IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEATS PROAL
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Benjamin Cruickshank, of Messrs.
Gourlay. Bros.' Iron Ship Building Works, of Dundee, in the
County of Forfar, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEATS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Benjamin
Cruickshank at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 7th January 1874.
I, ARTHUR BENJAMIN CRUICKSHANK, of Messrs. Gourlay Bros.' Iron
Ship Building Works, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CLEATS
FOR HOLDING THE SHEETS IN SAILING BOATS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is the construction of a self-acting safety
cleat for holding the sheet in a sailing boat in such a manner as to yield
to a strong puff of wind, and so avoid risk of capsizing the boat.

page_text: The cleat consists of a barrel around which the sheet is wound. The
barrel is mounted upon an axis, and it has an arm upon it. A lever
with a fixed fulcrum is caused by a spring to press against the arm of
the cleat barrel, and so it prevents the barrel rotating until a certain
strain comes upon the sheet. When the strain on the sheet is excessive
the spring is overcome and the lever yields, allowing the arm on the
cleat barrel to pass. The barrel then rotates, and the sheet runs out so
long as the strength of the puff continues..
The spring can be adjusted to oppose any resistance which may be
desired to the rotation of the cleat barrel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Benjamin Cruickshank in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th July 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
BENJAMIN CRUICKSHANK, of Messrs. Gourlay Bros.' Iron Ship Building
Works, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, send greeting.
:
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh 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 me, the said Arthur Benjamin Cruickshank,
Her special license that I, the said Arthur Benjamin Cruickshank, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Arthur Benjamin Cruickshank, 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 CLEATS FOR HOLDING
THE SHEETS IN SAILING BOATS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Arthur Benjamin Cruickshank, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Arthur Benjamin Cruickshank,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:---
The object of this Invention is the construction of a self-acting safety
cleat for holding the sheet in a sailing boat in such a manner as to yield
to a strong puff of wind, and so avoid the risk of capsizing the
boat.
The cleat consists of a barrel around which the sheet is wound. The
barrel is mounted upon an axis, and it has an arm upon it. A lever
with a fixed fulcrum is caused by a spring to press against the arm of
the cleat barrel, and so it prevents the barrel rotating until a certain
strain comes upon the sheet. When the strain on the sheet is excessive
the spring is overcome and the lever yields, allowing the arm on the
cleat barrel to pass. The barrel then rotates, and the sheet runs out so
long as the strength of the puff continues.
The spring can be adjusted to oppose any resistance which may be
desired to the rotation of the cleat barrel.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
a is
Figure 1 is a plan and Figure 2 an elevation of the apparatus.
the main sheet, 6 is a guide through which it is led to the barrel c.
This barrel is free to revolve upon the axis or pin c¹, and it has formed
upon it the short arm or projection c²; d is a lever with a fixed fulcrum
at d'. It is pressed up against the arm c² by means of the spring e,
which is adjustable by the screw and nut so as to oppose any desired
amount of resistance to the rotation of the barrel c; 9, 9, are a pair of
small guide rollers. The sheet is passed in a zig-zag course between
them and then between another pair of rollers h, h, which are pressed
together by a spring so as to hold the sheet with a light nip, or a simple
guide similar to 6 may be substituted for the rollers h.

page_text: To avoid the inconvenience of hauling in the sheet through the safety
cleat a tackle may be interposed between it and the sail, and the hauling
in and slacking out the sheet to trim the sail will be done with the
tackle without interfering with the tail of the sheet, which passes
through the safety cleat. Or if desired provision may be made for
quickly drawing back the lever d from the cam c³ by means of a lever
or otherwise so as to set free the barrel c.
What I claim is the construction of safety cleats in which the sheet
is passed around a barrel, the rotation of which is checked and controlled
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Benjamin Cruickshank, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four
ARTHUR B. CRUICKSHANK. (L.S.)