IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REEFING SHIPS' SAILS."
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Colling, of Seaham, in the County of Durham,
Shipowner, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REEFING
SHIPS' SAILS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Colling at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
April 1862.
I, JOHN COLLING, of Seaham, in the County of Durham, Shipowner, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR REEFING SHIPS' SAILS," to be as follows:-
My improvements in apparatus for reefing ships' sails applies to all square
sails of ships, that is to say, sails that are distended and supported by yards;
below or in front of the yard I dispose a roller of nearly equal length
supported at each end by suitable bearings from the yard; on this roller the
sail is wound when being reefed, which I effect as follows:-On each end of
the roller I wind a chain, which chains pass over pullies or blocks on the ends
of the yard, and thence converge towards the mast to a point above the yard
and pass over blocks and thence down to the deck. In explaining the action
of reefing we may suppose these chains to be fixed at the point of convergence.
When the sail is fully spread it is of course unwound from the roller, the
chains at that time being wound on at the ends. If it is desired to reef the
sail it is simply necessary to ease and veer. away the halyards supporting the

page_text: yard, the effect of which throws part of the weight of the yard on the roller
chains, causing them to unwind and rotate the roller, and so roll up and reef
the sail. The roller chains can be allowed to wind a greater or lesser length
on the sail roller by setting up or veering away on their halyards, and so
enabling a greater or lesser extent of the sail to be reefed as may be required
for the greatest amount of reefing necessary. In order to support the sail
roller in the middle of its length I fix a sort of crutch piece to the yard
which encircles the roller and sail wound upon it with the exception of a split
or opening at which the sail enters and leaves. I furnish the inner surface
of this crutch piece with friction rollers to facilitate the turning of the roller
and sail thereon. It is large enough to permit free turning of the roller and
sail wound on it, but at same time prevents much sway of the roller even
when the sail is unwound, and supports the strain upon it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Colling in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th
October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
COLLING, of Seaham, in the County of Durham, Shipowner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Colling, Her special licence that I, the said John
Colling, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Colling, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 FOR REEFING SHIPS' SAILS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Colling, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Colling, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
My improvements in apparatus for reefing ships' sails applies to all
square sails that are distended by yards, and consists in so fitting and applying
the parts employed in the reefing that greater facilities will be afforded and
the action of the reefing tackle better insured than heretofore. In reefing sails
I employ a roller on which I wind the sail as hitherto, which roller I dispose
in front of the yard so that the full effect of the area between the yards may
be rendered available. I mount and support the roller by bearings from the
yard, two of such bearings carry the pivots on which the roller revolves while
others carry blocks or sheaves through which the reefing chains or ropes
are led on to the rollers, these reefing ropes or chains having the effect of
rotating the roller and also in assisting to hold the roller and yard in position
to slide freely up and down the mast while reefing or unreefing the sail by
reason of the conduct by and effect of their leading blocks and bearing
standards before mentioned. The further fittings and parts necessary to com-
plete the apparatus will be readily seen in the Drawing and understood by the

page_text: by which it is guided; they also support the roller at all times in proper
position in front of the yard. The chains i, i, are conducted to blocks 1, 1,
at the cap of the topmast or other suitable position, and thence descend to be
each worked separately from the deck, or the chains i, i, may be in one piece
and with a bight or double at m, in which a block trests, forming the upper
block of the halyards, by which the chains i, i, may be actuated or manœuvred
in reefing or unreefing the sail; this may be a single, double, or other
purchase according to the size of the sail operated on. It must be observed
that the ends of chains i, i, are fixed to the roller e, and that they wind on the
roller in the opposite direction to that in which the sail winds, consequently
when the sail is wound on the roller and so reefed the ropes are unwound
therefrom, and conversely when the sail is unreefed and spread out or further
extended the chains or ropes i, i, are wound on the roller. The yard h is
supported in the middle by chain p, which is adjusted and fixed at a point q,
in position such that together with the support that it receives from the
chains i, i, and bearing standards k, k, consequent on the operation of the
roller e, it will slide freely up and down the mast a, or parts by which it is
guided when actuated by chain p, and so ensure the efficient working of the
apparatus. The chain p passes over a pulleys in the mast a, and may be
led to and connected with the winch, capstan, or any suitable purchase for
heaving up or lowering the yard h. In furling sails it is simply necessary to
veer away the chain p, and at same time haul or bouse on chains i, i, by
heaving on their halyards which takes up any slack of the sail, the sail being
rolled up by the holding and taughtening of chains i, i, which, when the yard h
is lowered are unrolled from the roller e, and therefore the sail is wound up
thereon and reefed or reduced in area as desired. In making more sail or
unreefing, the opposite action is resorted to; the chain p is hove on and the
yard hoisted; at same time the halyards are eased to liberate the slack of the
chains i, i, which was before taken in, and so prevent too great strain on the
sail and permit the free working of the apparatus. R is what I term a crutch
piece (see separate view, Fig. 4, fixed to the yard h, to afford support to the
roller e in the middle of its length or in other suitable position (one or more
may be used). It is furnished with friction rollers r, r, to prevent chafing of
the sail with which the roller is wound up in the interior thereof. The space.
or gap in the crutch R, at which the sail emerges, is sufficient to allow its free
working, at same time the crutch encircles the roller and sail sufficiently to
afford by the contact of the friction rollers ", r, the support necessary.
Instead of the crutch form represented being adopted suitable supports to
carry two or more friction rollers will give the support desired. Fig. 5 is an

page_text: enlarged front view of the bearing standards as applied to yard 6, and roller e;
and Fig. 6 an end view of the same. In order to furl the sail entirely it is
simply necessary to release the sheets y, (the ropes holding the clews) and then
heave away upon the halyards and chains i, i, and at same time veer away
chain p until the sail is entirely wound up.
Although I have described the action of the apparatus with reference to
the topsail only, I apply it, and it will be readily understood that it is equally
applicable to all square sails.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that I do not claim
the exclusive right to reefing sails by winding them on rollers, as such has
been before practised by the winding and unwinding of chains or ropes on and
from such rollers, but what I claim as my Invention and desire to secure by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the winding and unwinding
of chains or ropes on rollers by means of the combination of parts herein-before
described and represented in the Drawings annexed, applied for the purposes
of reefing and unreefing ships' sails as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Colling, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
WILLIAM CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
JOHN COLLING. (L.S.)