IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING SAILS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Cromwell Field, of the Firm of Alfred Field and
Company, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING SAILS." A communication from
abroad by Henry Flowers, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Sailmaker.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herry Cromwell Field at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th October 1879.
HENRY CROMWELL FIELD, of the Firm of Alfred Field and Company, of Birming-
ham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING SALLS."
[A communication from abroad by Henry Flowers, of Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Sailmaker.]
The object of the said Invention is to facilitate the reefing of sails at sea and to
dispense with the necessity of double topsails and double top gallant sails and the
yards connected with the same, thereby relieving ships of a great weight aloft, and
giving a full sized sail without loss of wind.
According to this Invention the top sails and top-gallant sails are made in three
sections, diagonally divided from the clews or lower corners to the centre of the
head or top of the sail, connected by sliding grooves attached to the outer sections
or bonnets, and working on the leeches or upper angles of the centre section or close
reefed topsail or top gallant sail.
The courses are made in three sections diagonally divided from the head earings
or upper corners to about one third of the length of the foot or bottom of the sail
from the clews or lower corners of the sail towards the centre, and connected by
sliding grooves attached to the outer sections or bonnets, and working on the leeches
or lower angles of the centre sections or close reefed courses.
The tri-sails or fore and aft mainsails or foresails are made in two sections
diagonally divided from the clew or lower after corner to the throat or forward
upper corner, and connected by sliding grooves attached to the after section or
bonnet, and working on the leech or forward section, or close reefed tri sail, or fore
and aft mainsail or foresail.
The jib or staysail is made in two sections divided parallel to the foot or bottom
of the sail, and connected by sliding grooves to the upper edge of the bonnet, and
working on the lower edge or foot of the jib or staysail.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Cromwell Field in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
March 1880.
HENRY CROMWELL FIELD, of the Firm of Alfred Field and Company, of Birming-
ham, in the County of Warwick, Merchants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING SAILS."
A communication from abroad by Henry Flowers, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Sailmaker.
The object of the said Invention is to facilitate the reefing of sails at sea and to
dispense with the necessity of double topsails and double top gallant sails and the
yards connected with the same, thereby relieving ships of a great weight aloft, and
giving a full sized sail without loss of wind.
According to this Invention the topsails and top gallant sails are made in three
sections diagonally divided from the clews or lower corners to the centre of the
head or top of the sail, connected by sliding grooves attached to the outer sections
or bonnets, and working on the leeches or upper angles of the centre section or close
reefed topsail or topgallant sail.
The courses are made in three sections diagonally divided from the head earings
or upper corners to about one third of the length of the foot or bottom of the sail
from the clews or lower corners of the sail towards the centre, and connected by
sliding grooves attached to the outer sections or bonnets, and working on the leeches
or lower angles of the centre sections or close reefed courses. The tri sails or fore
and aft mainsails or foresails are made in two sections diagonally divided from the
clew or lower after corner to the throat or forward upper corner, and connected by
sliding grooves attached to the after section or bonnet, and working on the leech or
forward section or close reefed tri-sail or fore and aft mainsail or foresail.
The jib or staysail is made in two sections divided parallel to the foot or bottom
of the sail and connected by sliding grooves to the upper edge of the bonnet, and
working on the lower edge or foot of the jib or stay sail.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which the Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 is a side view of a mast and its appurtenances, showing sails thereto as
provided with the Invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation, and Figure 3 a rear
elevation of fore and top sail yards, such Figures showing the foresail and topsail as
provided with the Invention; Figure 4 is a vertical section, and Figure 5 a horizontal
section of the foresail; Figure 6 is a side view of one of the bonnet guides; Figure 7
is a side view of a jib with its adjuncts, such jib having its two sections connected
as are those of the foresail and fore top sail.
The Invention is specially applicable to the yard sails of a ship, that is to say, to
a sail supported by one of the yards, as a foresail, or fore top sail, or fore top gallant
sail, for instance. In the making of either of such sails it is composed of three
triangular or approximately triangular sections A, B, B, one of which A is arranged
between or flanked by the others or bonnets B, B, as represented. The middle one
or main section is to be connected at its base angles, or more or less along its base,
to the yard, as for instance, to the foreyard C. The drawing shows the middle
sections of the foresail and fore top sail as so applied to the fore yard. They also
represent the reefing or flanking sections B, B, of the top sail as so applied to the
top sail yard, the sections of the top sail being inverted relatively to those of the
fore sail.
