CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MASTING VESSELS
Year: 1824

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RICHARD GUPPY, of Bristol, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Fourth day of November, in the fifth year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Thomas Richard Guppy, His especial licence that 1, the said Thomas
Richard Guppy, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Richard Guppy, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MASTING VESSELS;" in which said Letters Patent
there is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Thomas Richard Guppy,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, and to cause the same be inrolled in His Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Richard Guppy, do hereby declare the nature of my said improve

page_text: ments to consist in the particular application, herein-after described, of two
poles or spars, and of particular arrangements of gear for setting topmasts
thercon for the purpose of masting vessels, as also of other gear connected
with the said poles for other purposes, as herein-after more particularly
described; and in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Thomas
Richard Guppy, do hereby describe the manner in which I perform my said
Invention, by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
ments to consist in the particular application, herein-after described, of two
poles or spars, and of particular arrangements of gear for setting topmasts
thereon for the purpose of masting vessels, as also of other gear connected
with the said poles for other purposes, as herein-after more particularly
described; and in further compliance with the said proviso, I, the said Thomas
Richard Guppy, do hereby describe the manner in which I perform my said
Invention, by the following description thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing annexed and the Figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 represents the particular application which I claim as my said
Invention of two poles when to be used for the purpose of masting a sloop or
ordinary fore-and-aft rigged vessel, as also of the gear required for setting a
topmast thereon; and it should be here observed, with reference to the
span of these poles that that must depend entirely on the breadth of the
ship, while the angle formed by the junction of the two poles at their upper
ends must depend not only upon the breadth of the vessel, but also upon
the height which is thought necessary for the particular build of the vessel to
which they are to be applied. These points, therefore, being entirely optional,
of course no fixed rule can be given for them, and no such need be given
for the purposes of my said Invention. A, B, are the two ends of the deck beam,
to which the lower ends of the poles are attached, and it will be advisablo
to make this deck beam in building a ship to receive the double pole masts,
for such I call that part of my said improvements which relate to to tho
said poles or spars, somewhat stouter than is usual; as also to make the
knees and fastenings at that part of the vessel somewhat stronger. In rigging
the double pole masts the principal rigging will be the fore and aft stays, the
ordinary side shrouds being comparatively unimportant except for the purpose
of going aloft; but the rigging of the masts being in the discretion of the
captain, and the double pole masts not requiring any particular rigg for their
mere support that would not be immediately suggested to a practical sailor, I
shall not say more with reference to those parts of the rigging which do not
constitute parts of my said improvements, but proceed to describe the double
pole masts in detail by reference to the following Figures.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the head of a double pole mast for a common
sloop, shewing the heel of the topmast and manner of fitting the poles to
receive the same. C is the cap, and D a stout iron band with a bowed
front E to receive the heel of the topmast, which may be supported by an
ordinary fid on this bowed, which thus serves the office of the ordinary tressel

