IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING SAILS AND KEELS TO BOATS AND VESSELS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Trevithick, of Penzance, in the County of
Cornwall, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING SAILS AND
KEELS TO BOATS AND VESSELS."
Sealed the 22nd March 1859, and dated the 4th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Trevithick at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th October 1858.
I, FRANCIS TREVITHICK, of Penzance, in the County of Cornwall, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLYING SAILS
AND KEELS TO BOATS AND VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in applying sails and keels
to boats and vessels. For these purposes I construct the sails of ships or vessels
of strips or narrow bands of thin sheet metal, which I combine together by
means of chains or wire ropes stretched between yards or booms, and for fore-
and-aft sails the strips or narrow bands of sheet metal may be arranged in an
upright position, and connected by means of chains or wire ropes so as to wind
round a revolving mast. In applying keels to boats or vessels, fixed tubes are
used at intervals, parallel with the centre or keel of flat-bottomed boats or
vessels; through these tubes chains or cords are passed, to which the keels are
attached, and other cords or chains pass over the sides of the vessels, which are
also attached to to the keels, and by which the keels may be lifted into the
vessel or be brought-to at seawards.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Trevithick in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
TREVITHICK, of Penzance, in the County of Cornwall, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Francis Trevithick, Her special licence that I, thè said Francis Trevithick,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Francis Trevithick, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPLYING SAILS AND KEELS TO BOATS AND VESSELS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Francis Trevithick, my executors or
administrators; 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 months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Trevithick, 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in applying sails and keels
to boats and vessels. For these purposes I construct the sails of ships or
vessels of strips or narrow bands of thin sheet metal, which I combine together
by means of chains or wire ropes stretched between yards or booms, and for
fore-and-aft sails the strips or narrow bands of sheet metal may be arranged
in an upright position, and connected by means of chains or wire ropes so as
to wind round a revolving mast. In applying keels to boats or vessels fixed
tubes are used at intervals, parallel with the centre or keel of flat-bottomed
boats or vessels; through these tubes chains or cords are passed, to which the
keels are attached, and other cords or chains pass over the sides of the vessels,

page_text: which are also attached to the keels, and by which the keels may be lifted
into the vessel or be brought to act as lee boards.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a front view of a sail constructed according to my Invention,
and Figure 2 is an edge view. a, a, a, are narrow bands of thin sheet metal,
and by preference of copper, combined together by chains or wire ropes b, b,
stretched between the yards, or in place of the narrow bands of sheet metal
being horizontal, they may be arranged in an upright position. Figure 3
shews a side view of part of a flat-bottom vessel, having a keel and apparatus
applied thereto according to my Invention. c is an iron keel suspended by
chains, or cords, or ropes from the lower ends of the tubes d, d, in such
manner that the keel, when a single one is used, may be moved towards
either side of the vessel. Figure 4 shows a transverse section of a vessel
where two keels c, c, are used, which are supported by chains or wire cords, or
ropes e, e, passing through the tubes b, b, and over the sides. Figure 5 shows
the section of another vessel having only one keel c, with two sets of tubes d, d,
with two sets of chains, cords, or ropes e, e. Figure 6 shows another arrange-
ment where the keels c, c, are inclined, and Figure 7 shows a section of
another arrangement of keels c, c, wherein the tubes d, d, are dispensed with.
The levers carrying the keels allow of their being lifted close home to the side
of the vessel, or to be lowered at pleasure.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,-
First, the construction of sails of bands of thin sheets of metal; and secondly
I claim the application of keels to boats or vessels, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Trevithick, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
R. TREVITHICK,
of Penzance.
FRANCIS TREVITHICK. (L.S.)