At the two opposite edges of the middle section such section has stout leech ropes
a, a, applied and fixed to it, such edges by preference being curved, as shown. Each
of such leech ropes is embraced, as represented, by a set of metallic guides D that
slide freely on it, these guides being arranged at or about at equal distances apart,
and connected at their middles to the next adjacent part or edge of the reefing bonnet
or section B. To the said section and to the several guides of the set two strips of
canvas or flies E are fixed and arranged as represented, such flies serving not only

page_text: to aid in supporting the guides, but to so cover any opening between the middle
section and the reefing bonnet as to prevent wind from passing between them when
the sail may be full or taking wind.
Each bonnet is to have applied to it suitable reefing and setting tackle. The
setting tackle is to be fixed to the section at or near its vertex, but the reefing
tackle (shown at b) goes through holes c, c, in both prongs of each of the bonnet-
guides. Each guide, besides its central opening d, has five holes c, c, e, e, f, arranged
in it in a manner as shown in Figure 6.
The reefing tackle consists of a rope r, which after having been run down through
the several guides of the bonnet is turned and is run up through such guides, such
being so as to cause the guides, on the rope being pulled, to be drawn together and
up to the yard in a manner to reef the bonnet. The setting and reefing lines are to
be carried through suitable blocks or guides and down to or near the deck, or to
belaying pins suitably arranged thereabout. Furthermore, in case of a top sail one
or more additional reefing lines may be applied to it near its leech or outer edge,
such being as shown at g. The line or rope g, fastened at its upper end to the top
sail yard, runs through an eye h in the sail and thence up through a block i fixed to
the yard, thence the rope goes down to or near the deck, and is there to be belayed
as occasion may require:
The middle section of the sail should have applied to it suitable devices for setting
the section and taking it in; in other words, in case of a top sail it is to have a setting
halyard at its peak and also one or more proper down hauls, all of which may be
extended from a metallic head piece of proper kind fixed to the said section near
its peak or head.
The Drawing shows a stay sail or jib G and a spencer or spanker S, such being
made in two sections m, n, formed and arranged as shown. The two sections of
each of such sails are to be connected in the same manner as are the bonnet and
middle section of the top sail hereinbefore described, the reefing bonnet m, which in
case of the spencer or spanker is the upper section, and in case of the jib is the lower
one, having fixed to it and the set of slides two flies, as herein before explained, as
used in the foresail or in the top sail.
The main section of the jib has fixed to it at its after lower corner a three eyed
connection piece H of metal, formed as exhibited in side view in Figure 8, and edge
view in Figure 9; such connection piece is furnished with a yoke o projecting down
from it as shown, into which a double bill jointed hook I formed as represented in
side view in Figure 10, and attached to the bonnet, takes as shown when the bonnet
is set. The shank of the said hook is in two parts, hinged together as shown at t,
whereby the shank can fold or stow to advantage. The piece H and hook I serve
to relieve the connections of the two sections of the sail of much strain when the
sail is filled. The reefing line of the bonnet goes through the eye of the upper
prong of the hook I. The said parts H and I are attached to the leeches p of the
sections. The advantages of the described improved yard sails are that they do
away with the extra weight aloft of double top sail and top-gallant yards; that
they can be reefed and taken in more quickly and with less hands or men than are
usually required with common sails. Should the vessel be caught by a sudden
squall the sails can be reefed and taken in without starting the yards. They can
be reefed in full when aback or shaking. They can also be utilized for bracing the
yards about if the vessel is short handed, as such may be done by hauling up a
bonnet of the top sail on the same side on which the braces are to be hauled. The
reefing and setting gear should lead down to the deck, if possible, in order that such
gear may be readily got at in cases of emergency.
I claim as the Invention as follows, viz. :—
First. A yard sail as explained, as composed of the three triangular or approxi-
mately triangular sections A, B, B, arranged and adapted to each other by means
substantially as described, viz., by the leech rope applied to one section and by the
series of metallic slides applied thereto and to the other section, all being to operate
essentially as specified.

page_text: Secondly. The combination of the canvas strips or covering flies E, E, applied to
the bonnet with it and the sail section next thereto, and the leech-rope and set of
metallic slides applied to the said sections, as set forth.
Thirdly. In combination with the two next adjacent sail sections, connected by
means of a leech rope and a set of slides as described, the reefing line, extended in
opposite directions, as explained, through each of the slides of the set.
Fourthly. The jib or staysail sections, connected by means of the leech rope and
the series of slides, and provided with the triple eyed and yoke connection piece H
and the double bill jointed hook I, arranged and applied to the sections as set forth.
Fifthly. The triple eyed and yoke connection H and the double bill jointed hook
I, constructed and for use substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Cromwell Field, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
HENRY CROMWELL FIELD. (L.S.)
Witness,
CHARLES H. KINDER,
Birmingham.