A SETT OF SAILS FOR A WINDMILL, ON AN IMPROVED CONSTRUC- TION, WHOSE MOTION AND POWER IS REGULATED BY GRAVITATION
Year: 1800

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SUTTON, of Barton-upon-Humber, in the County of Lincoln, Clock Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His Majesty King George the Third did, by His Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date the Thirteenth day of
August, in the fortieth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the said
Robert Sutton, His especial licence, that I the said Robert Sutton, during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might use, exercise,
and vend within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "A SETT OF SAILS FOR A WINDMILL, ON AN IMPROVED CONSTRUC-
TION, WHOSE MOTION AND POWER IS REGULATED BY GRAVITATION;" in which said
Letters Patent there is contained a proviso obliging me, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, to cause a particular description of the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; to be
inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within one calendar month
after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being
thereunto had) may more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Robert Sutton, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in the
above Drawings and description thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Sutton have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Thirtieth day of August, One thousand eight hundred.
ROB SUTTON. (L.S.)

page_text: These sails, whether four; five, or six in number engage an uniform quan-
tity of surface not exceeding, at the farthest, more than one half of the circular
area; their stocks (instead of being placed on one edge as mill's sails are gene-
rally made) run along the middle, dividing each sail into two equal parts, by
which means a sufficiency of strength is obtained so as to allow for the breadth
of each to be in every part equal to its velocity, as well as a greater quantity
of surface at a less radius, than by the common mode. The weather of each
sail, from their plane of motion, gradually varies from thirty-nine degrees
nearest the centre to eleven degrees at the extremity.
Figure 1st represents two of six sails in a front view, the outer edges of
which (like the stocks) diverge in a direct line from the centre, and comprise
an angle of thirty degrees..
Figure 2d represents the same sails in a side view, with the axle of the mill
and the communication of the weight or gravitating power to the motion of-the
sails by the iron rod; in both these figures the sails are represented as when
in full motion.
Figure 3d represents the movement of the vanes from the position (7), in
which their surfaces are parallel to the wind;, and, consequently, when the sails
are in a state of rest, to the position (m), when their surfaces are brought to
that angle of weather, in which they receive the greatest impulse. from the
wind to, turn them, and, consequently, when the sails are in their greatest
motion...
Figure 4th represents a front view of one sail when in a state of rest, having
the angle of weather of each. vane so reduced as to bring their surfaces parallel
the wind, when they can receive no impulse from.it, to put the sails.in motion.
Figure 5th represents a cast iron collar and rollers for the neck of the axle
of the mill, which, by annihilating all friction, is an incredible assistance to the
motion of, the sails. Each sail being divided into two.equal parts by the common
stock, contains in each part one vane, of thin. deal, which turns on pivots:at
each end in thimble brasses placed in such situations (a and b) as that..the
retreating half of each vane may comprise the greater quantity of surface,.each
at the same time being made to.balance. upon the pivots from each vane; at‹c,
project two iron studs, A, A, which serve for the purpose of turning them
backwards and forwards. The axle of the mill is drilled through its centre for
the introduction of an iron rod (d, d,) which. communicates the gravitating
power to this rod; in front of the stocks are fixed six arms (B, B, B, B, B, B,)
that branch out from the centre, long enough to become perpendicular with
す

