A NEW METHOD OF REEFING AND FURLING THE SAILS OF SHIPS PROVISIONAL SPATION
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Frederick Finlay, of Queen Street, Edge
Hill, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Master Mariner, for the
Invention of "A NEW METHOD OF REEFING AND FURLING THE SAILS OF SHIPS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Frederick Finlay
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd January 1860.
I, ROBERT FREDERICK FINLAY, of Queen Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "A NEW METHOD OF REEFING AND FURLING THE SAILS OF SHIPS.
AND VESSELS PROM THE DECKS THEREOF," to be as follows:-
I propose reefing the topsails in a more simple manner than at present
adopted, materially simplifying the working thereof by entirely dispensing with
a second yard.
For reefing courses, I propose that the clew garnets be rove forward of the
sail, a tackle being hooked on to a cringle in the foot of the sail and secured
to the deck, the clews are then to be hauled up and the sail reduced one half
standing in the form of a triangle.
For furling sails, I propose fixing a rope to the mast head and running it
through a lizard in the bunt of the yard, thence to the head cringle of the sail,

page_text: the same being then reversed. The sail is to be secured to metal or other
suitable rings, which run along the yard, and to prevent friction a metallic or
other rod is sunk into the upper part and another into the after quarter to bear
the working, the yard itself forming a jack stay. The lowering of the yard
causes the self-adjusting in-haul and out-haul to act, and run the sail in and out.
Upper and lower spilling lines go through cringles on the leech, passing through
a lizard in the centre of the sail, and the spilling lines brail the sail close in to
the doublings of the mast. The clewlines and buntline having been previously
hauled up the sail is entirely secured and clear from the possibility of any chafe
whatever. In setting the sail it will only require the sheets to be hauled home
to hoist away upon the halyards and the sail will be speedily re-set. The sail
if required can be brailed to the mast, and the sheets kept home.
The great advantages of this method of reefing and furling are that it greatly
economizes labor, prevents accidents incidental to seamen in going aloft,
especially in foul weather, and in ships of war protects the crews from being
picked off by rifle bullets, and the simplicity of taking in end setting the sails
from the deck.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Frederick Finlay in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd July 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FREDERICK FINLAY, of Queen Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Master Mariner, send greeting.
WHEREAS-Her-most-Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent,-bearing-date-the-Twenty-third day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Frederick Finlay, Her special licence that I, the said Robert
Frederick Finlay, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Robert Frederick Finlay, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the 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 "A NEW METHOD OF REEFING AND FURLING THE SAILS OF
SHIPS AND VESSELS FROM THE DECKS THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst

page_text: others) that I, the said Robert Frederick Finlay, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain 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 mouths next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Frederick Finlay, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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:—
The object of this Invention is to render the reefing and furling of the sails
of ships and vessels more simple and efficient than by the methods ordinarily
used from the decks thereof.
I propose reefing the topsails in a more simple manner than at present
adopted, materially simplifying the working thereof by entirely dispensing with
a second yard.
Courses. For reefing courses I reeve the clew garnets forward of the
sail, a tackle being hooked on to a cringle in the foot of the sail, and secured to
the deck, the clews are then to be hauled up, and the sail reduced one half,
standing in the form of a triangle.
Topgallant sails and royals.-For furling topgallant sails and royals I fix
a rope to the mast head and running it through a lizard in the bunt of the
yard, thence to the head cringle of the sail, the same being then reversed,
The sail is to be secured to metal or other suitable rings which run along the
yard and to prevent friction a metallic or other rod is sunk into the upper part
and another into the after quarter to bear the working, the yard itself forming
a jack stay. The lowering of the yard causes the self-adjusting in-haul and
out-haul to act, and run the sail in and out. Upper and lower spilling lines
go through cringles on the leech, passing through a lizard in the centre of tho
sail, and the spilling lines brail the sail close into the doublings of the mast.
The clewlines and buntline having been previously hauled up the sail is
entirely secured and clear from the possibility of any chafe whatever.
setting the sail, it will only require the sheets to be hauled home to hoist
away upon the halyards and the sail will be speedily re-set. The sail if
required can be brailed to the mast and the sheets kept home.
In re-
Topsails. For reefing topsails by dispensing with a second yard, I cause
the revolving of the yard by the lifts; I also use an iron rod on the upper part
of the yard for the running in and out of the topgallant studding sail booms,

