IMPROVEMENTS IN REEPING SAILS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Auguste Godet, Cap de Marines, of Bordeaux,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEPING SAILS."
Sealed the 1st May 1857, and dated the 25th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Auguste Godet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
February 1857.
I, AUGUSTE GODET, Cap de Marine, of Bordeaux, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING SAILS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reefing sails without
sending men out on to the yards. For this purpose the sails have attached
across them at intervals strengthening bands or cords, to which are fixed
ropes which pass up to the yard, and from thence through blocks or rings to
the mast, and are there hooked on to another rope or ropes which pass
through blocks to the deck. When it is required to reef the sail, these ropes
are pulled upon until the first strengthening band on the sail comes up to the
yard, and it is held there by means of fastening apparatus (one of which is
attached to each of the ropes fixed on the first strengthening band) which
pass through rings fixed to the yard. This fastening apparatus consists of a
forked piece of metal termed a "flying fish," having wings or projections which
turu on pins passed through the forks. The inside ends of those wings or

page_text: projections are formed with teeth, which take into each other, so that when
either of the wings or projections is caused to project outwards in consequence
of its outer end meeting the edge of the ring, the other wing or projection is
made to project outwards at the same time, so that when the apparatus has
passed through a ring it is prevented from being drawn back through it, and
in consequence prevents the return of the rope to which it is attached.
When it is required to take in another reef, the ropes attached to the first
strengthening band are unhooked from the rope or ropes which pass to the
deck, and by continuing to pull on these latter ropos another reef is taken in,
in the same way as before.
In order to lower the sails when a reef has been taken in, a man is sent out
on to the yards to close up the wings, and thus send the "flying fish" back
through the ring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augusto Godot in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
22nd August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTE
GODET, Capo de Marines, of Bordeaux, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing dato the Twenty-fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Auguste Godet, Her special liconco that I, the said Auguste Godet, my
oxccutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Augusto
Godet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no othors, from time to time and at all times thereafter during tho
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 REEFING
SAILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Augusto Godet,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Auguste Godet do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what mauner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in reefing sails without
sending men out on to the yards. For this purpose the sails have attached
across them at intervals, strengthening bands or cords, to which are fixed
ropes which pass up to the yard, and from thence through blocks or rings to
the mast, and are there hooked on to another rope or ropes which pass through
blocks to the deck. When it is required to reef the sail, these ropes arė
pulled upon until the first strengthening band on the sail comes up to the
yard, and it is held there by means of fastening apparatus (one of which is
attached to each of the ropes fixed on the first strengthening band) which pass
through rings fixed to the yard. This fastening apparatus consists of a forked
piece of metal termed a "flying fish," having wings or projections which turn
on pins passed through the forks. The inside ends of these wings or pro-
jections are formed with teeth, which take into each other, so that when either
of the wings or projections is caused to project outwards in consequence of its
outer end meeting the edge of the ring, the other wing or projection is made
to project outwards at the same time, so that when the apparatus has passed
through a ring it is prevented from being drawn back through it, and in con-
sequence it prevents the return of the rope to which it is attached. When it
is required to take in another reef, the ropes attached to the first strengthening
band are unhooked from the rope or ropes, which pass to the deck, and bý
continuing to pull on these latter ropes another reef is taken in; in the samé
way as before.
In order to lower the sails when a reef has been taken in, a man is sent out
on to the yards to close up the wings, and thus send the "flying fish" back
through the ring.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully.
to describe the same.
:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure shews an apparatus for reefing sails, arranged according to
my Invention. K, K', K", are the strengthening bands or cords, attached
across the sail; to the band K are fixed the ropes C, two on each side of
the mast; these ropes pass through the rings D, D, attached to the strength-
ening bands K, K', and then through rings in the sail close up to the
word the two songs in the namin side

page_text: .
and are connected to the ropes B which pass through blocks to the deck. To
the ends of the strengthening band K are fixed two rings, through which tho
-ropes A" pass.
One end of each of the ropes A" is fixed to the yard, they
then pass through the rings at the ends of the band and through the rings F, F,
attached to the bands K', K", then through the pulley N attached to the yard,
and from there through the pulley o attached to the mast, and again through
another pulley to the deck. Ropes c', c, c", c", and A, A, A', A', arranged in
similar manner to the ropes c'; A" are attached to the bands K', K", the
ropes c', c", being connected to the rope c' at a point just above the yard, and the
ropes A being connected to the ropes A' at R, R, as shown.
When it is required to reef the sail the ropes A', A", and B are pulled upon,
and the yard lowered until the band K³ comes up to the yard. The fastening
apparatus F, F, termed "flying fishes," attached to the ropes C", then pass
through the rings in the sail close up to the yard, and the "flying fishes"
attached to the ropes A" pass through rings H, H, fixed to the yard, and by
these wings or projections opening outwards they are prevented from returning
through the rings, and in this way retain the sail reefed. The reef may then
be tied up in the ordinary manner. When it is required to take in another
reef the ropes C" are detached from the ropes C, and the ropes A are detached
from the ropes A'. The ropes A', A", and B are again pulled upon, and the
yard lowered until the second strengthening band comes up to the yard, when
the "flying fishes" E, E, attached to the ropes C' pass through rings in
the sail close to the yard, and the "flying fishes" attached to the ropes A pass
through the rings H' attached to the yard. For taking in the next reef the
ropes C' are detached from the ropes C; the ropes A", B, are then pulled upon,
and the yard again lowered until the third strengthening band comes up to the
yard, when the sail is tied up in the ordinary manner.
Figure 2 shows a nearly similar apparatus for reefing sails, shewing one reef
taken in.
Figure 2 shows an arrangement for reefing lateen and other similar şails by
drawing the sail to the mast. For this purpose a strengthening band is fixed
across the sail, to which are attached ropes which pass through pullies attached
to the mast, and which are then attached to a rope which passes down to the
deck, as shewn, so that by pulling on this rope the band on the sail is drawn up
to the mast.
Figure 2b shews a somewhat similar arrangement for taking in a reef in a
gib, where the band on the sail is drawn towards the rope on which the
gib slides.
Figure 3 shews a somewhat similar arrangement for taking in one

page_text: reef of a sail, the same letters referring to the same parts as in the other
arrangements.
Figure 3 shew's one of the "flying fishes," shewn separately. a, a, are the
wings or projections which turn on the pins 6; these wings or projections are
formed with teeth on their inside ends, as shewn; the teeth of one of these
wings take into the teeth of the other wing, so that when one of these wings is
caused to project outwards the other wing is caused to project outwards also.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is the
arrangement of apparatus, herein described, for reefing sails.
In witness whereof, I, the said Auguste Godet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
CLD EYMOND, Nég*,
A. GODET. (L.S.)
Capit. au L. C. Rue Traversièr 21, à Bordeaux.
45, Rue Boudet,
Bordeaux.