IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- PACTURE OF SAILS FOR YACHTS AND OTHER VESSELS."
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel George Hewitt, of West Cowes, in the Isle
of Wight, Sailmaker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
PACTURE OF SAILS FOR YACHTS AND OTHER VESSELS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel George Hewitt
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 20th June 1864.
I, SAMUEL GEORGE HEWITT, of West Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, Sail-
maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SAILS FOR YACHTS AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention has for its object the making of sails which are capable of
setting more flatly and are less liable to stretch and get out of shape than
those made in the ordinary manner. For this purpose, instead of cutting
the canvas in the ordinary manner, thereby involving the necessity of making
a number of short cross-cut strips termed "mast cloths," under my Invention
the canvas is cut into strips or "cloths," each of which is of a length equal
to the whole depth of the sail, and has its upper end fastened to the gaff or
yard, and these strips or "cloths" are tapered in form so as to suit the gradual

page_text: diminution in the width of the sail from the bottom to the top. By cutting
the canvas into strips of this form the ordinary tendency to stretch, owing to
the usual cross cutting of the canvas, is diminished.
It is preferred to use canvas manufactured of greater width than usual, or
otherwise adapted to prevent waste in cutting into strips or "cloths" of the
form above referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel George Hewitt in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
GEORGE HEWITT, of West Cowes, in the Isle of Wight, Sailmaker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Samuel George Hewitt, Her special license that I, the said
Samuel George Hewitt, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Samuel George Hewitt, 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 MANUFACTURE OF SAILS FOR YACHTS AND
OTHER VESSELS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Samuel
George Hewitt, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel George Hewitt, 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, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-

page_text: My Invention of "Improvements in the Manufacture of Sails for Yachts
and other Vessels" has for its object the making of sails which are capable of
being set more flatly and are less liable to stretch and get out of shape than
those made in the ordinary manner. For this purpose, instead of cutting the
canvas in the ordinary manner, thereby involving the necessity of making a
number of short cross-cut strips termed "mast cloths," under my Invention the
canvas is cut into strips or "cloths," each of which is of a length equal to the
whole depth of the sail, and has its upper end fastened to the gaff or yard, and
these strips or "cloths" are tapered in form so as to suit the gradual diminution
in the width of the sail from the bottom to the top. By cutting the canvas
into strips of this form, the ordinary tendency to stretch, owing to the usual
cross cutting of the canvas, is diminished. It is preferred to use canvas
manufactured of greater width than usual, or otherwise adapted to prevent
waste in cutting into strips or "cloths" of the form above referred to.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will describe more
particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by reference to the
accompanying Drawings, in which are represented both the ordinary mode of
making the sail and the improved mode.
Fig. 1 represents the old mode of manufacturing the sail. A, A, are a
series of strips of canvas with parallel sides or edges and of varying lengths;
those fixed to the mast B and termed "mast cloths" being shorter than the
others, and diminishing in length as they approach the lower part of the mast,
thus forming a number of cross cuttings or gores.
Figs. 2 and 3 represent a sail manufactured according to the improved
mode of cutting the canvas, Fig. 2 shewing the sail laced to the boom, and
Fig. 3 shewing it confined only at its two ends. In these two Figures it will
be seen that the several strips of canvas A, A, are each of the whole depth of
the sail, and are tapered in form so as to suit the gradual diminution in the
width of the sail from the bottom to the top, or, as it is usually termed, from
the foot to the head; also, that each strip is fastened at its upper end to the
gaff or yard C. It will be further seen that the necessity of making a
number of short goring or cross-cut cloths fixed to the mast, as in Fig. 1, will
thus be obviated. Also by manufacturing sails from canvas cut in this
manner, a flat sail can be obtained without lacing to the boom (which, under
some circumstances, is a disadvantage); but my Invention may be used with
either mode of fastening the bottom of the sail, as shewn by Figs. 2 and 3.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I hereby declare that what I claim as of

page_text: my Invention is, the manufacture of sails composed of strips of canvas tapered
in form so as to suit the gradual diminution in the width of the sail from the
foot to the head for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel George Hewitt, have hercunto
set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
ALFRED HEWITT,
Grocer,
West Cowes.
SAMUEL GEORGE HEWITT. (L.S.)