IMPROVEMENTS IN THE RIGGING OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Elijah James Crocker, of Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Ship Chandler, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
RIGGING OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS."-A communication.
Sealed the 22nd December 1857, and dated the 25th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Elijah James Crocker.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th June 1857.
I, ELIJAH JAMES CROCKER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Ship
Chandler, do bereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE RIGGING OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS," to be as follows:-
This Invention is applicable more particularly to the reefing of top sails,
and in that capacity lessens labour, and facilitates reefing in heavy weather;
it also dispenses with double topsail yards, and consequently complication of
gear and extra weight aloft. That feature or principle of this Invention which
distinguishes it from other kinds of topsail reefing apparatus, consists in so
connecting the reef tackles to the topsail yard, after leading such tackles from
the reef band up to and through blocks placed at or just below the crosstrees,
as to secure the topsail yard when lowered down to the reef band, to support
through the reef tackles all that part of the topsail which is below the reef
band. With this Invention I reef at the head or upper part of the sail, and

page_text: I do not suspend the sail by reef band suspension lines carried down to or
near to the deck, and there belayed or made fast, in which case the topsail yard
in no respect operates to lift the sail; but I connect or fasten the ends of the
reef tackles to the middle of the yard when the sail is reefed, and after such
tackles have been led upward through and downward from the blocks at the
crosstrees. To the reef band of the sail reef tackles are fastened at proper
distances apart, and are respectively led upward through blocks attached to
the topsail yard; from thence the reef tackles are extended upward, and
through blocks suspended to the crosstrees, or to that part of the topmast
just below them, from thence each reef tackle is led down toward and fastened
to an eye arranged on the middle of the topsail yard; to this eye is also
attached the halyard, which extends upwards and through a sheave hole in the
upper part of the topmast, and thence descends to the deck in the usual way.
The process of reefing the sail is effected by lowering the topsail yard down to
or near to the reef band, all that part of sail which is below the reef band being
supported by the weight of the yard acting through the reef tackles as they
hang from the blocks at the crosstrees. The topsail yard may be further
supported by running ropes from the topmast down to the yard. In order to
unreef the sail, the halyard is to be drawn down so as to raise the topsail
yard to its highest position, thus it will be seen, that the whole matter of
reefing and unreefing may be effected by simply lowering or raising the topsail
yard, as occasion may require.
I do not claim as my Invention the carrying of reef tackles from the reef
band upward through blocks placed at or under the crosstrees, and from
them down to the deck, whereby all that part of the sail which is below the
reef band is suspended or drawn tightly up, while the yard is being lowered
down to or towards the reef band; but what I do claim as my Invention is,
so connecting the reef tackles of the reef band with the yard, that the weight
of the yard when it is lowered down acting through the reef tackles shall draw
and hold the sail up to the yard or reefed, each reef tackle being fastened to one
end of the sail or the reef band, and its other end to the yard, after passing
through and down from leading blocks arranged at or near the crosstrees.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed'
by the said Elijah James Crocker in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELIJAH
JAMES CROCKER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Ship Chandler,
send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Elijah James Crocker, Her special licence that I, the said Elijah James
Crocker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as Ì,
the said Elijah James Crocker, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE RIGGING OF SHIPS AND OTHER VESSELS," being a com-
munication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Elijah James Crocker, 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 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 Elijah James Crocker, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention, as communicated to me from abroad,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement (that is to say) :-
This Invention consists in an arrangement of reefing gear more particularly
applicable to the reefing or furling of ships' and other vessels' top sails; by..
this arrangement, double topsail yards are dispensed with, and consequently
complication of gear and extra weight aloft; reefing in heavy weather is
facilitated, labour lessened, and by most of the work being done from the.
deck of the vessel, the seamen are not exposed to the fury of the elements,
nor are they in danger of being tossed into the sea from the yards.
The feature or principle which distinguishes it from other kinds of reefing.
apparatus, consists in so connecting the reef tackles to the topsail yard, after
leading such tackles from the reef band up and through blocks placed at or

page_text: just below the crosstrees, as to cause the topsail yard when lowered down to
the reef band, to support, through the reef tackles; all that part of the top-
sail which is below the reef band.
These improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, in which the same letters of reference represent
the same parts in the different Figures.
Fig. 1 is a front view, shewing the sail hälf reefed; Fig. 2 is a rear or aft
view, shewing the sail raised to its greatest altitude. a represents the lower
mast; b, the top mast; c, the lower yard; d, the topsail yard; e, the top-
mast crosstrees; f, the sail; and g, the reef band of the sail; to this reef
band the reef tackles are fastened, at proper distances apart, and are
respectively led upward through the sheaves, blocks, or their equivalents i,
fastened or attached to the front side of the topsail yard, and are thence
extended upward and through the blocks j, suspended to or near to the cross-
trees, and then led down to the eye k, fastened to the back of the topsail
yard, thence to the deck by a halyard, if required. The halyard i is also
fastened to the eye after having been carried through a sheave hole in the
topmast in the ordinary way; m shews lines or ropes fastened or sewed on
the lower part of the sail to strengthen it; n, n, ropes to aid in supporting the
topsail yard; when the sail is reefed, they extend from the topmast bead to
the yard arm. In order to close reef the sail, by slackening the halyard l; I
lower the topsail yard, then by allowing it to go down to or near to the reef
band, all that part of sail which is below the reef band being supported by
the weight of the yard, operating through the reef tackles as they hang from
the blocks at the crosstrees, will be kept tight; the whole process is thus
accomplished simply, and will have the appearance as shewn in Fig. 1.
Again, in order to unreef the sail, by pulling the halyard, so as to raise the
yard to its highest position, the sail is set and kept tight at the sides by the
outside reef pendants or tackles, as shewn in Fig. 2. The advantages of this
mole, amongst others, are, that by simply lowering and raising the topsail
yard, the whole matter of close reefing and unreefing will be accomplished.
Having thus fully described the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be perfornied, as communicated to me from
abroad, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to
the exact details herein set forth; as such may be varied or modified without
departing from the principle thereof; but I claim, the connecting the reef
tackles ar pendants of the reef band with the yard, that the weight of the yard
when it is lowered down, acting through the reef tackles, shall draw and hold
the sail up to the yard, or reef it as specified; each reef tackle being fastened

page_text: at one end to the sail or reef band, and the other to the yard, after passing
through and down from a leading block arranged at or near to the crosstrees,
as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Elijah James Crocker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
ELIJAH JAMES CROCKER. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Elijah James Crocker, in the
presence of
GEORGE SMITH, Patent Agent,
Liverpool.