IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES."-A communication.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th October 1854.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES," a com-
munication from abroad, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the construction and arrangement of windlass or
purchase apparatus for ships and other uses, and consists in surrounding or
encircling the hoisting drum or barrel of the windlass with a screw or spiral,
having deep threads or leaves. This screw or spiral is detached from the
barrel of the windlass, but is fixed to the "bitts" and to the deck, and causes
the cable to be received uniformily on and off the windlass without the usual
fleeting or "surging" of the chain, and without its being in any way liable
to get foul. One end or half of the drum may be enclosed in the screw, and
the other left plain in the ordinary manner, or both ends may be fitted with
"

page_text: the guiding spiral, care being taken, however, that the spirals of each end
of the windlass run in opposite directions, so as to guide the chain from the
pall "bitts" towards the end or windlass "bitts." The drum and spirals may
be made conical also, the largest diameter being at the point nearest the pall
"bitts," or where the chain first enters. A series of spiral "whelps" or bars
are affixed to the drum or barrel of the windlass, which cause the chain to
take a firm hold of the barrel, and also facilitate the lateral movement of the
chain or cable between the blades of the fixed guiding spirals.
used.
Another arrangement of windlass for ships or other purposes consists in
having the hoisting drum or barrel duplex, in place of being single, as hitherto
Both barrels are supported in the usual manner in "bitts" or end
standards, but the handspike working action is confined to the front or main
barrel, which has at its longitudinal centre a pall or ratchet arrangement, to
afford the necessary holding stop. The secondary barrel is parallel to the first,
and it is preferably disposed at some distance from it, and it is of smaller
diameter than the main barrel, so that the chain may be at a less angle with the
deck; both barrels have deep grooves cut in them, the grooves being of equal
breadth, and in a line with each other on the two barrels. These grooves are
conveniently formed, by placing rings of cast iron upon a plain cylindrical
barrel, and the bottoms of the grooves are fitted with "whelps" or pieces of
iron, set at regular distances asunder, to prevent the slipping of the chain; and
to give a greater hold, the chain may be passed over one barrel and under the
other alternately, so as to cross between the two barrels. It is to be under-
stood that the chain is primarily acted upon from the first or main barrel
round the grooves of which the chain is passed; but the chain is not merely
wound directly upon this barrel; it passes from one barrel to the other, so as
to encircle both barrels, as it were, within its folds, passing from the first round
the second, and then returning round the first, and so on. Thus, as the main
barrel is urged round, the chain moves and turns the secondary barrel, from
which latter the chain then passes off to the anchor, or to whatever object is
to be lifted. The second barrel has a pall or stop action at one end, and
hence superior security is gained from the duplex stop effect, whilst the strain
upon the "bitts
and deck is more uniformly distributed. With this arrange-
ment there is no necessity for "surging" throughout the entire action of
weighing or hoisting. When the anchor is hove short, dependance can be
placed upon its being hove clear off the ground, and its not falling back, by the
usual flecting of the chain to the smallest part of the barrel.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of
Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Johnson, Her special license that I, the said William Johnson, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or sach others as I, the said William Johnson, my
executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN WINDLASSES," a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Johnson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to the arrangement and construction of windlass
or purchase apparatus for ships and other uses, and consists in surrounding or
encircling the hoisting drum or barrel of the windlass with a screw or spiral,
formed with deep threads or leaves. This screw or spiral is detached from
the barrel of the windlass, but is fixed to the "bitts" and to the deck, and
causes the cable to be received and given uniformily on and off the windlass
without the usual "flecting" or "surging" of the chain, and without its being
in any way liable to get foul. One end or half of the drum may be enclosed in
the screw, and the other left plain in the ordinary manner, or both ends

page_text: may be fitted with the guiding spiral, care being taken, however, that the
spirals of each end of the windlass run in opposite directions, so as to guide
the chain from the pall "bitts" towards the end or windlass "bitts.". The
drum and spirals may be made conical, the largest diameter being at the point
nearest to the pall "bitts," or where the chain first enters. A series of spiral
whelps" or bars are fixed to the drum or barrel of the windlass; which cause
the chain to take, a firm hold of the barrel, and also facilitate the lateral
movement of the chain or cable between the blades of the, fixed guiding
spirals.
66
'
Another arrangement of windlass for ships or other purposes consists. in
having the hoisting drum or barrel duplex, in place of being single, as
hitherto used. Both barrels are supported in the usual manner in "bitts" or
end standards, but the handspike working action is confined to the front or
main barrel, which has at its longitudinal centre a pall or ratchet arrange-
ment, to afford the necessary holding stop. The secondary barrel is parallel to
the first, and it is preferably disposed at some distance from it, and is of
smaller diameter than the main barrel; so that the chain may be at a less angle
with the deck. Both barrels have deep grooves cut in them, the grooves
being of equal breadth, and in a line with each other on the two barrels.
These grooves are conveniently formed, by placing rings of cast iron upon a
plain cylindrical barrel, and the bottoms of the grooves are fitted with
whelps" or pieces of iron, set transversely to the grooves, at regular distances
asunder, to prevent the slipping of the chain. To give a greater hold, the
chain may be passed over one barrel and under the other alternately, so as to
cross between the two barrels. It is to be understood that the chain is primarily
acted upon from the first or main barrel round the grooves of which the chain
is passed; but the chain is not merely wound directly upon this barrel; it
passes from one barrel to the other, so as to encircle both barrels, as it were,
within its folds, passing from the first round the second, and then returning
round the first, and so on. Thus, as the main barrel is urged round, the chain
moves and turns the secondary barrel, from which latter the chain then passes
off to the anchor, or to whatever object is to be lifted. The second barrel
has a pall or stop action at one end, and hence superior security is gained
from the duplex stop effect, whilst the strain upon the bitts and deck is
more uniformly distributed. With this arrangement there is no necessity for
surging" throughout the entire action of weighing or hoisting. When the
anchor is hove short, dependence can be placed upon its being hove clear
off the ground, and its not falling back, by the usual fleeting of the chain to
the smallest part of the barrel.
66

