Improvements in Sails for Boats and other Vessels, and in Means for Setting, Working, and Furling same
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1896:
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 11th Dec., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"Improvements in Sails for Boats and other Vessels, and in Means
for Setting, Working, and Furling same."
We, WALTER GORDON WILSON of Dunardagh Blackrock in the County of Dublin,
Engineer and PERCY SINCLAIR PILCHER of Artillery Mansions, Victoria Street in the
City of Westminster Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
Our invention relates to sails for boats and other vessels and to means for setting
working and furling saine.
According to our invention we mount the sail at right angles to the mast or
approximately at right angles thereto, the latter passing to or through the centre
of the sail or thereabouts and the mast is made capable of being revolved and of being
inclined more or less to the vertical. The sail in fact may be popularly described as
being more or less in the form of an umbrella, the stick forming the mast. The sail
is preferably mounted on ribs supported by stretchers or ties or both which are
secured to the inast in such manner as to permit of the sail being furled or lowered
in any convenient manner. The mast which is on a universal joint may conveniently
be raised and lowered and fixed at any inclination and either pointing forward or
on either side of the boat by means of tackles or other gear but preferably we mount
the mast very much in the way that the jib of a crane is mounted, that is to say it
is pivotted away from the central pivot or so called "Samson Post" and is provided
with gear such as worm and worm wheel or chain and chain wheels or. the like for
revolving the mast and the mast may be raised and lowered by means of a tackle.
The weight of the mast and sail may conveniently be counterbalanced by a weight
or weights or by a spring or springs or by both.
In beating or with the wind on the beam this is a distinct advantage because the
pull then by the sail is upward from the lee side and not from the side to windward
of the keel whereby the chances of a capsize are practically removed. The mast is
preferably not mounted in the centre of the sail but at some little distance therefrom
in such manner that there is more sail area on the side nearest the water than there
is on the side furthest away and this gives more lifting power to the lee side of the
vessel than to the windward side. We may make the sail approximately circular,
but we prefer to make it somewhat in the form of an oval or an ellipse. The sail
instead of being at a normal angle to the mast inay also be made capable of being
moved angularly to the mast to permit of the sail being set at any desired angle
including also vertically when sailing with a very light breeze whereby the whole
area of the sail becomes effective. Under ordinary circumstances when the sail is
set at an angle to the vertical the whole force of the wind on the sail is not available
for driving the boat but part of the force serves to lift the boat thereby causing her
to ride more easily than is the case with vessels propelled by ordinary sails. It

page_text: follows also that the nearer the sail is set to the horizontal position the less effect the
wind will have on it.
Dated this 19th day of Dec 1896
JENSEN & SON
77 Chancery Lane London W.C. Patent Agents.
"Improvements in Sails for Boats and other Vessels, and in Means
for Setting, Working, and Furling same."
We, WALTER GORDON WILSON of Dunardagh Blackrock in the County of Dublin
Engineer and PERCY SINCLAIR PILCHER of Artillery Mansions, Victoria Street in the
City of Westminster, Engineer, 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 statement:-
Our invention relates to sails for boats and other vessels and to means for setting
working and furling same.
According to our invention we mount the sail at right angles to the mast or
approximately at right angles thereto, the latter passing to or through the centre of
the sail or thereabouts and the mast is made capable of being revolved or turned
in any direction and of being inclined more or less to the vertical. The sail in fact
may be described in popular language as being more or less in the form of an
umbrella, the stick forming the mast."
1
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in elevation a simple
construction of sail applied to a boat.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a boat shewing the application of the sail shewn
in detail in Figure 8 and the mast shewn in Figures 9 and 10.
Figure 3 represents in elevation a convenient and simple method of mounting a
mast to be used with a sail constructed according to our invention.
Figure is a sectional plan thereof on the line 3-3 with the grooved disc A and
Samson Post removed.
Figure 5 is a plan.
. Figure 6 is a sectional elevation on the line 5-5 Figure 3 and
Figure 7 is a plan of the foot B.
Figure 8 is a plan of one construction of sail, one half of the sail that is on the
right hand side thereof being shown set, while the other half on the left hand side is
shown furled or housed.
:
Figure 9 is a transverse section through a boat showing a modified arrangement
for supporting and regulating the position of the mast and
Figure 10 is a plan thereof.
Referring to Figure 1 it will be seen that the Sail G is made somewhat in the form
of an umbrella with ribs designated by the letter D the whole being mounted on the
mast E by means of a runner F which is made to slide up when the sail is to be
furled as illustrated by the dotted lines. The mast E is pivotted in the boat at G
and is capable of being lowered in any direction and at any angle or inclination to
the vertical. The sail is stayed and kept as nearly as possible rigid by means of a
number of stays I, and M attached to the ribs D and to the mast. If desired the
sail may be provided with a number of stretchers as is an ordinary umbrella whereby
a great many or all of the stays or guy ropes Land M can be dispensed with. The
mast E may conveniently be raised and lowered and fixed at any inclination and
either pointing forward or on either side of the boat by means of tackles K.
We prefer however to mount the mast E very much in the way that the jib of a

