AN IMPROVEMENT APPLICABLE TO THE REEFING THE REEFING, FURLING, AND. UNFURLING OF SAILS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughts-
man, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVEMENT APPLICABLE TO THE REEFING,
Sealed the 19th December 1856, and dated the 21st October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1856.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby declaro
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT APPLICABLE TO THE
REEFING, FURLING, AND. UNFURLING OF SAILS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the reefing, furling, and unfurling of sails upon an
extra yard by means of raising and lowering the upper" yard. The difficulties
arising from going up on the topsail yard to reef and furl the sails are thus
avoided. This improvement is effected by providing an adjustable folding yard,
formed of two rods or bars sufficiently long to span the sail, and fitting at its
ends into spools carried by bearing plates; these bearing plates are suspended
from ropes, which pass up to the top yard, thence over pullies in the trestle-

page_text: tree, and down to the deck. A rope is coiled around each spool at the opposite
ends of the folding or reefing yard in the same direction, for the purpose of
revolving the reefing yard and rolling up the topsail which passes between the
bars of this double yard. These ropes are attached to the spools, and coiled
around them a sufficient number of times to insure the requisite number of
revolutions of the reefing yard; they then pass upward and through the topsail
yard, at or near the ends, and from thence they pass through a moveable
pulley and down to the topsail yard, to which they are made fast. This move-
able pulley is supported by a rope, which passes to a pulley in the trestletrec,
and from thence to the deck. The halyards are applied in the usual manner,
being connected and passing through the topmast, and thence to the deck.
On lowering the topsail yard and sail, a tension and drawing is produced upon
the reefing lines, whereby the spools and folding yard are revolved. Thus, as
much of the sail is wound up in two directions as may be required for reefing,
or the sail may in this manner be completely furled. Half the number of
revolutions of the reefing yard required to furl or reef a sail where one yard
only is used at the top end of the sail will suffice when the sail is thus arranged
and operated. If the slackening of the halyards is not sufficient to allow the
topsail yard and the sail to descend, it can be accomplished by applying power
to the down haul line.. When the whole sail is required to be furled, it can
be performed by liberating the sail at the lower corners and by pulling on
the rope which carries the moveable pulley.
SPECIFICATION, in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special license that I, the
.said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or

page_text: such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, admini-
strators, 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT APPLICABLE TO THE REEPING, FURLING,
AND UNFURLING OF SAILS," being a communication from abroad, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent,
relates to the reefing, furling, and unfurling of sails upon an extra yard by
means of raising and lowering the upper yard, the object being to avoid the
necessity for going up to the topsail yard for the purpose of reefing and furling
the sails. The extra yard is placed about midway between the upper and
lower yards, and it is composed of two pieces or sections, so arranged that the
sail may pass between them. Connected with the double yard are certain
devices, herein-after described, which so operate that the sail is reefed and
furled in two directions from the middle.
In the accompanying Drawing. Fig. 1 represents the sail, together with a
portion of the topmast and upper and lower yards, with the reefing yards
spanning the sail about midway between the two yards. Fig. 2 represents the
opposite side of the sail, giving also a general' view of the topmast trestletree,
topsail yard, lower yard, the extra or reefing yard, with as much of the lower
mast and ropes as is necessary to show the operation of reefing and furling.
Fig. 3 is a view of the reefing yard detached, showing the bands and pullies at
each end, and the rope by which it is operated..
The Invention may be applied to sails of the usual form and construction.
The extra or reefing yard, shewn at A, A, is constructed and arranged as
follows:-Two rods or bars B, B, sufficiently long to span the sail are passed

