IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REEFING AND FURLING SHIPS' SQUARE SAILS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Duke, of Liverpool, in the County of Lan-
caster, Blacksmith, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR REEFING AND FURLING SHIPS' SQUARE SAILS."
Sealed the 7th January 1868, and dated the 13th July 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Duke at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th July
1867.
I, HENRY DOKE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Blacksmith,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REEFING AND FURLING SHIPS" SQUARE SAILS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to various improved arrangements and combinations
of parts for facilitating the performance of the operations of reefing and
furling ships' square sails from the deck when such sails are connected or
attached to long rollers, fitted within or on the yards, and the said rollers are
so connected that they can be made to rotate and wind on or off or furl or
unfurl the sail whenever required, and consists,-

page_text: First, in means for supporting the yards and giving motion to the sail
rollers. For each yard halyards are led from the deck and connected to the
tie in any convenient manner. The tie passes around a wheel carried on the
yard; on the spindle of the said wheel there are two other wheels on which
two endless chains work; these chains are led outwards over sheaves to the
yard arms, and pass around wheels on the ends of the sail rollers. When the
yard is raised or lowered the tie wheels gives motion to the chain wheels,
the endless chains, the roller wheels, and the sail roller, the motion of which
latter winds off or unfurls the sail during the raising of the yard, and winds on
or furls it during the lowering of the yard.
Second, in another arrangement for supporting the yard and giving motion
to its sail roller. Instead of employing two chain wheels and two endless
chains I employ only one chain wheel (or the tie wheel may have double
grooves or spaces thereon) and one chain. Two guiding antifriction sheaves
or pullies fitted with regulating or tightening screens to cause the chain to
bite are provided. The other parts are the same as in the above first
arrangement.
Third, in another arrangement for supporting the yard and giving motion
to the roller. Here the yard is supported as in the first modification, one
chain wheel is used and two chains are led therefrom to parbuckles on the
ends of the sail roller.. When the sail is set the chains are wound on the
parbuckles, but on lowering the yard the chain wheel winds them on to itself,
and so revolves the roller, and reefs or furl the sail.
Fourth, according to this arrangement, which is for the same purpose as the
three already mentioned, the above-described halyards, tie and tie wheels are
used, but instead of employing chain wheels and chains I give motion to a
line of jointed shafting which passes through or is driven by or from the tie
wheel and is supported in pedestals on the yard. The outer or yard arm ends
of the said shafting are fitted with cranks or excentrics, and coupled to the
sail roller by connecting rods, or otherwise, so that the rotation of the jointed
line of shafting will be communicated to the sail roller.
Fifth, in making sail rollers working in the position above mentioned in
'two, three, or more lengths of wood, rectangular in transverse section; these
pieces make circular at their ends, and then connect two together firmly
into and by a tube or collar, which tubè or collar serves for a surface whereon
the nests of rollers within the yard bear, so as to force the sail to be wound on
evenly.
And, sixth, in fixing springs or springs and levers at the back of or on the

page_text: nests of rollers so as to cause them to act with nearly uniform pressure on.
the sail when more or less of it is wound on its roller.
I would here remark that by "wheel" I mean all chain, rope, and band
wheels and pullies whereon chains, ropes, and bands can be worked without,
danger of slipping off; and by "chain" I include ropes, bands, and other;
flexible agents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Duke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
January 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
DUKE, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Blacksmith, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,,
the said Henry Duke, Her special license, that I, the said Henry Duke, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Duke, 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 APPARATUS POR
REEFING AND FURLING SHIPS' SQUARE SAILS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Henry Duke, ny executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 caleudar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Duke, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the figures and letters thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to various improved arrangements and combinations.

page_text: of parts for facilitating the performance of the operations of reefing and
furling ships' square sails from the deck when such sails are connected or
attached to long rollers fitted within or on the yards, and the said rollers are
so connected that they can be made to rotate and wind on or off or furl or
unfurl the sail whenever required, and consists,-
First, in means for supporting the yards and giving motion to the sail rollers.
For each yard halyards are led from the deck and connected to the tie in
any convenient manner; the tie passes around a wheel carried on the yard;
on the spindle of the said wheel there are two other wheels, on which two
endless chains work; these chains are led outwards over sheaves to the yard
arms and pass around wheels on the ends of the sail rollers. When the yard
is raised or lowered the tie wheel gives motion to the chain wheels, the endless
chains, the roller wheels, and the sail roller, the motion of which latter winds
off or unfurls the sail during the raising of the yard and winds on or furls it
during the lowering of the yard.
Second, in another arrangement for supporting the yard and giving motion
to its sail roller. Instead of employing two chain wheels and two endless
chains I employ only one chain wheel (or the tie wheel may have double
grooves or spaces thereon) and one chain. Two guiding antifriction sheaves
or pullies fitted with regulating or tightening screws to cause the chain to
bite are provided. The other parts are the same as in the above first
arrangement.
Third, in another arrangement for supporting the yard and giving motion
to its roller. Here the yard is supported as in the first modification. One
chain wheel is used, and two chains are led therefrom to parbuckles on the
ends of the sail roller. When the sail is set the chains are wound on the par-
buckles, but on lowering the yard the chain wheel winds them on to itself, and
so revolves the roller and reefs or furls the sail.
Fourth, according to this arrangement, which is for the same purpose as
the three aleady mentioned, the above-described halyards, tie, and tie wheel
are used; but instead of employing chain wheels and chains I give motion to
a line of jointed shafting which passes through or is driven by or from the tie
wheel, and is supported in pedestals on the yard; the outer or yard arm ends
of the said shafting are fitted with cranks or excentrics and coupled to the sail
roller by connecting rods or otherwise, so that the rotation of the jointed line
of shafting will be communicated to the sail roller.
Fifth, in making sail rollers working in the position above mentioned in
two, three, or more lengths of wood, rectangular in transverse section; these

