IMPROVEMENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Coutanche, of Saint Hilliers, Jersey, one of
the Channel Islands, Blacksmith, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
REEFING AND FURLING SAILS."
Scaled the 30th June 1865, and dated the 11th January 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Coutanche at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th January 1865.
I, HENRY COUTANCHE, of Saint Hilliers, Jersey, one of the Channel Islands,
Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS," to be as follows:-
. My Invention primarily consists in attaching to or forming in a piece with
a "pearl" or "tub," which is free to travel up and down the mast, what I
term claws or grips, which embrace or partially embrace the yard round
which the sail is wound, all as hereafter described. These "claws or grips
are made of a metal frame united by rods loose in the frame, and covered
with india-rubber, gutta percha, or other substance to reduce friction as much
as possible, so that as the sail is wound round the yard the loose rods revolve
and materially facilitate the raising and lowering of the sail. Sometimes I
make the rollers of lignum vitæ or other wood. The outer ends of the yard
are inserted in sockets formed in metal arms, and in which the yard is free to

page_text: revolve. The extremities of these arms are provided with rings, through which
the stunsail boom or steadying-sail boom is inserted. Blocks are linked to
branches projecting from these metal arms, through which chain or rope haul-
yards are rove, one end of which is attached to the yard arm and wound
thereon, and the other is carried through sheaves or blocks at the tressle-
trees, then through a tackle, and so to the deck. The topsail haulyards are
attached to the pearl, and passed up through the masthead, and so to the deck.
Additional lifts are attached to the metal arms, passed through blocks at the
masthead, and so to the deck. I fit a chafing spar to the rear of the yard. I
can hoist the yard either by the haulyards or lifts to any desired height, or I
can place the yard in any position, whether it be at right angles with or
vertical to the mast. The yard passes through the claws which supports it
as it with the sail revolve in the sockets at the yard arm.
By my Invention I can furl at the top or bottom of the topmast without
altering the position of the yard.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Coutanche in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
COUTANCHE, of Saint Hilliers, Jersey, one of the Channel Islands, Blacksmith,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Henry Coutanche, Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Coutanche, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Coutanche, 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 Ire-
land, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN REEFING AND FURLING SAILS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Coutanche, 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

page_text: 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 Henry Coutanche, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
My Invention primarily consists in attaching to or forming in a piece with
a "pearl" or "tub" which is free to travel up and down the mast, what I
term claws or grips, which embrace or partially embrace the yard round
which the sail is wound, all as hereafter described. These claws or grips are
made of a metal frame united by rods loose in the frame, and covered with
india-rubber, gutta percha, or other substance to reduce friction as much as
possible, so that as the sail is wound round the yard the loose rods revolve and
materially facilitate the raising and lowering of the sail. Sometimes I
make the rollers of lignum vitæ or other wood. The outer ends of the yard
are inserted in sockets formed in metal arms, and in which the yard is free to
revolve. The extremities of these arms are provided with rings, through which
the stunsail boom or steadying-sail boom is inserted. Blocks are linked to
branches projecting from these metal arms, through which chain or rope haul-
yards are rove, one end of which is attached to the yard arm and wound
thereon, and the other is carried through sheaves or blocks at the tressle-
trees, then through a tackle, and so to the deck. The topsail haulyards are
attached to the pearl, and passed up through the masthead, and so to the deck.
Additional lifts are attached to the metal arms, passed through blocks at the
masthead, and so to the deck. I fit a chafing spar to the rear of the yard. I
can hoist the yard either by the haulyards or lifts to any desired height, or I can
place the yard in any position, whether it be at right angles, with or vertical
to the mast. The yard passes through the claws which supports it as it with
the sail revolve in the sockets at the yard arm.
By my Invention I can furl at the top or bottom of the topmast without
altering the position of the yard.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is an elevation of the after part.
and Figure 2 is a plan or horizontal section of a mast with my improvements
in reefing and furling sails applied thereto, showing so much of the spars and
rigging as will be necessary to illustrate the manner in which I carry my In-
vention into effect. Figure 3 is a front view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of
a portion of the yard slung and with the sail applied according to my Invention:

page_text: .
a is the topsail yard to which the sail is bent, and round which it is wound, as;
hereafter described. It is slung or supported in claws or- grips, views of which
are given on an enlarged scale at Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. The grips or.
claws are made, as shown, to partially encircle the yard; they are formed of
metal side pieces c, c, united by rollers b, b, made also of metal covered with
india-rubber, felt, gutta percha, or they are made solely of hard wood, and are
free to revolve within or between the side pieces c, c. The claws are united;
to a bar d, which is jointed to a metal ring surrounding the "pearl" or "tub,"
as shown at e. d', d', are the chafing spars also jointed to the bar dat one
end, and linked at the other to the metal frames at the yard arm as shown,
and in such manner that the grips or claws are free to move, and with them
the yard, sail, and chafing spars in every direction. The outer ends of the
yard a are supported in metal frames, detached views of which are given at
Figures 9 and 10. g is the metal socket receiving the yard arm; h is a block
supported by an arm at the end of the yard, and through which a chain or
rope i is passed; one end is secured to the yard, and the other is carried up to:
a block k at the tressletrees, and down through a sheeve 7, and thence to the:
deck. m.is the main hoist for the yard attached to a link between the pearl
and the claws, as shown at Figure 4, and n is the downhaul passed through a
sheeve slung underneath the hoist, as also shown at Figure 4; o, o; are addi-
tional lifts for taking off strain from the yard arm, and for further supporting.
it when necessary; p is a ring to receive the stunsail boom. Sometimes
instead of arranging the haulyards and hoists as just described I unite them
together in the following manner :-I carry the topsail tie or main haulyard m
down and through a block attached to the after part of the top y, then up
through a sister block, through which the travelling lifts i, i, also pass, and
thence down to the deck, so that by this arrangement I am enabled to hoist
the yard; and at the same time to cause it to revolve by hoisting at one" and
the same haulyard, viz., the main haulyard m.
In Figure 1, I have shown the yard and sail in two positions, one where the
full sail is set, the other where it is close reefed; now in order to render the
description still clearer I will describe the manner in which I take in a single
reef or close reef the sail. Supposing, in the first place, the sail to be fully
set, or a considerable portion thereof, the chain i would in this case be wound
round the yard arm, so that by hauling on the said chain or chains from the
deck the chain will unwind and the yard will revolve, and so by releasing
the hoist m and hauling on the chain i the yard descends, and in so doing the
sail is wound thereon until sufficient is taken in. To shake out a reef or to
set greater sail I ease the chains i, and hoist the yard by the hoist m, the sail

page_text: then unwinds from the yard, and the chain is wound thereon so long as the
hoisting takes place, or until it is hoisted to its full height. When the yard
is hoisted to its full height I can, if required, furl the sail without lowering the
yard by letting go the sheets 9, q, and hauling on the chains i, i; by this
means the yard is caused to revolve, and with it the sail, until the latter is
wholly wound thereon. The claws are jointed to the pearl, as before stated,
so that the yard may occupy any desired position; thus it may be set vertically
with the mast, as shown at Figure 7, which will be found of great advantage
in entering some docks or harbours, and at other times.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I lay no claim to the
means herein-before described of causing the yard to revolve by means of
chains or ropes wound thereon, and carried through blocks at the tressletrees,
neither do I in any way claim the employment of a revolving yard, but I do
claim as my improvements in reefing and furling sails,-
First, the employment of claws or grips to support and sustain the yard
round which the [sail is wound, the said claws or grips being binged or
jointed to the pearl and chafing spar or spars, substantially in manner and for
the purposes herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
Second, the construction of sockets or supports for the outer ends of the
yard to revolve in, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Coutanche, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of June One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
H. COUTANCHE. (L.S.)