IM- PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE SHEETS OF FORE AND AFT SAILS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Taylor and Ebenezer Foulson, both of
Shadwell, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE SHEETS OF FORE AND AFT
SAILS."
Sealed the 5th November 1867, and dated the 6th May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Taylor and
Ebenezer Poulson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 6th May 1867.
We, RICHARD TAYLOR and EBENEZER POULSON, both of Shadwell, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR SECURING THE SHEETS OF FORE AND AFT
SAILS," to be as follows:-
The objects of our Invention are to prevent the capsizing of boats or of fore
and aft rigged vessels when under canvas, and to give them more stability, and
thereby to improve their sailing qualities.
The "horse" on which the sheets of fore and aft sails are allowed to travel
has hitherto been fixed at the two ends; now our Invention consists in
attaching the "horse to a transverse bar or beam which is secured at its
"

page_text: centre to the vessel in the same vertical line as the keel, so that the leverage
instead of being the whole length of the borse or breadth of the vessel,
whereby the wind has a tendency to capsize the vessel, is only half the
length of the horse or breadth of the vessel, and the wind has a tendency to
keep the vessel upright.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Taylor and Ebenezer Poulson in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 6th November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
TAYLOR and EBENEZER POULSON, both of Shadwell, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Richard Taylor and Ebenezer Poulson, Her special licence that we, the
said Richard Taylor and Ebenezer Poulson, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard Taylor and Ebenezer Poulson,
our 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR SECURING THE SHEETS OF FORE AND AFT SAILS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Richard Taylor and Ebenezer
Poulson, or one of us, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or one of our 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
iimmediately after the date of the said Letters Patent..
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Richard Taylor and Ebenezer
Poulson, do hereby declare the nature of our 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:-.
:

page_text: The objects of our Invention are to prevent the capsizing of boats or of
fore and aft rigged vessels when under canvas, and to give them more
stability, and thereby to improve their sailing qualities.
The "horse" on which the sheets of fore and aft sails are allowed to
travel has hitherto been fixed at the two ends; now our Invention consists in
attaching the "horse" to a transverse bar or beam which is secured at its
centre to the vessel in the same vertical line as the keel, so that the leverago
instead of being the whole length of the horse or breadth of the vessel,
whereby the wind has a tendency to capsize the vessel, is only half the length
of the horse or breadth of the vessel, and the wind has a tendency to keep
the vessel upright.
Our Invention will be understood by the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1
is a plan; Figure 2 a side elevation (as seen from the stern of the boat);
and Figure 3, an end view (as seen from the side of the boat) of our improved
"horse" or apparatus for securing the sheets of fore and aft sails.
A is the "horse" attached at each end to a transverse bar or beam B;
this bar or beam B is secured at its centre to the stern C in the same vertica!
line as the keel by means of a forked frame D or otherwise. The distance
between the bar B and the top of the stern C should be as small as possible
so that the bar may have only a little vertical play on its centre. The bar B
has no lateral play on its centre, and in order to diminish the strain upon
the sides of the frame D stops may be fitted near the ends of the bar B for
this bar to bear against.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we declare that we claim, attaching
the "horse" on which the sheets of fore and aft sails are allowed to travel
to a transverse bar or beam secured at its centre, substantially as herein-before
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Taylor, for myself and on
behalf of the said Ebenezer Poulson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of November, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-seven.
RICHARD TAYLOR. (L.S.)