page_text: and so simplyfing the gear that in the event of an accident the yard and sail
can be worked and set by the old method of reefing by points to the yard.
The original lifts are done away with, and in their place a chain or rope lift
is secured at each yard arm, this lift is then let into a groove or worm, in which
groove or worm is an iron traveller with a leading block through which block
the lift is rove to prevent it from being displaced at any time the traveller.
accommodates itself to the left by running in and out with it.
When the lift is wound round the worm with a sufficient number of turns to
revolve the yard, it is rove through a swivel block at topmast head, it is then
led below and secured, and becomes a standing lift, or to gain increased
purchase for a heavy sail, a double and single block with tackle may be attached,
the turns being taken when the yard is mast headed. Tho yard revolves of its
own accord, and reefs the sail as it descends, so that the sail can be reduced
from a single to a close recf; in hoisting again the sail unwinds itself, and
in so doing winds the lift round the yard arm. Three iron swivel bands are
fixed on the yard; one of these swivel bands or tubs is placed on the shoulder
of the yards for brace pendants, topgallant sheet blocks, and boom irons.
From shoulder to shoulder of the yard, the iron rod which is fixed sufficiently
high to allow the sail to roll round the yard is secured to the iron for booms
to give strength to the iron rod it can be fixed by a collar to the mast, bolted
to the parral, or attached to a strong iron bolt with eyelets on to the tie. An
upper topsail can be formed out of the topgallant and royal sails, and this sail
can be reefed in the same way, but no boom irons are necessary, nor booms
nor iron rod, or bar. The parral of the yard is of the ordinary description,
but the swivel or tub at the slings (which carries the topsail tie above, and an
_eyelet underneath for down-haul block) allows the yard to revolve, by chocking
the_tub at the slings, the yard can be used on-the-old-stylo.-The-topsail
requires a mere slit down the centre to allow the sail-to-pass-the-tub-at-the
slings. A bonnet for the head may be dispensed with, when I use a band,
wood or metal travellers pass up and down the edges of the opening on a
bolt rope; the jacket or band is to lace at the foot so as to be taken off at sea,
and to run before or abaft the sail, and so simple in make that two cringles
or thimbles lashed together with an aperture to pass over the sail to take the
bolt ropes may be used as travellers. The close reef points of the sail are
retained as an extraordinary precaution against accidents to the swivel tubs
or gear, and in the event of the worm at the shoulder of the yard getting out
of order I use from the tub on the yard a short chain or bar with swivelled
block to lead the chain or rope lifts without using any worm. This plan does
not destroy the yards or sails, and lessens the weight carried aloft.

page_text: The great advantages of this method of reefing and furling are that it greatly
economizes labor, prevents accidents incidental to seamen in going aloft
especially in foul weather, and in ships of war protects the crews from being
picked off by rifle bullets, and the simplicity of taking in and setting the sails
from the deck.
Having now fully described the nature and object of my said Invention,
of "A New Method of Reefing and Furling the Sails of Ships and Vessels
from the Decks thereof," and the manner in which the same is to be
performed, I would remark in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details of the tackling herein described as the same
may be slightly varied without in any way departing from the principle of my
Invention; but what I claim as my Invention intended to be secured to
me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is, the reefing and furling
of the sails of ships and vessels in the manner herein described for the
purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Frederick Finlay, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
o Witness,
WILLIAM MADDOX,
126, Vine Street,
Liverpool.
ROBT. FRED. FINLAY. (L.S.)