail is being lowered all slack may be avoided. . The
topsail or topgallant yard may be worked by disconnecting the middle tie from
the parbuckle, and using a purchase block and runner on each parbuckle,
with the same apparatus on the yards as in the ordinary way. By placing a
sister block at the bight of the parbuckle and fastening the middle, tie to the
parbuckle, I reave. this tie through the sister block and hook a purchase.block
thereto, so that a purchase block and runner are formed.
My Invention relates, thirdly, to the double-hooped parrall described in the
Specification before mentioned. My improved parrall is represented in side
view, front view, and plan in Figures 5, 6, and 7; respectively. I form each
hoop in two parts or halves as shown, and secure the parts together by bolts a
passed through lugs on each part, so that the parrall may be removed from
the mast when required. I connect the hoops to each other by a stay b, to
which is swivelled a cross bar c fixed to the double claw. b. I attach the
inner ends of the chafing spars; to the ends of this cross bar c, as, seen in
Figure 2 by lugs and rivets, or otherwise in such manner that a slight
oscillating motion is allowed to the cross bar c¹ and to the claw b. The
arrangements of fittings on the ends of the yards, as before described, are also
applicable to booms of fore-and-aft sails.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to performed, I declare that I claim as my "Improvements
in Reefing and Furling Sails, and in Apparatus connected therewith,"
First, reefing and furling courses and lower topsails of double topsails by
causing the lower yards in the case of courses, and the lower topsail yards in

page_text: the case of double topsails, to revolve by means of ordinary topping lifts fitted
as parbuckles, as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second, the arrangement or combination of parts for connecting the lower
yard to and suspending it from the mast, as herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the arrangements or combinations of the fittings on the ends of the
yards of square sails and the booms of fore-and-aft sails, as herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth, the employment on the bight of the parbuckle of topsail and
other upper yards of a block, to which one end of the tie is connected, as and
for the purpose berein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fifth, forming the portions of the topsail and topgallant yards, round which
the parbuckles are wound, of only about half the diameter of the centre of
the yard, as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
Sixth, constructing each hoop of double-hooped parralls in two parts or
halves, as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
Seventh, attaching the inner ends of the chafing spars to the ends of a cross
bar fixed to the claw in such manner that a slight oscillating motion is
allowed to the cross bar and to the claw, as herein-before described and
represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Eightb, the employment on the claws at the centre of topsail and topgallant
yards of a bracket or span, having attached thereto a block, through which
the tie is rove, as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Allix, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of October, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-six