CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS ON OR ADDITIONS TO WINDLASSES AND RELATIVE MACHINERY APPLICABLE TO NAVAL PURPOSES
Year: 1830

page_text: TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SCOTT, of Water Lane, in the City of London, Engineer, send greeting..
WHEREAS His late most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date.
at Westminster, the Twentieth day of March, in the eleventh year of His
reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Scott, His especial licence that I, the said George Scott, my
exors, adiňors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Scott, my
exors; admors, and assigns, should at any time agree with; and no others,
from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, "my Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS ON OR ADDITIONS TO WINDLASSES AND RELATIVE MACHINERY
APPLICABLE TO NAVAL PURPOSES;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-:
tained a proviso obliging me, the said George Scott, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe. and ascertain the:
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High.
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after.
the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference.
being thereunto had, will more fully.and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the .said
George Scott, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention, and.

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, 'and the following
description thereof (that is to say):-
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan, of part of an improved
windlass, in which Figures A, A, &c. represent a portion of a cast-iron plate,
which is to be secured upon the deck of a ship or other vessel by the bolts B, B,
and to which said plate two or more ears, one of which is shewn in Figure 1
at C, are affixed, either by being cast therewith or otherwise, and having a
hole D in each, through which a bolt or pin E may be passed, and be properly
secured therein by screwed nuts or otherwise. F is a cast-iron substitute for
one of the so-termed "bits" of the windlass, but which, instead of being, as
usual, immoveably fixed upon the deck, is here made to vibrate or move
backwards and forwards to a certain extent, the lower part of it having a
circular hole formed in it, through which, as well as through a hole in the
opposite bit (not shewn), the..screwed bolt or .pin E is passed, and the bits
vibrate thereon as on a centre. The two bits are firmly braced or connected
together by a cross bar, formed of cast iron or other proper material, 'secured
at each end thereto by means of screws, entering into holes made through each
of the bits, and into plates or flanches formed at each end of the 'cross 'bar., to
receive them.. One set of these 'said screws-is shewn at G, in Figure 1, the
flanch. and a section of the. cross bar. being shewn 'in dotted lines. The
intention of. the cross bar is to prevent any cross winding in the bits so as
to avoid any. friction which might otherwise arise in, the holes formed in
the upper parts of the bits to receive. the necks, pivots, or bearings of the
rounce beam..or axis of the windlass. H, H, as. well as in the holes made
in the lower parts thereof, as before mentioned. Around each end of the
axis of the windlass .H, H, ratchet wheels are affixed as usual, one of
which is shewn at Isin-Figure 1, and part: of it at Iin, Figure 2... To these
ratchet wheels 'are 'adapted palls, clicks, catches, or detents, one of which is
shewn in Figures 1 and 2. at J, it being; joined to the. bit F... The
intention of making the bits-and-beam. moveable or capable of vibrating
backwards and forwards is in order. to apply springs, thereto with a view
of preventing the sudden..jerks, or checks to, which chain or other cables
when in use are liable, from dragging the anchors or breaking the cables,
or injuring!or:destroying the windlass, "ör, producing. injuries-to other, parts
of ships and other vessels; and -I can either apply the springs in the manner
shewn in Figure 1 at K, which represents three pairs of springs, formed
of several series of hardened and tempered steel plates combined together
in the usual, manner, and placed within a proper case or, enclosure L

page_text: underneath the lower part of the bit F (similar springs being also placed
underneath the other bit), or I can substitute in place thereof helical or spiral
springs. In order still more to encrease the yielding effect of the springs, in
addition to those affixed in the windlass by the methods above described, I
can also employ or connect therewith other additional springs, either helical or
of other forms, such, for instance, as the helical springs enclosed in cylindrical
boxes, shewn at M in Figure 1 and 2, and the construction of which will
be seen in Figures 3 to 11. In Figure 3, N, N, 'is à metal cylindrical box
or case, having at one end of it a metal tube O, in which another metal
tube P is fitted, so as to slide backwards and forwards therein. Between the
external and internal tubes a space Q, R, is formed, in which I place a greater
or lesser number of helical springs, according to the degrees of resistance
required, such, for instance, as those shewn in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4,
three helical springs S, T, U, are shewn, all of which are coiled in the samo
direction, and are of the same diameter. Figure 5 is another helical spring,
of a lesser diameter than those shewn in Figure 4, and coiled in a 'reverse
direction to them. This spring is to be lodged within the springs S, T, U, of
Figure 4, as shewn in the section Figure 6, which is taken at the dotted line
in Figure 8; and other springs of the same diameter, and coiled in a similar
manner, are either to be added to fill up the entire length or not, according to
the tonnage of the ships or other vessels they are to be applied to. I can also
employ a greater or lesser number of coils, as may be found necessary. In
order to prevent the entrance of water into the space provided for the reception
of the springs within the cylindrical case, I introduce elastic packings or
stuffings at V, V, V, V,'as shewn at Figure 3. W is an enlarged part formed
upon one end of the moveable or sliding tube P, and fitted to the interior of the
tube N, N, and which said enlarged part acts upon or compresses the springs,
and is again acted upon by theni when in use. In order to prevent the tube P
from being thrust out too far, I affix a metal ring X, X, Figure 3, 'upon one
end of the case M, and in order to prevent it from coming off I form three or
more projecting segmental parts upon the end of the tube N, 'N, as shewn in
section Y, Y, in Figure 3, and at Y, Y, Y, in the end view in Figure 9, and
leaving equal spaces between them; as shewn at Z, Z, Z, in Figures 8 and 9, and
by dotted lines in Figure 7. Similar or corresponding segmental parts a, a, a,
with equal spaces Z, Z, Z, between them, are also formed around the internal
rim or border of the ring X, X, as shewn in Figure 8, and by dotted lines in
Figure 7; and the segmental parts on the ring and the tube being introduced
between the corresponding spaces around the ring and the end of the tube
N, N, and the ring turned round sufficiently, the projecting segmental parts of
the ring will lodge theniselves behind or underneath those segmental parts