page_text: And in order that the said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a perspective view of a windlass com-
plete, constructed according to the first arrangement herein-before referred to.
Figures 2 and 3 are detached side elevations of the guiding spirals for the
two opposite ends of the windlass, drum, or barrel; the spirals being repre
sented as running in opposite directions accordingly. Figure 4 is a front
elevation of a portion of the double barrel or drum of the windlass detached,
shewing also the arrangement of spiral "whelps," herein-after more fully
referred to; and Figure 5 is a transverse section of the barrel, shewing
the whelps," guiding spiral, and chain, all in their respective places. The
apparatus is so constructed as to receive and give the cable uniformely on
and off the windlass, as shewn in Figure 1. The barrel A of the windlass is
carried by the bitts B, B, which may be secured to the deck in the ordinary
manner; a screw or spiral C, composed of wrought or cast iron, and formed
with deep threads or leaves, entirely surrounds or encircles one or both barrels
of the windlass. In Figure 1 the spiral is shewn as applied to one barrel
only. This spiral. is detached from the barrel of the windlass, but is fixed to
the end."bitts" B, B, and to the deck, if found desirable, by the bars D, D,
which are firmly secured to the edges of the spirals and to the bitts B. The
action of these guiding spirals on the chain or cable is to cause it to be
received uniformely on, and given uniformely off, the windlass, without the
usual "fleeting" or "surging" of the chain, and without its being liable to get
foul: The barrel and spirals may be made either conical or cylindrical; if
conical, the largest diameter should be at the point nearest the pall bitt E, or
where the chain first enters. The barrel is fitted with the ordinary ratchet
and palls F and G, and contains a series of wrought-iron spiral "whelps." or
bars H, which are partially let into its surface and secured thereto, as is
clearly shewn in Figure 5. These "whelps" cause the chain to take a firm
nold of the barrel, and also facilitate the lateral movement of the chain
between the blades of the fixed guiding spirals. In hoisting the anchor, the
chain passes from the hawse hole to that part of the barrel nearest the pall
bitts, where it enters between the deep threads of the spiral. The chain is
passed two, three, or more times round the barrel A, to ensure a sufficient
amount of friction. As the barrel turns, the chain as it moves forward is
brought in contact with the sides of the fixed spiral C, which causes it to be
crowded towards the outer end of the barrel, where it falls to the deck, and is
coiled round in the usual manner. ..

page_text: Figure 6 represents a perspective view of the second form of windlass,
with duplex drums or barrels, berein-before referred to. Figure 7 is a
transverse section of the barrels, shewing the position of the cable on the
same; and Figure 8 is a front elevation of a portion of the main barrel
of the windlass. In this arrangement the principal feature of difference
from those in ordinary use consists in its having two barrels or drums
in place of one. The main barrel A is supported by and turns in the
bitts" B, B, placed near its extremities, the barrel A being similar in most
respects to that of an ordinary windlass. At the centre of this barrel is fitted
a pall C, connected with the pall "bitts" D. The windlass "bitts" B, B,
together with the pall "bitts" D, are secured to the deck of the vessel in the
usual manner. Immediately in front or forward of the barrel A, and parallel
with it, is fitted a second barrel E, the ends and centre of which are sup-
ported in the end "bitts " B, B, and pall "bitts" D. This second barrel may
be situated at the distance of three or four feet from the main barrel A,
and it is considered advisable in most cases to make it of smaller diameter
than the main barrel, so that the chain may be at a less angle with the deck.
Both of the barrels have deep grooves F, F, formed in them, such grooves
being of equal breadth and in a line with each other, so that the several coils
of the chain may be parallel with each other. The grooves F may be com-
posed of rings of cast iron of suitable form, placed on a cylindrical barrel, as
shewn in Figure 7, to which barrel they may be secured by bolts or other
suitable arrangement. Each groove is provided with whelps or cross bars of
iron G, G, placed at equal distances round the barrel, to prevent the chain
from slipping. In case it is found desirable to increase the friction, the chain
may be passed over one barrel and under the other alternately, thus crossing
the chain between the two barrels. In weighing anchor the "patent pur-
chase"
may be used, or the common handspikes .II may be employed, being
placed in the sockets I in the ends of the main barrel. As the main barrel
A revolves, the chain actuates the second barrel E, whence it passes through
the hawse hole, and thence to the anchor. Additional security against
slipping is obtained by having a pall J, acting upon a ratchet wheel on the
second barrel, in addition to the usual palls C, carried by the pall bitts, and
acting on a ratchet in the centre of the main barrel. Another advantage
which is gained by having two barrels and two sets of palls is, that the strain
upon the bitts" and deck is more uniformly distributed, and is thus less
severe on any particular part.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried

page_text: into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the application and use of a fixed screw or spiral thread, encircling
the barrel of a windlass, but not in actual contact with the same, for the
purpose of separating the coils of the chain, and preventing it from
running foul.
Second, the application and use of spiral "whelps" or bars fixed to the
barrel of a windlass, for facilitating the lateral movement of the chain, and
causing it to take a firmer bold of the barrel.
Third, the system or mode of constructing ships' windlasses and other
purchase apparatus with duplex barrels, placed parallel or nearly so to each
other, the chain or cable being passed partially round both barrels, as hercin-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
(ST) NONHOLM