page_text: trees. F is a band or strap of iron passing over the mast head and coming
down on either side to join an iron rod and loop, as shewn at N, to which loop
the shrouds are to be hooked or otherwise fastened.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the cap, and Fig. 4 of the said stout iron band D with
the bowed part E. This iron band is more especially used for the purpose of
confining the upper ends of the poles in their proper position, and fits over
and upon them accurately for that purpose, while the fore and aft bolts F, F,
confine it to its place and draw the head of the poles firmly together, while
they also secure the cross trees O. It will be evident that many ways will
suggest themselves to the ingenuous mast maker for scarping or mitreing
the heads of the two poles together. Nor is any particular form of scarf or
mitre essential to my Invention, provided the mode I have shewn of strapping
and uniting the pole heads be attended to, but that the two pole heads should
be let into each other is very essential, and I most approve of the manner
shewn at Fig. 5, because it brings the two lower ends of the poles, or what I
call the pole butts, into a line with each other without the necessity of bending
the poles, which would be apt to weaken their powers of resistance, and which
it is a particular point of my Invention to avoid. Figs. 6 and 7 shew the
manner in which I fit the aforesaid pole butts, and which manner of fitting
the same renders the double pole mast, when fitted with the necessary gear,
suitable for other purposes beside that of an ordinary mast, as herein-before
mentioned in the declaration of the nature of my said Invention. K, K, are
hinges or joints secured above to the butts of the poles, as shewn in the
Drawing, and partly be'ow to the beam L, which is supposed to be one end of
the deck beam, and partly to the top timbers, by means of the iron arms M, M,
by which they are bolted to them.
Fig. 6 is an after view of the starboard pole butt, and Fig 7 a side view of
the same; and it will be seen by this arrangement of the pole butts that
the poles may be lowered forward or aft by the stays or other gear,
herein-after described, for the various purposes of navigation, or for the purpose
of loading or unloading the vessel, by veering them over the hatchways and
rigging the necessary blocks and tackles to them.
Fig. 8 is a front view of a double pole mast, being one of my said improve-
ments as arranged for a square rigged vessel, in which case I cause the upper ends
of the poles to cross, as shewn in this Figure, in order to form a support for
the top. In this Figures C serves for the ordinary cap, and D is the stout iron
band, herein-before alluded to, to bind the upper ends of the poles securely
together. P is a plan of the top, and r, r, are two iron straps for securing it
to the pole heads S, S, on which it is also coked down for greater strength

page_text: and security. Fig. 9 is a side view of the said pole heads, in which view Q
represents a patent lever fid, to shew its application to these poles. P is the
top and the side of the band D, shewing the manner in which the shrouds are
to be attached, and which is shewn more at large in Fig. 10, where T, T, T,
are three long iron links, as much longer than the band D is wide as will
allow the shrouds being hooked on or seized into them, both above and
below. W is the heel of the topmast. Fig. 11 is a section of Fig. 10, and
Fig. 12 is a plan of the band D, as applied to a, a, a, double pole masts for
square rigged vessels, and Y, Y, are screws and nuts to draw the band tight
round the poles. Fig. 13 is a section of the pole heads at the crossing,
shewing the manner of crossing the same, and the filling pieces, as also the
position of the long links. Fig. 14 shews the manner in which the upper
ends of the poles are let into each other. It should here be observed that the
same observations that I have made with regard to the rigging of the sloop's
double pole mast apply equally to the rigging of the double pole mast for
square rigged vessels. And in further description of my said improvements [
do hereby describe the particular gear necessary for rendering my said double
pole masts available for other purposes, as herein-before mentioned; (that is to
say,) the said double pole masts should be rigged with such fore tackles stays,
burtons, falls, or other the like gear, as will enablo the crew to veer the pole
heads forward or aft over such hatchways as may be either forward of or
abaft the pole butts for the purpose of using the said poles as ordinary
shears for loading or unloading the vessel to which they may be applied.
Now, whereas I do hereby claim exclusive right and privilege to the fol-
lowing particulars only (that is to say, to two poles fitted at their upper ends
with tops, caps, crosstrees, and the other contrivances shewn in Figures 1 and
8, to support topmasts with the ordinary rigging belonging to the said topmasts,
and fitted at their lower ends with such joints, hinges, or other contrivances as
will admit of their being veered forward or aft, as herein-before described,
each arrangement (that is to say), both Fig. 1 and Fig. 8, constituting as a
whole an apparatus adapted for and to be substituted in all cases for the ordi-
nary masts of ships and other vessels, which said arrangements of two poles
with the aforesaid appurtenances and for the purposes aforesaid arc, to the
best of my knowledge and belief, entirely new, and never before used in that
part of His said Majesty's United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
called England, Ilis Dominion of Wales, or Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
or in any of His said Majesty's Colonies or Plantations abroad, I do
hereby declare this to be my Specification of the same, and that I do
verily believe this my said Specification doth comply in all respects, fully

page_text: and without reserve or disguise, with the proviso in my said herein-before
in part recited Letters Patent contained; wherefore I do hereby claim to
maintain exclusive right and privilege to my said Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Richard Guppy, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five.