An Improved Steel Wire or Iron Bolt Rope for Lug Sails.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1896.
Complete Left, 5th May, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th June, 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Steel Wire or Iron Bolt Rope for Lug Sails.
I, JAMES CLARK PETERKIN of Lossiemouth in the County of Moray, North
Britain, Rope and sail Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This Invention which relates to an improved steel wire or iron bolt rope for Lug
sails, has for its object to give greater facility in reefing and to diminish the tear and
wear of the sail, consists of an arrangement of several short steel wire or iron bolt
ropes, spliced into an equal number of rings preferably of maleable iron, which are
secured to the sail in the ordinary method. One of the said metal rings is attached
at the foot of the sail, and one at every reef, the bottom ring acting in the usual
manner, as a shackle for the reception of the rope or ropes, secured to the Lug or
stem of the boat, to keep the sail taut when unfurled. The steel wire or iron bolt
ropes already mentioned are eye-spliced at both ends, each ring passing through an
eye of the two adjoining ropes, the ropes and rings forming a chain with a long and
short link, the former being the rope, and the latter the ring. As every successive
reef is taken in, the then lowest ring can be used as a shackle, substituting the ore
already referred to, attached to the bottom of the sail. By this means the reefing can
be performed much more easily than by any of the methods at present adopted,
one man accomplishing the work of several. The steel wire rope required under this
invention is also much lighter than the usual hemp bolt rope, the former being only
about 2 inches or 24 inches in circumference, whereas the latter is about 7 inches in
circumference, and of course much heavier to work.
When an arrangement of a steel wire rope and metal rings has been tried, it has
always prooved a failure, the metal rings being tied to the steel wire rope, with spun
yarn, in the same manner as for hemp ropes. On account however of the smoothness
and hardness of the steel wire rope the mode of attachment was found insufficient, the
rings slipping down and tearing the sail with them in their descent, whereas by the
aforementioned chain arrangement, this is entirely avoided, and the wear of the sail
is consequently much diminished.
Dated this 27th day of December 1886.
D. DICISDALE AUSTIN,
101, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Petitioner's Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Steel Wire or Iron Bolt Rope for Lug Sails.
I, JAMES CLARK PETERKIN of Lossiemouth, in the County of Moray, North
Britain Rope and sail Maker, 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 :-
This Invention which relates to an improved steel. wire or iron bolt rope for lug
sails, has for its object to give greater facility in reefing, and to diminish the tear and
wear of the sail, consists of an arrangement of several short steel wire or iron bolt
ropes, spliced into an equal number of rings, preferably of malleable iron, which are
secured to the sail in the ordinary method. One of the said metal rings is attached
to the foot of the sail and one at every reef, the bottom ring acting in the usual
manner as a shackle for the reception of the rope or ropes, secured to the lug or
stem of the boat, to keep the sail taut when unfurled. The steel wire or iron bolt
ropes already mentioned are eye-spliced at both ends, each ring passing through an
eye of the two adjoining ropes, the ropes and rings forming a chain with a long
and short link, the former being the rope and the latter the ring. As every
successive reef is taken in, the then lowest ring can be used as a shackle, substituting
the one already referred to, attached to the bottom of the sail. By this means the
reefing can be performed much more easily than by any of the methods at present
adopted one man accomplishing the work of several. The steel wire rope required
under this Invention is also much lighter than the usual hemp bolt rope, the former
being only about 2 inches or 2 inches in circumference, whereas the latter is about
7 inches in circumference and of course much heavier to work.
When an arrangement of a steel wire rope and metal rings has been tried, it has
always prooved a failure, the metal rings being tied to the steel wire rope, with spun
yarn, in the same manner as for hemp rop:s. On account however of the smoothness
and hardness of the steel wire rope the mole of attachment was found insufficient, the
rings slipping down and tearing the sail with them in their descent, whereas by the
aforementioned chain arrangement, this is entirely avoided, and the wear of the sail is
consequently much diminished.
In order that my Invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect, will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
The rope constructed in accordance with this Invention consists as shewn at
Figures 1 and 2, and attached to the sail as shewn at Figure 3, of the appended
drawings of an arrangement of several short steel wire ropes A, Figure 1, or iron
bolt ropes B, Figure 2, secured to the sail C, the ends of the said ropes A or B, being
spliced into or otherwise connected to an equal number of malleable iron or other
metal rings D. One of the said metal rings D, is placed at the foot of the sail C, and
one at each reef E, the bottom ring D, acting in the usual manner
as a shackle for
the reception of the rope or ropes secured to the lug or stem of the boat to keep the
sail taut when unfurled. The steel wire rope A, or iron bolt ropes B, already

page_text: mentioned has an eye at each end, a ring D passing through one eye of each of the
two adjoining ropes, the ropes and rings forming a chain with a long and short link,
the former being the rope and the latter the ring. With steel wire ropes A,
thimbles F, as shewn at Figure 1, are employed, the said rope A being eye-spliced
over the thimbles F, which receive the beforementioned ring D, but with iron bolt
ropes B, no thimbles are required, the eyes G, as shewn at Figure 2, being formed in
the usual manner for eye-bolts, properly welded and large enough to allow the ring.D
to work freely within the same. In order not to have too large a part of the sail C,
unattached at the points where the rings D occur, it is desirable to secure the
sail C, to the ropes A or B, as far up the side of the eyes For G as possible, this can
be accomplished in the case of the steel wire rope A, by taking two or three stitches
along the side of the thimble F, and when iron bolt ropes B, are used by drilling two
or three small holes in the side of the eye G, next the sail C, for a similar attachinent.
The edge of the sail C, anent each ring D is covered with a short strip of leather.
The steel wire ropes A, and iron bolt ropes B, being also covered in the usual manner
with spun yarn, before being secured to the sail C.
At the upper part of the sail C, the said metal rings D may be seized on to the
steel wire rope A, in the ordinary manner with spun yarn as shewn at D¹ Figure 3,
because the strain is not so great on the top rings as on the lower ones, the former
being only in use when the sail C; is close reefed. When it is required to take in a
reef, the part to be reefed is just turned up and allowed to hang straight, and as
every successive reef is taken in, the then lowest ring can be used as a shackle,
substituting the one already referred to at the bottom of the sail C,-By this means
the reefing can be performed much more easily than by any of the methods at present
adopted one man accomplishing the work of several. The steel wire rope A, is also
much lighter than the usual hemp rope, the former being only about 2 inches or
24 inches in circumference, whereas the latter is about 7 inches in circumference, and
of course much easier to work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
The improved steel wire or iron bolt rope hereinbefore described, and shewn in the
appended drawings constructed with eyes and rings and attached to the lug sail
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of May 1887.
D. DRYSDALE AUSTIN,
Applicant's Agent.