page_text: formed upon the end of the tube, and thus lock and secure the ring firmly
upon the end of the tube, the front or external inner border b, b, of the ring
lodging or resting upon the end of the tube, as shewn in the section, Figure 3.
In order to remove the ring.X, X, when necessary; the segmental parts being
turned or brought opposite to the vacant parts, will allow the ring to be slipped
off. c, c, Figures 2 and 3, are loops secured to the tube M by rivets or other
fastenings, and to which loops the chains d, d, are affixed, by means of which
the tube is attached to the bits or other parts of the windlass or other
sufficiently strong parts of the ship or other vessel: In Figure 2 one of
the chains d is shewn as attached by means of a shackle and bolt e
'to one of the moveable bits of my improved windlass. f. f. Figures 1
and 2, is part of a chain cable passed through the inner tubes O and P,
shewn in Figure 3, of the cylindrical spring box M, Figures 1 and 2, and which
said spring box is secured upon the chain cable by means of a clamp or
stopper, the construction of which may be as follows:-In Figure 7, 6 is one:
of the jaws of the clamp or stopper firmly. affixed to the outer end of the
sliding tube P, Figure 3: h is a moveable jaw hinged to the fixed jaw g, and
shewn' as opened. This clamp or stopper has two semi-cylindrical caps i, i,
formed in each jaw to receive one of the links of the chain cable within them,
and which link is firmly held therein when the jaws are closed by means of
the catch j, when the handle or lever of the said, catch is turned into the
position shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 3, when it binds the jaws close
upon the chain cable; or instead of the said clamp or stopper I employ a click
or clicks, pall or palls, catch or catches, for the same purpose, one of which is
shewn in a side view thereof at k, in Figure 10, and in front in Figure 11,
there being also a projecting solid part / affixed to the end of the tube P, to
afford a point of resistance to the click, catch, or pall, and upon which said
solid part the chain cable will rest. Although I have described my cylin-
drical spring box M as being applied to a chain cable, and to one of my
improved windlasses, yet I can also apply it to an ordinary cable, and to the
common fixed windlasses for ships or other vessels. In place of employing
cylindrical spring boxes with. helical springs, as above described, I can
also substitute flat or square metal boxes containing several pairs of springs,
each formed of several series of hardened and tempered steel plates, such,
for instance, as those shewn in plan at m, m, m, m, in Figure 12, edgeways at
m, m, m, m, m, m, m, m, in Figure 13, and endways at m, m, in Figure 14,
where 4 pairs of springs are shewn as arranged in two distinct, layers
one above the other, and enclosed in a metal box or case n, n, &c., each
layer of springs being separated from one another by metal plates placed
between them, as shewn in the end section, Figure 14, at o, o.
There is like-

page_text: wise a moveable or sliding part p, p, &c., shewn separately in plan at Figure 15,
and endways in Figure 16, there being grooves or slits q, q, Figure 16,
made in the plates to receive the plates o, o, Figure 14, within them.
There is also a metal tube P, Figures 12, 18, 14, 15, and 16, affixed to the
moveable or sliding part p, as shewn in Figure 15, which slides through a
metal ring or collar. 7, affixed at one end of the metal box or case, as shewn in
Figures 12 and 13. This tube allows the chain cable f, f, to pass through it,
as shewn in Figures 12 and 13, and which said cable can be held fast therein
by the click, catch, or pall k, as shewn in Figures 12 and 13. This spring
box is to be firmly affixed to the deck or other proper part of a ship or other
vessel by means of bolts passed through holes formed in the bottom of the box
to receive them, as shewn at 8, 8, &c., in Figures 12 and 14, and. it may
either be used 'in connection with my improved windlass 'for ships and other
vessels, or be applied to the ordinary ship's windlass, the plate p, Figures 12,
13, and 15, acting upon the springs m, m, &c., and being reacted upon
by them in a similar manner to the enlarged part W of the cylindrical spring
box before described.
I do not mean or intend hereby to claim as my Invention the application of
single helical or spiral springs in boxes or otherwise to the cables, anchors, or
stays of ships or other vessels, but I do hereby claim as my Invention the
application and combination of several springs or parts of springs (whether
such springs be helical, flat, or of other shapes) to the windlasses of ships and
other vessels, by which combination I am enabled to adjust such springs
to the size of any ship or other vessel to which they may be applied in a manner
superior to what I believe has ever been effected, so as to enable the said ships
or other vessels to ride more easily at anchor than hitherto. And although I
have herein shown what I consider to be the best methods of carrying my said
Invention into effect, yet I do not mean or intend hereby to limit myself to
the employment of those methods only, but to vary the forms, combinations,
and arrangements of the several parts as may be found necessary to adapt
them to the different circumstances under which they may be applied.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Scott, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty.
Signed and sealed, in the presence of
THO® GILL.
GEORGE (L.S.) SCOTT.
CHARLES ROBB.

page_text: AND BE. IT REMEMBERED,. that. on the Twentieth day of September,
in the year of our' Lord 1830; the aforesaid .George Scott came before
our said Lord the King in His. Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above-written. And: also the Specification' aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.