page_text: the studs A, A, having at each extremity a cross bar, of iron (C, Fig. 3),
shackled or, fastened on, in a direction, exactly parallel with the weather of
each sail.in, that particular part, and at the ends of each cross bar the iron
studs are communicated by the links D,,D, (Fig. 3). At the tail of the iron
rod in Fig. 2.is represented the method of applying the weight or gravitating
power which, according to its action on the lever E,,makes the iron rod move
either backwards for forwards at pleasure. The triangular frame,. F, G, H,
fixed to the stocks in front, is solely for the purpose of supporting the weight of
the, arms, on the iron rod, and for their better movement friction wheels are
placed both within the triangular frame and also at the inner ends of the
stocks. The whole being put together as above specified, the principle of their
movement is as follows:-..
.
And, first, as it is only by the impulse of the wind on the surfaces of the vanes
of each sail that they are set in motion, it must happen that when each vanc has
its surface parallel to the wind, as in Fig. 4, they can receive no impulse from
the wind to turn them, consequently, when in that position, they must be in a
state of rest. To put them into motion; therefore pull at the rope K, Fig. 2,
till you down the lever at f, when the point g of the iron rod will be moved
from h to its present. situation, the arm B by being fixed to the iron rod, and
partaking of its movement, will pass at the same time from i to k, as in Fig. 3,
and in "consequence of its communication with the vanes by the cross bar links
and studs it will turn each vane. from the point to.m, Fig. 3, and as all the
arms and. vanes partake of the same movement, each vane of every sail will
at the same time be brought to the same relative situation when, as their sur-
faces are brought to the wind, they will feel its impulse and turn round accord-
ingly, and each vane being when in this position (m) at the greatest angle of
weather for producing the best possible effect, every sail will receive the greatest
impulse the action of the wind can produce to turn them, and their velocity
will then be the greatest according to the impulse they receive. Having now
put them in motion, to bring them again to a state of rest let go the rope K,
and for want of a sufficient weight applied to it to counterbalance the weight
of the wind's impulse on the vanes, every vane by the overbalance of that
impulse will be forced back from the wind, causing at the same time a retro-
gade motion of the iron rod and its communications, till the whole are brought
back to their old situations, when, as the surfaces of each vane again
become parallel to the wind, its impulse is entirely reduced, and.the sails will
immediately be brought to a state of rest; for at the same time that the
surfaces of the vanes are brought parallel to the wind so as to take away its
impulse in turning them, they become perpendicular to their plane of motion,

page_text: and the very powerful resistance they meet with from the common atmosphere
immediately stops their motion, so that instead of bringing them to a state of
rest by producing one power to counteract and contend with another, as is
commonly done by what is called a break over the wheel (a difficult and
often dangerous expedient), the first impulse that occasions their motion is
entirely taken away and another independent one immediately produced-that-
puts an end to the motion occasioned by the velocity and stops them without
the least stress upon any part of their movements (a great and obvious
advantage). The principle on which the sails regulate their own motion is
simply the increase or reduction of the angle of weather by the foregoing
forward and retrogade movements of the iron rod and vanes, and may be thus.
explained but first, after having put them in motion as before specified, it
will be necessary in order to keep them in motion, that some weight
be applied to the rope K, as at L, Fig. 2, to counterbalance the wind's
impulse on the vanes and prevent them returning again to a state of rest;
supposing, therefore, that the impulse of the wind is so strong as to produce
too great a velocity upon the sails when the vanes are at the greatest angle of
weather, it will in consequence be necessary to prevent their having too great
a velocity that the weight applied to the lever be such as so far only to coun-
terbalance the weight of the wind's impulse as to keep the vanes at a reduced
angle of weather equal to the required velocity, as, for instance, at n in Fig. 3.
Now, the weight of the wind's impulse and the weight of the lever being con-
sidered in this position as exactly to counterbalance cach other, the vanes will.
not move from their situation at n, except upon any increased or diminished
effect of the wind's impulse, and even then their velocity will continue the same;
for though their velocity would increase in an equal ratio with the impulse of
the wind, if at the same angle of weather, yet in the present instance every
increased impulse of the wind by over balancing the weight on the lever, makes
the vanes recede from the wind and reduces the angle of weather 'till it
becomes equal to the increased impulse, and vice versa, diminished effect of the
wind's impulse by the overbalance of the weight at the lever, causes the vanes
to move forward, till the angle of weather is encreased equal to the diminution of
the wind's impulse, and so sensible are the vanes of my variation of the impulse
they receive from the wind, that they answer it in an instant, thereby
continually regulating and keeping the sails at a regular and uniform rate of
motion.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirtieth day of August, in
the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Robert Sutton came before our Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And also the
Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the Statute in
that case made and provided.
Inrolled the Fourth day of September, in the year above written.