page_text: one on each side of the sail, and the opposite ends of these rods are inserted
into spools C, C. These spools are supported plates D, D, each of which
is formed of two right angles, the horizontal portion supporting the two
upright parts, which receive and hold the ends of the spool into which the
rods B, B, are inserted, the inner upright being of sufficient length to receive
the rope by which it is supported, as herein-after described. A rope E is
coiled around each spool at the opposite ends of the reefing yard A in the
same direction for the purpose of rotating the yard, as herein after described;
the ends of which are supported by the plates D, D. F, F, is the topsail;
which passes between the two sections of this double yard; G, G, are ropes
affixed to the plates Dat.G, G. These ropes extend from the two plates
to the lower yard. H, through which they pass at or near its ends, and froni
thence following the under side of the yard to or near the middle, at which
place they pass through pulleys I, I; and lead thence towards the deck of the
vessel. To the end of these ropes is attached a weight K, or its equivalent,
for the purpose of keeping the ropes taut. The lines or ropes E, E; start
from the spools C, C, to which they are attached, and around which they are
coiled a sufficient number of times to insure the requisite number of revolu
tions of the double reefing yard. The ropes then pass upward, and through
the topsail yard at or near the ends, and thence they pass through moveable
pulleys. M, and down to the topsail yard, where they are attached. or made
fast to the staple N. Attached to the upper end of the inner angle of the
plates D, D, are the ropes O, O. These ropes ipass upward to and through
the topsail yard; and thence to the revolving pulleys Q, Q, 'in the trestletree S,
whence they lead downwards to the deck. "The pulleys M are supported by
arrope. R, which passes to a pulley in the front or other convenient part of
the trestletree S, and thence passes to the deck. The halyards are applied
in the usual manner, being connected at N, and passing through the top-
mast U; and thence to the deck. The rope V is attached to the yard at or
near the centre, or in the most desirable part thereof, and leads thence to the
deck. On lowering the topsail yard and sail F a tension and drawing is
produced upon the reefing lines E, E; (operating through the pullies M);
which tension causes the spools C and the reefing yard A to revolve, and thus
as much of the sail is wound up in two directions as may be required for
reefing, or the sail may in this manner be completely furled.
It will be understood that one half the number of revolutions of the reefing
yard required to furl or reef a sail where one yard only is used at the top end
of the sail will suffice when the sail is thus arranged and operated.
:

page_text: If the slackening of the halyards is not sufficient to allow the topsail yard a
and the sail to descend, it can be accomplished by applying power to the
down-haul line V. When the whole sail is required to be furled after the
topsail yard is on the cap W, it can be performed by liberating the sail at
the points Y, Y, and by pulling on the rope R, which causes the drawing
on the ropes E, E, which ropes act as aforesaid on the spools C, C, of the
reefing yard, and cause it to revolve, and thereby reef and furl the sail. By
pulling upon the ropes O, O, the yard A is caused to ascend under the topsail
yard A', and the ropes G, G, which are attached to the plates D, D, must
necessarily follow, a sufficient amount of these ropes being supplied for that
purpose.
:
The weight K attached to the ropes G is applied during the operation of
reefing for the purpose of keeping the plates D, D, in their proper positions.
The ordinary manner of reefing and furling sails causes much loss of time and
labor, and frequently occasions loss of life. Vessels are also sometimes lost
by the delay occasioned in reefing and furling sails by the ordinary method
when overtaken by a sudden gale. It is also dangerous and difficult to reef
or furl the sails by the ordinary means when they are frozen. These evils
and difficulties may, however, be obviated by the application of the present
Invention, which is distinguished from all others, having the like object in
view. First, in affording greater support to the sail F, by its being secured to
the topsail yard arms in the ordinary manner, and also to the lower yard,
which is not the case with the single extra yard suspended from the upper
yard, and being attached only at the extreme ends, which leaves the central
portion of the yard and sail not well supported. Second, the improvement may
be applied to any vessel rigged in the ordinary manner without disconnecting
the sail from the upper and lower yards; this gives an increased amount of
strength to the sail at all times, and which is much needed in high wind, and
in a light wind it is important that the whole space between the upper aud
lower yards should be filled with sail, which is not the case with the extra
suspended yard, as there must be more or less open space between the extra
yard and the topsail yard. Another advantage pertaining to this Invention is
that it does not interfere with the bracing of the yards by coming in contact
with the stays when sailing on the wind.
Having now explained the nature of the Invention of "An Improvement
applicable to the Reefing, Furling, and Unfurling of Sails," as communicated
to me by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim the use of the extra yard placed

page_text: about midway between the upper and lower yards, and operated in the manner
and for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-first day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,.
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.).