IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIG AND WORKING THE SAILS OF SQUARE-SAIL VESSELS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edward Cole, of New York, U. S. of America,
Ship Master, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIG AND WORKING
THE SAILS OF SQUARE-SAIL VESSELS."
Sealed the 21st August 1857, and dated the 21st March 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Edward Cole
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st March 1857.
I, JAMES EDWARD COLE, of New York, U. S. of America, Ship Master, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
RIG AND WORKING THE SAILS OF SQUARE-SAIL VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in the rig of square-sail vessels,
whereby the sails may be either reduced or wholly taken in at pleasure, and
from the deck, the sail being also secured when taken in without the necessity
of sending a man aloft.
As it is more frequently desirable that the "topsails" of a ship may be
worked from the deck than any of the others, I will describe this Invention in
its application to those sails, and adaptations of it to the others will be readily
suggested to those familiar with nautical matters.
The lower mast may properly be made to terminate at the usual place of the
"round top," for the topmast passes that place, and is secured some distanco
below upon a "step" affixed to the front of the lower mast for that purpose.

page_text: This round top has come to be considered in merchant vessels as of but little,
if any, real use, the topmasts being in fact supported by the back stays, and I
therefore dispense with it, substituting for it a "cap," which has a hinged
opening forward, for a purpose to be hereafter shown. The topmast has upon
the forward side a cylindrical "railway bar," banded closely to it, and
extending quite down to the place of the usual round top. Upon this the
topsail-yard is made to slide, having instead of a "parral" around the mast a
metallic clip, which embraces the sides of the rail bar sufficiently to hold the
yard to it, and yet to allow the yard to be braced sharp. The yard is so affixed
to this clip that it will not cant over forward, and its halliards are of the usual
construction and operation. The lower yard may be supported in the ordinary
manner, or where the "top" is dispensed with its weight is taken upon two
standards, one on each side of the mast, the lower ends of which rest upon
and have play in suitable bearings upon the mast, while the upper ends lean
forward and take the yard upon them. Along the upper side of this yard and
a little above it is a strong spar, hung in journals upon suitable bearings rising
from the yard-arms. This spar is cylindrical, and operates as a roller, the
foot of the sail being secured to a jackstay upon it, as the head is upon the
topsail yard. In order that the sail may be unbroken the roller must be
operated from its ends, and for this purpose a shaft of metal is placed imme-
diately under the lower yard, its ends being journals secured in proper bearings
hanging also from the yard-arms. This shaft has upon each end a pulley,
opposite to corresponding pulleys on the roller above the yard, and belts of
chain transmit motion from the shaft, the pulleys having spurs to take into
the links, and thereby render the motion certain. The shaft has also at its
centre a similar pulley or chain wheel, on which is an endless fall chain,
extending down to the deck and passing under a like spur chain wheel on the
shaft of a windlass. When now the sail is to be reduced, that is accomplished
by turning the windlass on the deck at the same time that the topsail-yard is
lowered to the distance required. The lower part of the sail will thus be
rolled upon the spar, being held tightly there by securing the windlass, and as
it is the widest part of the sail which has been taken up on the roller, the
whole will lie smooth, and the remainder of the sail will be tightly stretched.
If it be desired to take in sail entirely, the rolling up is continued, while the
topsail-yard is still further lowered until it hangs just behind the roller spar,
for the rail bar on the topmast is brought down to what is now the cap,
thereby allowing the topsail-yard to come down nearly to the lower yard.
The band around the cap is hinged, so as to open forward, in order that the
topmast may be sent down, since the rail bar would prevent it from coming