page_text: pieces I make circular at their ends, and then connect two together firmly
into and by a tube or collar, which tube or collar serves for a surface
whereon the nests of rollers within the yard bear so as to force the sail to be.
wound on evenly.
And, sixth, in fixing springs or springs and levers at the back of or on the
nests of rollers, so as to cause them to act with nearly uniform pressure on
the sail when more or less of it is wound on its roller.
I would here remark that by "wheel" I mean all chain, rope, and band
wheels and pullies, whereon chains, ropes, and bands can be worked without
danger of slipping off; and by "chain" I include ropes, bands, and other
flexible agents.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view of the arrangement and
combination of parts which constitute the first part of my Invention.
a denotes the yard with longitudinal slot 6 therein; c, the sail; d, the tie;
this passes around the wheel e secured on the shaft f carried by the support g.
On the upper ends of 9 there are small guiding sheaves h which prevent the
tie d from slipping over the wheel e. i andare two endless chains; these
are passed respectively over the wheels j, j³, over the sheaves k, k², in the yard
arm, and over the wheels 1, 1, secured on the ends of the sail roller. The
motion given by d to e and f causes ; and j¹ to rotate, the chains and to
move, and and to rotate and reef or furl the sail c. m, m³, are brackets
carrying tightening or regulating screws n, n', and antifriction sheaves o, o³,
the use thereof being to keep the chains j. 7, "taut" and allow free
working.
The second part of my said Invention is illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4, which
are views respectively in front elevation and plan. p is the hollow yard;
9, the tie passing over the wheel carried by the bracket t; u, guiding
sheaves; v, an endless chain passing over the wheel w, and led outwards to.
the yard arm over sheaves x and wheels y; z, are tightening or regulating
screws and antifriction sheaves or pullies.
The third part of my said Invention is illustrated by Fig. 5 a side elevation,
and Figure 6 a plan view. a³ is the yard; 63, the tie; c³, the tie wheel;
d, guiding sheaves; e, a chain passed over the wheels f³, and led outwards
to the yard arms over the sheaves g² and secured to the parbuckles h³ fastened
on the sail roller. Tightening or regulating screws could be used in this
arrangement, but in ordinary cases they will not be required, the hoisting or

page_text: lowering of the yard and the motion of the wheels f* consequent thereupon
being sufficient to wind the sail on to or off from the roller, and thereby reef
or furl it.
The fourth part of my Invention is illustrated by Fig. 7 a front elevation.
is the yard;, the tie; k, the tie wheel; &, guiding sheave; m³ is a line
of jointed shafting on which the tie wheel is keyed or fastened; n² are
cranks secured on the ends of m² and coupled by connecting rods of to other
cranks secured on the ends of the sail roller. A convenient mode of connecting
the lengths of m² and providing joints to allow for the "spring" of the yard
is shewn in longitudinal section by Fig. 8. p² is a tapering socket on the end
of one length, and q² the straight end of the other length; is a pin which
passes through p² and q³, a countersunk or bell-mouth opening at both sides
being formed in the latter to allow it, that is the pin ³, to move. Excentrics
could be used in place of the cranks; so also could parbuckles and pieces of
twisted chain, that is to say, there would be a parbuckle on each end of m²,
and corresponding parbuckles on the ends of the sail roller, a piece of chain
being connected to and between each pair of parbuckles so that on lowering
the yard the said chains would be wound on to the parbuckles on the shafting
m² from the parbuckles on the sail roller, and on hoisting the yard the contrary
would take place. In this arrangement I would have it understood that two
ties could be used the one to support the yard and the other to give motion to
the shafting.
The fifth part of my Invention is illustrated by the longitudinal section
marked Fig. 9. 2 are rectangular lengths of wood; three are shewn t², metal
couplers or thimbles made circular for the greater part of their length; n²,
dowels connecting and strengthening s; v, are sockets with studs on which
the required chain wheels, cranks, excentrics, or parbuckles are secured. These
sail rollers are alike suitable for placing within hollow yards, such as are shewn
on the Drawings, and for placing outside on the said yards as herein-before is
mentioned.
The sixth part of my Invention is illustrated by the transverse section
marked Fig. 10. a' is the yard; 6, the sail roller; c, the so-called nest of
rollers. These rollers are supported on studs or shafts carried in angle irons
or other bearings placed within or carried on the yard; the upper rollers are
carried or borne in stationary bearings, but the lower ones are carried by the
moveable piece d' which rests on the helical or other spring placed within
the thrust box f* attached to the yard.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and particularized the

page_text: same by the most convenient details under each head or part, I would have it
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the precise forms and exact
placing of parts herein described and shewn on the Drawings as many modifica-
tions can be made without departing from the features which distinguish my said
improvements. I would also here point out for the benefit of whom it may
concern, that substantially the same arrangements and combinations of parts
can be used for reefing and furling ships' awnings and canopies for omnibuses
and other vehicles; what I claim is, reefing and furling ships' square sails by
the various improved arrangements and combinations of parts herein described
and shewn on the Drawings for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Duke, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
In the presence of
JOHN T. KING,
Patent Agent,
Liverpool.
HENRY DUKE. (L.S.)