IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' RIDING BITS AND WINDLASSES
Year: 1845

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
CALDWALL, of Broad Street, Ratcliffe, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Eighteenth day of September, in the ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Caldwall, my exors, adiñors, and assigns, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said James Caldwall, my
exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Caldwall,
my exors, adiiors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SHIPS' RIDING BITS AND WINDLASSES;" in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said James Caldwall, shall
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 Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
James Caldwall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in combining the motion of capstans with riding bits
and with windlasses, when such riding bits and windlasses have fleeting plates
applied thereto; and the combination is such that a ship may ride by a cable
taking around the barrel of the riding bit or of the windlass, and when desired,
to get the anchor by putting the capstan in motion, that motion will be
communicated to the barrel of the riding bit or of the windlass, and the
barrels having fleeting plates, will enable them to wind up the cable without
fleeting.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a plan of a capstan on board ship, giving motion to the
two barrels of two riding bits. Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section of the same
parts. The riding bits each consist of a barrel A, similar to that of a capstan,
with apparatus B for stopping or palling it in one direction, as is shown; and
each of the barrels is provided with brake apparatus C, to be used when
running out the cable. Each of the barrels A is also provided with fleeting
apparatus b, as was described in the Specification of my former Patent,
granted to me on the Fifteenth day of April, One thousand eight hundred and
forty. Motion is transmitted from the capstan D, by means of an endless
chain E, similar to a messenger chain, and this chain receives motion from the
capstan by its taking partly round the chain barrel or pulley F, fixed on the
axis of the capstan, such chain being guided and carried by suitable guide
pullies G; and the chain E is kept to its work by means of weighted pulleys H.
The chain E is capable of working with the chain wheels or barrels I, I, of
the two riding bits, the wheels I being made fast or free on the axes of the
barrels of the riding bits by suitable clutch boxes, as is well understood, so that
the barrel of either riding bit may be fast or free on its axis, according as
they are required to be used or not, for the time being. Or, in place of the
working of the capstan being in connection with two riding bits, it may be
with only one; and in place of the barrel of the riding bits being vertical, as
is shewn at Figures 1 and 2, the barrel may be similar to a windlass, as is
shown at Figures 3 and 4, where a plan and longitudinal section of a capstan
and windlass are shown to be in combination, such windlass barrel having

page_text: fleeting plates and apparatus as was described in my said former Specification.
And I apply fleeting plates to fixed riding bits, as shown at J, J'. The cable
takes three or four turns round either of these, and the palls of the revolving
bits A being removed out of position, the ship may ride from the fixed bit or
bits J, J; and in giving out cable the breakes on the revolving bits A
are used.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not make any
claim to the separate parts herein described, nor do I confine myself to the
details as shown.
But what I claim is, the mode of constructing riding bits with fleeting
plates, and the giving motion to the barrels of riding bits and windlasses
having fleeting plates, by a capstan, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Caldwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-six.
Enrolled the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-six.