IMPROVEMENTS IN RIGGING YACHTS
Year: 1885

page_text: I RICHARD ROBERT LOANE ROSOMAN of Highlands Itchin Ferry Southampton
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RIGGING YACHTS to be as follows:-
"
Cutter and other yachts of large size especially if intended for racing are now
commonly provided with spinnaker sails of very large size and the spinnaker boom
has therefore to be made of great length and becomes very unwieldy so that if it
has to be moved over from the port to starboard side many hands are required to
shift it over.
Moreover on account of the length of the boom its inner end has
usually to be lowered outboard to allow of its outer end being passed below the
fore stay before the boom can be shifted over and if the vessel is sailing with a
good breeze the lowering of the boom outboard is attended with considerable risk.
To obviate this risk and to enable the shifting over of the boom to be more
easily effected and by fewer men I make the spinnaker boom in two lengths which
can be slidden one along the other so that the boom may be elongated or contracted
in length as desired. The inner length or main permanent portion of the boom
I also make of such a length that when the boom has been raised up to the mast
its end can be passed freely under the fore stay and be then lowered on the opposite
side to that from which it was raised. To the outer end of this permanent portion
of the boom I secure a ring or rings through which the outer length of the boom
can slide end wise-the inner end of this outer length I also provide with a clip
ring which can slide along the permanent portion of the boom so that the outer
length of the boom may be moved freely inwards or outwards or by releasing the
clip ring can be drawn through the other rings or eyes and be so detached entirely
from the permanent or main part of the boom.
To the outer end of the permanent or main part of the boom I also secure a
pulley through which a foot rope is passed for hauling outwards the outer portion
of the boom.
By these means when the boom has to be moved over from one side to another
it is only necessary to draw inwards the outer length of the boom and when the
boom has been raised shift it over as above described and then again extend the
boom so that all necessity for disconnecting the boom from the mast and lowering
its end outboard whenever the boom has to be shifted over is entirely done away
with and the shifting over of the boom can be effected easily and by fewer inen
than heretofore required.
Dated this 15th day of Jonu 1885

page_text: I RICHARD ROBERT LOANE ROSOMAN of Highlands Itchin Ferry Southampton
Gentleman 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 :-
Cutter and other yachts of large size especially if intended for racing are now
commonly provided with spinnaker sails of very large size and the spinnaker boom
has therefore to be made of great length and becomes very unwieldy so that if it
has to be moved over from one side to the other many hands are required to shift
it over Moreover on account of the length of the boom its inner end has usually
to be lowered outboard to allow of its outer end being passed below the fore stay
before the boom can be shifted over and if the vessel is sailing with a good breeze
the lowering of the boom outboard is attended with considerable risk.
To obviate this risk and to enable the shifting over of the boom to be more
easily effected and by fewer men I make the spinnaker boom in two lengths which
can be slidden one along the other so that the boom may be elongated or contracted
in length as desired. The inner length or main permanent portion of the boom
I also make of such a length that when the boom has been raised up to the mast
its end can be passed freely under the fore stay and be then lowered on the opposite
side to that from which it was raised. To the outer end of this permanent portion
of the boom I secure a ring or rings through which the outer length of the boom
can slide end wise-the inner end of this outer length I also provide with a clip
ring which can slide along the permanent portion of the boom so that the outer
length of the boom may be moved freely inwards or outwards or by releasing the
clip ring can be drawn through the other rings or eyes and be so detached entirely
from the permanent or main part of the boom.
To the outer end of the permanent or main part of the boom I also secure a
pulley through which a foot rope is passed for hauling outwards the outer portion
of the boom.
By these means when the boom has to be moved over from one side to another
it is only necessary to draw inwards the outer length of the boom and when the
boom has been raised shift it over as above described and then again extend the
boom so that all necessity for disconnecting the boom from the mast and lowering
its end outboard whenever the boom has to be shifted over is entirely done away
with and the shitting over of the boom can be effected easily and by fewer men
than heretofore required.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed shews a side elevation of a cutter
yacht with its spinnaker boom arranged in the above manner.
Figure 2 is a side elevation on a larger scale of the boom when contracted and
Figure 3 a similar view of the boom when extended. Figure 4 is a plan view of
the outer end of the moveable portion of the boom. Figures 5 are a side elevation
and cross section of the outer end of the inner length of the boom-Figures 6 are
a side elevation and cross section of the clip rings by which the moveable portion
of the boom is coupled to the inner or permanent portion.

page_text: In these figures A is the inner length or permanent portion of the boom, its inner
end fits into the ordinary goose neck. At its outer end is a swivelling eye B to
which is secured the lifting rope C by which the boom is to be raised or lowered-
this rope is led over the pulley of a block D secured to the mast and then down to
the deck so that the boom can be raised or lowered in the ordinary manner.
E is the outer length of the boom, its inner end passes through a metallic ring F
fixed to the end of the inner length A-it has also fixed to it other rings GG
which can slide along the inner length of the boom.
The inner end of the outer length and the outer end of the inner length of the
boom each carry a pulley over which is led a rope H one end of the rope is fixed
to the outer end of the inner length A the other end is led back to the inner end
close to the mast. By hauling on this end of the rope the boom will be extended
or by letting the end go slack the boom will be free to contract.
The end of the outer length E of the boom has a pulley block secured to it in
the ordinary way and the rope to which the spinnaker sail I is secured is led
through this block and back along the boom so that the sail can be drawn out to
the outer end of the boom in the ordinary way.
The outer end of the outer length E also carries two swivelling eyes J to which
are secured guy ropes one to be led aft and the other forward to hold the boom
steady when the sail is set.
When the spinnaker has to be shifted over from one side of the boat to the other
the sail is first taken in, the boom is raised up to the mast by the rope C the rope H
is slackened to allow the boom to contract in length until its upper end can be
passed freely below the forestay K. As soon as the upper end of the boom has
been passed below the forestay the boom can be again lowered and extended on the
opposite side of the boat and the sail again set.
In order that the outer length E of the boom may readily be separated from the
inner length A I make the rings G so that they can readily be opened on the
withdrawal of a pin G¹.
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. Rigging a cutter or other yacht with a spinnaker boom capable of being
contracted or extended in length so that when in use for holding out the spinnaker
sail it may be extended to its full length and may be contracted when the boom is
to be shifted over so that it may pass below the forestay of the mast substantially
as described.
2. The construction of the spinnaker booms of yachts substantially in the manner
herein before described and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
Dated this 10th day of October 1883
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.