AN IMPROVED TOGGLE, LATCHET, OR FASTENER FOR BENDING SHIPS' SAILS TO THEIR YARDS OR STAYS, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FASTENING TARPAULINS, TENTS, AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Olver, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TOGGLE, LATCHET, OR FASTENER
FOR BENDING SHIPS' SAILS TO THEIR YARDS OR STAYS, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR
FASTENING TARPAULINS, TENTS, AND FOR VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES.”
Sealed the 24th November 1876, and dated the 14th June 1876:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Olver at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th June 1876.
WILLIAM HENRY OLVER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "AN IM-
PROVED TOGGLE, LATCHET, OR FASTENER FOR BENDING SHIPS' SAILS TO THEIR
YARDS OR STAYS, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FASTENING TARPAULINS, TENTS, AND FOR
VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to a novel form of toggle, latchet, or fastener for bending
ships' sails to their yards or stays. The toggle is also applicable for fastening
tarpaulins, tents, and for various other purposes, such as connecting the ends of
ropes or halyards, securing life buoys, and other like purposes.
A toggle, latchet, or fastener constructed according to my Invention consists of a
metal eye piece or hook, to the shank of which is hinged a latchet piece forming
&T with the eye or hook, and capable of lying at right angles to the eye or hook,
or parallel with the shank of the eye or hook. The toggle, latchet, or fastener may
be constructed of any suitable metal, such as malleable cast iron, wrought iron, or
brass.
In application to bend, say a topsail to a jackstay the eye or hook of the togglo
is passed or sprung round the jackstay, the latchet piece is then laid parallel with
the shank of the toggle, and passed through the thimble or eye of the bolt rope
until the latchet will open out through the eye and secure the bolt rope to the jack-
stay. Each thimble or eye of the bolt rope is secured to the jack-stay in manner
similar.
Tarpaulins may be attached to hatches or railway waggons in manner similar,
namely, by having a wire or rod on to which the eye or hook of the toggle takes,
and thimbles or eyelet holes through which the latchet or T-piece passes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Olver in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
December 1876.
WILLIAM HENRY OLVER, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster. "AN IM-
PROVED TOGGLE, LATCHET, OR FASTENER FOR BENDING SHIPS' SAILS TO THEIR
YARDS OR STAYS, ALSO APPLICABLE FOR FASTENING TARPAULINS, TENTS, AND FOR
VARIOUS OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to a novel form of toggle, latchet, or fastener for bending
ships' sails to their yards or stays, also for reefing sails. The toggle is also applicable
for fastening or securing awnings, tents, tarpaulings, oil sheets, rigging and tackle,
life buoys, gearing and tackle for mines, harness and horse gear, machine driving
and other straps and belts, portable hanging hooks, dress and boot fasteners, for
securing bale and other packages, street gratings, vaults and cellars, for connecting
chains, men's suspenders for trowsers, for studs, sleeve links and like purposes,
securing boat's rowlocks, and bolts and bars for window shutters.
A toggle, latchet, or fastener constructed according to my Invention consists of a
metal eye piece or hook, to the shank of which is hinged a latchet piece forming
a with the eye or hook, and capable of lying at right angles to the eye or hook,
or parallel with the shank of the eye or hook. The toggle, latchet, or fastener may be
constructed of any suitable metal, such as malleable cast iron, wrought iron, or brass.
That my Invention may be clearly understood I have hereunto attached a Sheet
of Drawings illustrative thereof, and showing my Invention as applied to bending
ships' sails. Like letters-and figures are used to denote similar parts throughout
the various views.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a toggle, latchet, or fastener constructed according
to my Invention. Figure 2 is an end view of same.
Figure 3 shows the application of the toggle to bending ships' topsails or
other sails.
Figures 4 and 5 illustrate my Invention as applied to a jib hank.
Upon reference to the Drawings it will be seen that the toggle, latchet, or fastener
consists of a shank A having an eye or hook B at one end, and a hinged stop C at
the other end.
The application is illustrated in Figure 3. D is a topsail jack-stay; E, bolt rope
of topsail F (of which only a portion is shown); H, eyelet hole in topsail; K,
thimble worked into eyelet hole.
In application to bend a topsail to a jack-stay, the eye or hook B of the toggle
is passed or sprung round the jack-stay D. The latchet piece C is then laid parallel
with the shank A and passed through the thimble or eye K in the sail until the
latchet will open out through the eye and secure the sail to the jack-stay. Each
thimble or eye in the head of the sail is secured to the jack-stay in manner similar.
The application as a jib hank consists in forming a duplex toggle, as shown at
Figures 4 and 5. In this case the latchet pieces C, C¹, are passed through the
seizing eyes of the stay ring or loop L, the thimble or eyelet of the sail being
secured by the loop J formed by the duplex toggle.
Tarpaulings may be attached to hatches or railway waggons by having a wire or
rod on to which the eye or hook B of the toggle takes, and thimbles or eyelet holes
through which the latchet or stop C passes.
The advantages of my Invention are a sail can be bent without the use of spun-
yarn or rope-yarn in one-third of the time occupied under the present system.
When bent the sail is held much more securely than by spun-yarn, at the same
time it can work more freely as the latchet turns on the jack-stay and rises with
the sail to any position it may take.
In use it has the further advantage of allowing the sail to be hauled out on the
yard as it stretches without being unbent from the jack-stay.
Having now described the nature, object, and purposes of my Invention, and

page_text: shown how the same may be put into practical operation, what I claim as my
Invention and secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid is, the improved toggle,
latchet, or fastener, such as shown in the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
the parts being indicated by the letters A, B, C, substantially in the manner and
for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Olver, have hereunto set iny
hand and seal, this Fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
WILLIAM HENRY OLVER. (L.S.)