Improvements in Apparatus for Bracing Ships' Yards.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th Dec., 1891-Accepted, 23rd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Bracing Ships' Yards.
We, JAMES SHAW, of Glenville, Holmhead Road, Cathcart, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Marine Surveyor, and JOHN HASTIE and WILLIAM
HASTIE, of Kilblain Engine Works, Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows,
that is to say :-
Our said invention has for its object to provide improved apparatus for bracing
yards of ships.
"
In carrying out our invention according to a modification suitable for cases in
which chains are attached to the yard arms or to ropes or "brace pendents
attached to the yard arms, or are arranged to act on the yard arms or pendents
through tackle blocks, we arrange a framing or machine with barrels or chain
wheels, and with gearing for turning the same by winch handles, and also with
frictional brake pulleys and brakes for controlling the action. Both ends of each
yard arm are acted on from the same framing or machine, the chains being let
out on one side when drawn in on the other, and being led round guide pulleys
to the points at the sides of the ship from which they proceed to the yard arms.
According to the braced position of the yard, (and its higher or lower position
in cases in which it is movable up and down on the mast) slack has to be
taken up, or given out at different times; and provision is made for this in the
framing or machine, each end of the chain or rope being acted on by a different
pulley or barrel and the pulleys or barrels being workable independently of each
other. When one chain end is being wound in, the other chain end may be
allowed to unwind as required under the suitably adjusted control of the frictional
brake; and in any case if required the pulleys or barrels of both chain ends may
be set quite free.
When the braces consist of wire or other ropes, grooved barrels are by preference
provided in the machine, each barrel being capable of winding on as much of its
rope as is required when closely hauling the yard to the corresponding side.
In other modifications instead of attaching the chain or rope ends to separate
pulleys or barrels the chain or rope for acting on both yard arms may be in one
piece (as far as regards the part acted on by the machine) such chain or rope
being acted on by a single pulley or barrel with appliances to insure the necessary
grip, and the variation of slack may be accomodated by passing one or more loops
of the chain or rope round a pulley or barrel which is movable in any convenient
way to slacken or tighten the chain or rope. In some cases it may be most con-
venient to fit part of the apparatus apart from the machine or frame; for example
the barrel or pulley for controlling slack, may be arranged at the ship's bulwark
or rail.
One machine or frame may be arranged for operating simultaneously on two or
more yards; and if found more convenient in any case the machine or frame may
be placed near a mast the chains or ropes from it proceeding up the mast to
the yard, along the yard to its ends and passing through blocks from the yard
to fixed points at the ship's side or on another mast, whilst guide blocks are
provided at the points where the direction of the chain or rope changes.
Dated this the Eighteenth day of March 1891.
HINT
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Bracing Ships' Yards.
We, JAMES SHAW, of Glenville, Holmhead Road, Cathcart, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Marine Surveyor, and JOHN HASTIE and WILLIAM
HASTIE of Kilblain Engine Works, Greenock, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineers, 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, that is to say :-
Our said invention has for its object to provide improved apparatus for bracing
yards of ships.
In carrying out our invention according to a modification suitable for cases in
which chains are attached to the yard arms or to ropes or "brace pendents
attached to the yard arms or are arranged to act on the yard arms or pendents
through tackle blocks, we arrange a framing or machine with barrels or chain
wheels to act on both ends of each yard arm, the chain being let out on one side
when drawn in on the other, and being led round guide pulleys to the points at the
sides of the ship from which they proceed to the yard arms. Arrangements are
made for taking up or giving out slack as required at different times for the
different positions of the yards both as regards angular position and as regards
height upon the mast.
When the braces consist of wire or other ropes grooved barrels are by preference
provided, each barrel being capable of winding on as much of its rope as is
required when closely hauling the yard to the corresponding side.
In other modifications instead of attaching the chain or rope ends to separate
pulleys or barrels the 'chain or rope for acting on both yard arms may be in one
piece (as far as regards the part acted on by the machine) such chain or rope
being acted on by a single pulley or barrel with appliances to insure the necessary
grip, and the variation of slack may be accommodated by passing one or more
loops of the chain or rope round a pulley or barrel which is movable in any
convenient way to slacken or tighten the chain or rope.
In some cases it may be most convenient to fit part of the apparatus apart from
the machine or frame; for example, the barrel or pulley for controlling the slack
may be arranged at the ship's bulwark or rail.
One machine or frame may be arranged for operating simultaneously on two or
more yards; and if found more convenient in any case the machine or frame may
be placed near a mast the chains or ropes from it proceeding up the mast to the
yard, along the yard to its ends, and passing through blocks from the yard arms
to fixed points at the ship's side, or on another mast, whilst guide blocks are pro-
vided at the points where the direction of the chain or rope changes.
And in order that our said invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing two examples of our improved
apparatus.
Figures, 1, and 2, are a plan and a side elevation of one example; and the other
example is shown in plan in Figure, 3, and in side and end elevation in Figures, 4,
and 5. In these drawings the same reference letters are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
In the example shown in Figures, 1, and 2, the working parts are carried by
a light frame consisting of a pair of parallel vertical plates, A, connected by
long bolts or tie rods, B. There are two grooved barrels, C, D, on shafts, E, F,
held in bearings fixed to the frame plates, A, and the shafts have fixed on them
spur wheels, G, H, with which gear pinions, J, K, on upper shafts L, M,
having on them spur wheels, N, P. On a central upper shaft, Q, made with
squared ends for winch handles, there is a long pinion, R, which can gear with

page_text: both spur wheels, N, P, or the shaft can be moved on end to make the pinion, R,
gear only with either of the spur wheels. The upper shafts, L, M, have on
them outside of the framing self-holding brake pulleys, S, T, having in connection
with them the usual straps and relieving levers, U, V. This apparatus is
applicable when wire or other ropes are employed the ends of the ropes being
fixed to the barrels, C, D, which are of sizes suitable for the entire extent of
rope requiring to be wound or unwound from each barrel for the extreme positions
of the yard to which the ropes are connected. When the long pinion, R, is in
gear with both spurwheels, N, P, one barrel will unwind its rope as the other
winds on the other rope; and when slack requires to be taken up or let out
the pinion, R, is shifted so as to turn only one barrel.
In the modification shown in Figures, 3, 4, and 5, the parts are adapted for
acting on a chain the opposite ends of which are connected to the yard arms. For
hauling in the chain in either direction there is a chain pulley, W, fixed to or in
the same piece with a spur wheel, G, which has gearing with it a pinion, J, on an
upper shaft, L; and this shaft has one end squared to receive a winch handle, and
there is also fixed on it a self-holding brake pulley, S. The chain (indicated by
peculiarly dotted lines in Figure 4,) is guided by pulleys, X, at the lower part of
the machine, and a loop of it passes round a barrel, Y, loose on the shaft carrying
the chain pulley, W. This barrel, Y, has fast to it a spur wheel, H, with which
there gears a pinion, K, on an upper shaft, M; and this shaft has one end squared
to receive a winch handle, whilst there is also fixed on it a self-holding brake
pulley, T. The main operation of hauling the chain to brace the yard is effected
by means of the chain. pulley, W; and the slack is manipulated as required by
means of the barrel, Y, on which there may be several convolutions of the chain.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The application for bracing ships' yards, of winding or hauling apparatus or
mechanism comprising a pair of barrels arranged to be driven separately or together
in opposite directions, and otherwise arranged substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figures, 1, and 2, of the accompanying drawings.
2. The modification of the apparatus or mechanism substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures, 3, 4, and 5, of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this Seventeenth day of December 1891.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicants' Agent.