Improvements in Mast Hoops..
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1897-Accepted, 23rd Oct.,
1897
Improvements in Mast Hoops..
I, BRAXTON BRAGG LOWE, Clerk, of Key West, in the County of Monroe, in
the State of Florida, one of the United States of America, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This invention relates to improvements in mast hoops, and the object of the
same is to provide an improved mast hoop which may be quickly and readily,
adjusted to the sails, and which may be readily attached or detached therefrom as
desired while the vessel is under sail, the device also dispensing with the use of
ropes to secure the same.
The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter more
particularly set forth and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,
Figure 1 is a top plan view.
Figure 2 is an elevation.
Figure 3 is a detached view of the clamp.
Figure 4 is a view showing the device applied to a sail where a rope is used.
Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the hoop which is half rounded in cross
section, and which has its ends terminating a distance short of each other, said
ends being reduced and forming the shoulders to receive the bifurcated irons 2
and 3 which fit upon the reduced portions and abut against the shoulders thereof
to form a neat joint. The outer end of the iron 2 is provided with tenons which
extend within the mortises of the rod 4, a pin passing through the meeting ends
of the rod and iron so that the former is pivoted within the latter. This rod is
reduced at 5 and has its opposite end screw-threaded to engage the screw-threaded
passage 6 formed in the head 6' the outer end of said head being formed with the
tenon 6 which is adapted to engage the recess or mortise 6b formed in the end of
iron 3. Said iron and tenon are formed with screw-threaded apertures through
which a screw bolt 6° is adapted to extend and secure the parts together.
The clamp consists of the members 7 formed in their inner ends with the per-
forations 8, which form an eye when the sections are clamped together, and
through this eye the reduced end of the rod is adapted to extend. Adjacent their
inner ends said sections are bulged to form when secured together the rope receiv-
ing passage 9. The outer ends of the clamping members are enlarged and flattened,
and formed with the passages 10 having depressions formed therearound on the
outer faces of the clamping members. Adapted to extend through these passages
are the bolts 12, which are screw-threaded, and engage the interiorly screw-
threaded caps 13 at their opposite ends, the heads of said bolts and the caps fitting

page_text: in the angular depressions surrounding the bolt passages. To place the clamp
in position on the reduced end 5 of the rod 4 the pin 6 is removed and the rod 4
and head 6 swung outwards. The head G¹ is then removed from the reduced
end 5 of the rod 4 and the end 5 is then passed through the eye 8 of the clamp,
the head 6 being afterwards screwed on and secured to the part 3 as already
described. Thus it will be seen that the clamp may be positioned upon the hoop
with convenience and at any time,. while the vessel is under sail, and that the use
of ropes to lash the sails to the hoop is entirely dispensed with.
The clamp is positioned upon the sail 18 with the latter engaged between the
inner faces of the former, the securing bolt 12 holding the parts together upon the
sail. The rope 19 of the sail is held within the passage provided therefor in
the clamp as will appear from the drawings.
As illustrated in Figure 4, the clamps positioned upon the hoops carry
sheaves 14, while clamps 15 are secured to the sail and carry sheaves 16 at their
opposite ends. A rope 17 passes around said sheaves of the hoops and sail
clamps, this construction being used where the rake of the masts is such as to
cause the sail to draw when lowering unless the rope is used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:- 1
1. The combination of a hoop, a clamp adapted to be secured to the sail and
positioned upon said hoop, and means for attaching and detaching the clamp from
the hoop, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a hoop having its meeting ends terminating short of
each other, a rod pivoted to one of said ends and adapted to be detachably secured
to the opposite end, and a clamp adapted to engage the sail and be positioned upon
said rod, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a hoop having its ends terminating short of each other,
a rod pivoted to one of said ends and adapted to be detachably secured to the
opposite end, a clamp consisting of two members adapted to engage the sail upon
opposite sides thereof, said clamp provided with a passage through which the
rope is adapted to extend when the clamp is positioned thereon, and means for
securing the sections of the clamp together, substantially as described.
4. The combination of a hoop having its ends terminating short of each other
and reduced, forming shoulders, irons having their ends bifurcated and adapted
to engage the reduced ends of the hoop and abut against said shoulders to form
a neat joint a rod pivoted in the end of one of the irons and reduced intermédiate
its ends, said rod adapted to be detachably secured to the opposite iron, a clamp
comprising two members adapted to be secured together, said members being
bulged to form a cavity when put together, to embrace the rope of the sail, sail
clamping members also formed with bolt passages having depressions surrounding
the same, a bolt adapted to extend through said passage with its head engaging
the depression, and a cap adapted to be positioned upon the opposite end of the
bolt with its head taking the depression of the clamping member in which it is
positioned, substantially as described.
5. A sectional mast hoop having one of its sections hinged and adapted to be
detachably secured to the stationary section, and a clamp detachably positioned
upon said hoop and engaging the sail, substantially as described.
6. A sectional mast hoop comprising a stationary and swinging section," said
swinging section hinged at one end to the stationary section and at its opposite
end adapted to be secured to the opposite end of said stationary section, said
swinging section being reduced intermediate its ends, and a clamp adapted to be
positioned upon said reduced portion, and engage the sail, substantially as
described.
7. The combination with a hoop adapted to embrace the mast, blocks detachably
positioned thereon, and sheaves carried by said blocks, of clamps attached to the

page_text: sail, sheaves carried thereby, and a rope passing alternately on the sheaves of the
blocks and sail clamps, substantially as described.
Dat his 09nd dow of T.... 1807
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane London W.C., Agents.