Year: 1886

page_text: I ANDERS FREDERIK WINDEL of Odense, Denmark, Tobacco Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment :-
The apparatus to be described is intended to hold sheets of sails in a feathering or
elastic manner, so that the sheets may yield to wind gusts and so that the sheet or
sheets shall be cast loose of themselves when the force of a gust of wind goes beyond a
certain maximum, which within certain limits can be regulated at will. The wear and
tear of ropes, sails and other parts will thus be greatly diminished while all danger of
capsizing, too much heel and breaking of ropes, sails and other standing gear are
prevented.
On the accompanying drawing I have shown a sheet holder constructed according
to my invention, Figure 1 being a front view, and Figure 2 a side view in section on
line A. B. Figure 1.
The sheet or sheets are held by a rope or chain a the end of which is hooked on to a
hook b fixed on the circumference of a fusee spring box fat the end of a circular spring d
which is cut open and is of the same kind as those feathering springs which are used
as packing for steam pistons; this spring d is placed around the fusee box fand is kept
from turning by bolts and eyes to be presently described and which also serve as a lock.
The hook is in one with or fixed on a slightly pear-shaped block over the sides of
which the ends of the spring d catch slightly, so that a certain force is required to tear
the block out from between the spring ends. If this force is to be greatly augmented
or the hook band block & be all but prevented from being torn away from between the
spring ends the spring d may on the underside be provided with eyes i which rest in
recesses in the rim of fusee box and which are fixed in place by bolts passed through
one side flange of the fusee box through the eye and screwed into the other side flange.
These eyes are fixed to underside of spring d more or less distant from the open or cut
ends of same. Or if the spring is thick enough I may form holes right through the
thickness of it. The fusee box itself with nave bosses can turn on a spindle which
is so fixed in the standards & that it can be lifted out of the standards but not turn
therein. The fusee spring or springs are at one end fixed to the spindle the centre

page_text: part of which for this purpose may be polygonal, and at the other end fixed to the
cylindrical inside of the fusee box. In order to apply and inspect the spring or springs
in the fusee box one end wall of same is fastened by means of screws passing into eyes
on the inner cylindrical wall of the fusee box, so that the end wall can be detached
from the fusee box when this latter first with its spindle has been lifted out of the
standards k, the cotter pin having been first removed. This object may however
obviously be attained in other ways. For putting the springs in tension I use a kind
of key which is shown at Figure 2 in conjunction with the pawl m that by the hand or
the foot is kept in gear with a pawl rim p on one of the end walls of the fusee box. The
key consists of the hand spike or lever 7 terminating in a hook which passes round
the nave and is pressed against it when in use. On this hand-spike q there is a pawls
which by means of the spring is kept in gear with the aforesaid pawl rim
P so that
the operator when the key is pressed as with a hand-spike can force the fusee box round
its spindle until the springs in it have been wound up sufficiently, the fusee box being
kept from running back by the pawls m while the pawls is moved. The hand-spike y
may be made fork-shaped so as to catch with a hook on each of the two naves r.
To use the apparatus the spring or springs in the fusee box are first wound up
sufficiently for the normal wind pressure on the sail or sails. Thereupon the chain or
rope a fixed to the sheet is according to circumstances wound 1, 2 or more times round
the fusee box, and its end hooked into the hook b. The length of the chain a must of
course be made to suit. As soon
as the wind pressure exceeds the normal or
corresponding length of the chain or rope a will be automatically hauled off from
the fusee box. If the wind pressure should become so great as to cause danger of
capsizing or tearing of sails or ropes and other standing gear the whole chain or rope a
will be unwound and next the hook with its block will be pulled out, so that the
sheet can be cast loose. The block c may be inserted again between the spring ends by
pushing in sideways between them through a corresponding slot in the end walls of
the fusee box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is.
1. A sail sheet holder consisting of a fusec spring box f, the springs i of which are
given a certain tension whereupon the end of a chain or rope a attached to the sheet or
sheets is hooked into a hook bon the fusee box, the chain or ropo having first been passed
one or more times round the fusee box, substantially as described.
2. The winding up gear for the within described sail sheet holder consisting of the
pawl rimp on one end wall of the fusee box and the pawls m which by hand or foot
are kept in gear with the said pawl rim, and the handspike or lever which has one
or two hooks for passing round the fusee box nave and is provided with pawl s which
by a spring is kept in gear with the pawl rimp when the handspike is worked substan-
tially as described.
3. The moans for holding the hook and pear-shaped block the thicker part
of which is inserted between the ends of an annular cut spring d the tension of
which can be adjusted through means for varying the feathering part of the spring such
as the eyes with fixing bolts therefor, substantially as described.
ANDERS FREDERIK WINDEL.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.