page_text: crane is mounted and Figures 3 to 7 inclusive illustrate a simple construction of this
kind. There is a foot or bed B made capable of attachment to the kelson of the boat
or to a suitable framing or bed therein and to this foot is attached or fixed a kind 'of
so called "Samson post " B' made hollow for the sake of lightness. Outside of this
and capable of revolving thereon is a sleeve E¹ to which is fixed a frame consisting of
two pieces E Figure 3 and in dotted lines in Figure 4 and two quadrant shaped
pieces Es one of which is shown as provided with an extension or handle E'. The
mast E is pivotted at Es to the frame E¹, E E E and when the desired inclination
has been obtained" by hand it is clamped on the quadrant shaped parts E of the
frame by its clamps E operated by the hand screw E. The Samson Post B¹ has
fixed thereon a grooved dise A and the handle part of the frame E E E is provided
with a set screw E the point of which takes into the groove of the disc A. The mast
is moved to any desired position either pointing forward or more or less on either side
of the boat and when in position the set screw E is tightened and jambs it there.
Referring to figure 8 which shews in detail one modification of sail C. it. will be
seen that there is a kind of trussed girder or yard C inade principally of bamboo or
of other light imaterial which is clamped to the mast by a bracket C preferably made
of aluminium on the score of lightness. The sail C in this case is preferably so
arranged with regard to the mast E that its centre does not coincide with the centre
of the mast in such manner that there is more sail area on the side nearest the water
than there is on the other side furthest away and this causes the wind to apply more
lifting power to the lee side of the vessel than to the windward side. The sail might
be made circular as indicated in Figure 1 but we may also divide it into two parts
and to make it somewhat in the form of an oval or an ellipse as shewn in Figures 2and 8.
The sail is mounted on a number of ribs D and D which sets of ribs are respectively
pivotted to the pins or bolts D so that the sail may be furled as snugly as possible.
when not in use and as indicated by the left hand side of Figure 8 but it should be
noted that on that side of the figure the housed sail with its ribs are broken off owing
to the limited space on the drawing. The halves of the sail are on one side of the
mast E laced to light ribs or battens C3 pivotted as are the ribs D and these battens
are connected by running gear C to the girder or yard C and down the mast as will
be evident without further description. The other sides of each half of the sail are
inerely laced to the yard C' as shown. To furl or house the sail there is attached to
each half thereof a tricing liue C which is fixed to a batten C3 and goes through some
rings on the ribs D and D' through a block down to a cleat on the mast or in any
other convenient place. If it be desired to house the sail the running gear Cis
slacked off the tricing lines are pulled and the two halves of the sail are closely stowed
as shown on the left hand side of the Figure 8.
Figure 2 shows a convenient way of holding the sail rigid on the mast, It consists
in providing a number of guys or stays L from at or near the top of the mast or
from more than one place on the mast above the sail to one two or more places on
each rib and similarly a number of guys or stays M from a point or points below the
sail and on the inast to one or more places on each rib. For convenience in attaching
the stays I and M to the ribs the sail is at each place provided with a hole N, the
material of the sail being strengthened or reinforced by means of a patch or other-
wise if necessary.
Figures 9 and 10 show an arrangement of gear for actuating the mast where the
sail is larger and not capable of being so easily handled as in the arrangement shown
in Figures 3 to 7 as before the mast E is pivotted to a post E' and it may be raised
by means of a tackle K¹ and lowered by a tackle K attached to the post in a kind of
hatch or turntable K which is capable of revolving on or round a coaming or other
support. O on the boat or vessel. This turntable has a slot for the mast to travel in
as shown and it is capable of being revolved either by hand or by suitable gearing
and clamped by a screw or other clamp Es in any position. The weight of the mast
and sail may conveniently be counterbalanced by a spring or springs or by a weight P
pivotted in such manner as to be most effectual when the inast is most inclined.
The weight is connected to the mast by means of a rope or chain going over

page_text: pulleys P P2. Instead of using a weight or spring only the weight of the mast may be
counteracted by means of a combination of a spring and a weight. QQ are stays for
holding the post:in position."
The sail, instead of being fixed at a normal angle to the mast may also be made
capable of being moved angularly to the mast to permit of the sail being set at any
desired angle including also vertically when sailing with a very light breeze whereby
the whole area of the sail becomes effective. Under ordinary circumstances when the
sail is set at an angle to the vertical the whole force of the wind on the sail is not
available for driving the vessel but part of the force serves to lift the vessel thereby
causing her to ride more easily than in the case with vessels propelled by ordinary
sails. It follows also that the nearer the sail is set to the horizontal position the
less effect the wind will have on it and under most circumstances a vessel may be
anchored or lie hove to with the sail in the horizontal position without making
sternway appreciably.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner, the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1: A sail for a boat or other vessel kept in shape by a number of ribs radiating from
at or near the centre of the mast and adapted to be set in any position relatively to
the vessel substantially as set forth.
12: A sail for a boat or other vessel adapted to be kept in shape by a number of
ribs D D mounted on a bracket C2 attached to a mast E having guys or stays L M
substantially as described and shown.
3. Means for setting sails as firstly and secondly claimed consisting of a mast E
pivotted to a universal joint in the vessel and gear for regulating the position of the
mast and holding it in the desired position substantially as described and shown.
4 Means for setting sails as firstly or secondly claimed consisting of a mast E
pivotted to or near a samson post E mounted in the vessel and gear for regulating
the inclination of the mast and holding same in the desired position substantially as
described and shown.
5. The constructions of sails and gear for setting working and furling or housing
same substantially as described and shown on the drawings.
Dated this Twentieth day of Sentr. 1897.
JENSEN & SON
77 Chancery Lane London W.C. Patent Agents.