Im- PROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE MASTING OF SHIPS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Turnbull, of Port Glasgow, in the County of
Renfrew, North Britain, Master Mariner, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE MASTING OF SHIPS."
Sealed the 4th November 1864, and dated the 6th May 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Turnbull, at the
Office of the Commissioners' of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1864.
I, JAMES TURNBULL, of Port Glasgow, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Master Mariner, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE MASTING OF SHIPS" to be as
follows, that is to say:-
This Invention-relates to the masting of ships in a superior and simple
manner, so that all the parts of each complete mast may be in one line, and so!
that the upper parts may be sent up or lowered with ease and convenience;
such improved-masting being suitable for various kinds of ships, and in par-".
ticular for steam'ships on account of its offering a lessened resistance to the.
air.

page_text: In carrying out the Invention according to one modification the lower mast
is made of iron, the head of the mast being made open at the back, but with
the sides strengthened to compensate for such opening. The cap is elongated
a little horizontally, or it is made to swivel or turn upon a hinge to admit of
the top mast being sent up through it in a slanting direction from behind the
lower mast, when the foot of the top mast is raised level with the bottom of
the back opening it is turned inwards into the opening and is then dropped a
short distance so as to be held as in a socket just below the opening, a plate
being fitted inside the mast head for the top mast foot to rest on, whilst a fore-
and-aft projection on this plate entering a notch in the foot prevents the top
mast from turning. If the cap does not swivel or turn, but has an elongated
opening, a wooden chock is dropped into it after the mast is sent up to make
a tight and firm fit. The fittings on the mast head for receiving the top or
cross trees and the rigging may be variously arranged. It is preferred to fit
on a ring, formed with four sockets, to receive prongs formed on the top or
cross tree piece, such ring resting on lugs formed or fixed on the outside of
the mast. The top mast is by preference made of iron and with mast head
arrangements for receiving the top-gallant mast similar to those described for
receiving the top mast. Or the top mast or both top mast and lower. mast
may be of wood, an iron mast head being fitted on the wood mast, made shorter
than usual to receive it, and the arrangements of such mast head being the
same as for a mast entirely of iron.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Turnbull in the Great Seal Patent. Office on the 4th
November 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TURNBULL, of Port Glasgow, in the County of Renfrew, North Britain, Master
Mariner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the 27th year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Turnbull, Her special license that I, the said James Turnbull,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said

page_text: James Turnbull, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
tinie 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS RELATING TO THE MASTING OF SHIPS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Turnbull, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the hand and seal of
one of them, 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 James Turnbull, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement in
writing, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the letters
and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the masting of ships in a superior and simple.
manner so that all the parts of each complete mast may be in one line, and
so that the upper parts may be sent up or lowered with ease and convenience,
such improved masting being suitable for various kinds of ships, and in par-
ticular for steam ships, on account of its offering a lessened. resistance to
the air.
'
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended a Sheet of ex-
planatory Drawings to be herein after referred to, and representing modifica-
tions of my improved masting.
Figures 1 and 2 on the Sheet of Drawings are back and side eleva
tions showing a topmast with portions of the lower mast and top-gallant
mast.
In carrying out the Invention, according to one modification, as shown in
these Figures, the. lower mast 1 is made of iron, the head 2 of the mast.
being made open at the back, as also shown in the detached cross section
Figure 3, but with the sides strengthened by plates 3. Figure 4 represents
a form of cap 4, to be hinged at its forward part to the head 2 of the lower
mast, and Figure 5 represents another form of cap 5, which is made of-an
elongated shape to admit of the top mast 6 being sent up through it in a
slanting direction from behind the lower mast 1. Figure 6 is a plan or top

page_text: view of the lower mast head 2, and Figure 7 is a plan showing the top 7 in its
place. When in sending up the top mast 6 its foot is raised to a level with.
the bottom 8 of the back opening in the lower mast head 2, the foot.is.turned
inwards into the opening, and the topmast is then dropped a short distance so
as to be held in a socket just below. the opening, a plate being fitted inside
the mast head for the topmast foot to rest on, whilst a fore-and-aft projection
on this plate entering a notch in the foot prevents the topmast from turning.
If the cap 5 does not turn up or swivel, but has an elongated opening, a
wooden chock 9 is driven into it after the topmast is sent up to make a tight
and firm fit. The fittings on the masthead 2 for receiving the top 7 (or the
crosstrees in the case of the topmast head) may be variously arranged.. I
however prefer to fit on a ring 10, indicated by dotted lines in Figure 7, and
formed with four sockets to receive prongs formed or fixed on the under side of
the top 7 (or on the crosstree piece) such ring, 10 resting on a collar or on
lugs formed or fixed on the outside of the mast. When the topmast 6 is in
its place, the lower masthead 2 may be further strengthened by binding it near
its middle with a ring 11 applied in two halves, which are fixed together by
screw bolts, and this ring may also serve for the attachment of lift blocks or other
fittings. I prefer to make the topmast 6 of iron, as indicated in Figures 1
and 2, and with mast head arrangements for receiving the top-gallant
mast 12, similar to those herein-before described for receiving the topmast 6,
and indicated in the Figures by similar reference numerals distinguished by
accents. Or the topmast 6, or both topmast. 6 and lower mast 1, may be of
wood as shown in the side elevations, Figures 8 and 9, an iron masthead 13,
14, being in each case fitted on the wood mast, made shorter than usual to
receive it, and the arrangements of each such mast head being the same as for
a mast entirely of iron as herein-before described. In Figure 8, the top gal-
lant mast 12 is represented as in the position for raising or lowering it; whilst
in Figure 9 the topmast 6 is represented in that position, and in these
examples the caps 4, 4', are hinged to the tops of the mast heads 2, 21,
whilst in Figures 1 and 2, oval or elongated caps 5, rigidly fixed on the
mastheads are represented as the kind adopted in the example shown in those
Figures.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict
myself to the precise details herein described or delineated, but that what I
believe to be novel and original and claim as the Invention secured to me by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the disposing of ships'

page_text: masts in line by means of arrangements substantially such as are herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Turnbull have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
28, St. Enoch Square,
Glasgow.
JAMES TURNBULL. (L.S.)