page_text: down in the usual manner through the cap. As there is now no parral to
traverse upon the topmast, a band may be put around it at about half way up,
having an eye on each side, to which the slings of the lower yard may be
attached, as well as extra backstays if required.
It will be seen that by this method of reducing or taking in sail the usual
reef tackles, reef points, clewlines, and brails may be dispensed with, and
the weight of these aloft is greater than that of the parts required for my
Invention, while the rapidity with which sail can be shortened thereby will
enable it to be carried on longer in bad weather, resulting often in the safety
of the ship.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Edward Cole in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st September 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
EDWARD COLE, of New York, U. S. of America, Ship Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Edward Cole, Her special licence that I, the said James
Edward Cole, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said James Edward Cole, 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 Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIG AND WORKING THE SAILS OF SQUARE-SAIL VESSELS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Edward Cole,
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 James Edward Cole, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: 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 is an improved method of constructing the masts and
operating the sails of square-rigged vessels. And as it is oftener desirable
that the "topsails" of a ship shall be worked from the deck than any of the
others, I will describe that part of my Invention, particularly with reference to
those sails; and although my said improved method is capable of being
applied and used to advantage upon masts of ordinary construction and rig,
yet, as I prefer a different and improved construction for those, I shall also
describe that part of my said Invention in its connection with my improved
masts. In these the lower mast is made to terminate at the usual place of
the "round top," and instead of the heel of the topmast resting there, it is
continued downward for some distance, as seen at (a), and rests upon a step
(b), affixed to the front of the lower mast for that purpose, and extending
down to the deck. In merchant vessels the "round top" is now considered
as but of little, if any, real use, I therefore dispense with it, supporting the
topmasts by the "backstays," as in fact they usually are really so supported,
and in the place of the round top I affix the cap. The length of topmast upon
which the topsail-yard can traverse is thus so much greater than in the
ordinary rig that the yard can be sent down lower, thereby reducing the
weight aloft when the sail is taken in. The topmast has upon the front side
a rail bar (a), extending from the halliard sheave quite down to the cap, and
upon this is a slide, made to play vertically, to which the topsail-yard is affixed
by such joint as will permit it to be braced sharp as well as to be "cock-billed."
As there is now no "parral" to traverse upon this mast a band may be put
around it midway of its height, to which an extra backstay may be affixed if
desired, and to that band the lifts of the lower yard may also be attached.
The cap on the head of the lower mast is made to open forward, in order that
the topmast may be sent down, since it could not, as thus constructed, be sent
down through a cap of ordinary form.
The lower yard is generally as of usual construction and size. Along the
upper side and a little above it is a strong spar (c), hung in journals upon
suitable bearings (d) rising from the yard-arms. This spar is cylindrical, and
operates as a roller, the foot of the sail being secured to a jackstay upon it as
the head is upon the topsail-yard. In order that the sail may be unbroken,
this roller must be operated from its ends, and for this purpose a supplementary
shaft (e) is placed immediately under the lower yard, its ends being journals
secured in proper bearings hanging also from the yard-arms, as shown. This

page_text: sbaft has upon each end a pulley (f), opposite to corresponding ones (f') on
the roller above the yard, and belts of chain transmit the rotation of the shaft,
the pulleys having spurs to take into the links, and thereby render the motion
certain. The shaft has also at its centre a similar pulley or chain wheel, on
which is an endless fall chain (9), extending down to near the deck, and
passing under a like spur chain wheel (h) on the shaft of a windlass affixed to
the deck, and which has a ratchet and pawl to secure it in any desired
position, as usual. The topsail-yard is of ordinary construction, except
that no provision is necessary for reef tackles. This sail requires no reef
points, buntlines, clewlines, brails, nor sheets, and the operation will be as
follows:-
When sail is to be reduced, it is accomplished by turning the windlass on
deck in the direction shown by the arrow, Fig. II., at the same time that the
topsail-yard is lowered to the distance required. The lower part of the sail
will thus be rolled upon the spar (c), being held tightly there by securing the
windlass, and as it is the widest part of the sail which has been so taken up
on the roller, the whole will lie smooth, and the remainder of the sail will be
tightly stretched. If it be desired to take in the sail entirely, the rolling is
continued, while the topsail-yard is still further lowered until it hangs just
behind the roller spar, for the rail bar on the topmast is brought down far
enough to admit of this. The rolling up of the sail may, perhaps, be more
smoothly accomplished if the cloths are put in parallel with the leach of the
sail, or otherwise diagonally, so that the doubled parts do not follow in the
same place on the roller spar.
The adaptation of this improvement in various ways to the other square
sails will be readily suggested to those familiar with nautical matters. For a
top-gallant sail it may be effected by placing both the shaft (e) and the roller
spar (c) above the topsail-yard, so that the "stay" which extends out from
the topmast will pass between those and the yard. The bearings (d) for both
will now be one piece above the yard, and the lower end of this bearing,
instead of being firmly affixed to the topsail-yard, will be affixed to the ordinary
"sheet" of the top-gallant sail, by which the bearing may be drawn down to
the yard. The topsail-yard may thus be lowered when necessary to reduce
the topsail away from the shaft and roller of the top-gallant sail, leaving those
in their place above the stay. For a "course or lower sail the roller spar
would necessarily be applied at the head of the sail, and this may be by putting
both the roller and its shaft in front of the yard.
ני
In a mast of ordinary construction, the rail bar (a') may be applied to the

page_text: JAMES EDWARD COLE. (L.S.)
Taken and declared at Her Britannick
Majesty's Consulate at New York,
this Twenty-eighth day of May, A. D.
1857.
Before me,
(L.S.)
JOSEPH FOWLER,
H. B. M. A Consul.