US272171A - stoeee - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1..

1. A. STORER. BUNTLINE FOR KEEPING SAILS.

I No. 272,171. Patented Feb. 13,1883.

3 sheets-sheet 2.

(No Model.)

I. A. STORER.

BUNTLINE FOR R'EEFING- SAILS.

N0. 27.2171. Patented Feb. 13, 1883.

(No Model.) r 3 sheets-sheets."

LA. STORBR.

BUNTLINE: FO-R. REBPINQ' SAILS. v No. 272,171 Patented Feb. 143'; 1883.

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Uniren STATES ATENT Erica.

IRA STORER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BUNTLINE FOR REEFING SAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,171, dated February 13, 1883.

l I Application filed October 30, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA A. STORER, of San Francisco, county ofSan Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improved Sail and Gear; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

Myinventionrelates to certainim 'irovements in sails and their running-gear; and it consists in the addition of certain lines, which I call purchase-buntlines, whereby a portion ofthe sail may be hauled up to render .the clewin g up of the remainder an easier matter, and in certain strengthening-ropes upon the forward part of the sail, as will hereinafter fully appear.

My invention will be best illustrated in its application to a topgallant sail, and accordingly I have herein represented that sail and the gear appertaining thereto.

When a sail is very large, as these sails are, great difficulty is found in clewing up. This has led to the placing upon large vessels of two yards-the upper and lower top-gallant yards-and of bending on each atop-gallant sail-upper and lower. These sails-are each worked by its own set of running-gear, and theadvantage obtained is in dividing a large sail into two smaller ones, each of which is comparatively easy to be handled; but the obvious objections to the plan are, that a sail is more effective as a single sail than when the same amount of canvas is made into two sails, that there is too much weight aloft, that it requires too much gear, and that two yards and gearing are more expensive than one.

The object of my invention is to retain the single large sail, and by a proper arrangement of additional running-gear avoid the dif- -fieulty of clewing up, and also, by a proper Let A represent the deck of a vessel, B the upper portion or head of the top-mast, O the top-gallant mast, D the top-gallant yard, E the top-sail yard, and F the top-mast crosstree withoutriggersf. Ihave here shown also the top-gallant back-stays c and the top-mast back-stays b.

S represents the top-gallant sail bent to the top-gallant yard, and its clews hauled to the sheave-holes of the top-sail yard by the sheets a.

Q are the halyards of the top-gallant yard.

P represents a pin-rail, which for convenience I here show as a means of securingthe run [ling-rigging.

The innermost ropes, d, are the clew-lines. These pass up through the cross-tree through block it; but instead of passingthence directly to and being secured to the clews, they pass through a block, t, attached to the clews, up to another, 25 hung under the top-gallant yard, and down again to block if, to which they are secured. The block t is placed some distance out on theyard, with whatobject will be hereinafter fully explained. The next ropes are the buntlines e. These pass up and are suitably guided over the top of the sail and down to its bunt on forward part of sail. The next are the leech-lines l, which also are suitably carried over on forward side of sail and to the leech-rope on each side. These are the ordinary running-rigging of this sail.

When there is little wind or a calm, the sail can be clewed up in the usual manner without difficulty; but when the wind is high it is a difficult matter to handle so much sail.

When the sheets are let go and the yard clewed down on the cap, the sail bellies out so much that it is difficult to clew it up. To remedy this difficulty I haul up a portion of the sail snug under the top-gallant yard, thus reducing the stretch of canvas and allowing the remaining portion to be handled by the regular running-ri ggin g. The outermost ropes, 71 I call the purchase-buntlines. These will be seen to advantage in Fig. 3. They consist of Manila rope up to a block, w, on each side, through which they pass down to and are secured to the Outriggers f of the cross-tree. This only shows one way of getting the purchase, though any suitable arrangement of tackle would answer. Their continuations (marked h)consist of wire rope. Of these th ere are two legs on each side, both attached tothe block to. One leg of these lines on each side passes up through the uppersheave of a fiddleblock, or, thence out to a point near the ends of the top-gallant yard when the sail is set, where they are continued as chain and pass down through an iron cleat on the yard-arms to a point about one-third of the distance down the sail, and are secured to the leech-ropes, as shown. The other leg of the Wire passes up on each side through the lowersheave of fiddleblock :0, thence out to the quarter ofthe yard, through a cleat on the forward side of the yard, and down abat't the sail to a point on the same horizontal line with the points of attachments of the other legs on the leech. Here they are toggled through an ey e, y, which is made by carrying the upper ends of the vertical ropes It (explained hereinafter) through the sail.

Now, in handling the sail, the first thing is to clew the yai d down on the cap, as usual, then man the purchase-buntlines h, together with the clcw-lines and the ordinary buntline, let go the sheets, and clew up the sail. The etl'ect of the purchase-buntlines is to haul up aboutone-third of the sail close antler the yard. Oofilparatively little wind can get in it, as it is drawn snug up. This leaves a portion of the sail to handle with the other gear. The clewlines haul up the clews to the block P, which by being out a little distance on the yard leave slack leech for furling the sail.

The whole advantage ofthese purchase-buntlinesis to take up sufficient of the sail-t0 render it easy to handle the remainder. To sheet the sail home, let go all the gear excepting the pnrchase-buntlines. These, by holding a portion of the sail to the yard, render the hauling of the sheets home very much easier, especially in a strong breeze.

Across the forward side of the sail, on a line above its center, is roped on a band a small hemp rope, It, horizontally, and two similar ropes, It, vertically from said rope R to the foot of the sail-one on each side of the center. The tops of these ropes It are passed through the sail and form eyes for securing a leg of thepurchase-buntlines. Thesearestrengtheningropes and serve a double object-tnunely, strengthen the sail to prevent itfrom splitting in hauling up the purchase-lmntlines, and enable me to use lighter canvas and have the sail equally strong.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a sail and runningrigging to haul it up, the purchase-buntlines h and IL, the latter having two legs, one of which is attached to the leech on each side below the yard, and the other attached to the after part of the'sail on the same line as the first legs are attached, and on each side of the vertical center of the sail, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The sail S,having the horizontalstrengthciting-rope R and the vertical strengtheningropes It, and running-rigging to haul it up to the yard, in combination with the purchasebuntlines hand It, the legs of the latter being attached to theleech on each side at the ends of rope It, as shown, and to the after part of the sail, to the tops of the ropes It, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand.

IRA A. STORER.

Witnesses:

A. MAYERS, J. H. BLOOD.

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