US45645A - Improved device for working jib-sails - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN lV. SHARRET, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVED DEVICE FOR. WORKING JIB-SAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 45,645, dated December 27, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN W. SHARRET, ot' of Portsmouth, Norfolk county, and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and use- Improvements in Sail-Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspeciiication, in which- Figurelis a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a sail-vessel, showing the manner of attaching the jib-sheet to the traveler and mast. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section, showing the catches applied to the bar on which the traveler works. Fig. 3 is an end' view showing the tripping-lever applied to one end ot" the traveler-bar for lifting the catch and releasing the traveler. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a sloop having my invention applied to it.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of this invention is to so arrange the jib-sheet that thejib can be hauled in at anytime, when it is necessary to tack or change the course of the vessel,without danger to life or limb or liability to miss stays.

Another object oi' my invention is to provide for retaining the. traveler-ring at either end of its bar-when the vessel is working to windward-until it is desired to go about, when said traveler can be released by the man at the helm or by a person stationed forward, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, l will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A representis a horizontal bar extending across the vessel in front ot' the mast B. This bar receives upon it a ring, a, which is connected, by means of a pulley and t-he jlb-sheet b, to the lowermost corner of the jib. The ring or traveler a is thus allowed to play back and forth on the bar A and accommodate itself to the movements of the jib in swinging from one side to the other of the vessel. Hitherto it has been the practice to attach the jib-sheet to the side or gunwale of the vessel, and when it is necessary to tack or change the course of the vessel the jib must be hauled in by means of the jib-sheet and held until the vessel is ready for stays. In some instances it is-very dangerous to manage the jih, particularly when the traveler-ring is rapidly thrown from one side to the other of the vessel and the latter is lying with its gun Wale submerged in the water. To obviate these objections and to facilitate .the management of the ]'ib when the vessel is sailing to windward, I carry the jib-sheet b from the block e aloft, and pass it through a block, f, which is attached to the mast B, thence it is carried down and attached to a'cleat, g, which is located in a convenient position on the mast. By this arrangement the jb-sheet is always in a position where it can be convenientlyused for hauling in the jib and confining it to the traveler-bar until the course of the vessel is changed. Near the extreme ends of the bar A, and underneath of the same, I apply latches h h, which are pivoted in recesses cut in said bar in such manner that when the outer ends of these latches are raised to their fullest extent they will allow the traveler a to play back and forth the full length of the bar without meeting with any obstruction; but when these catches h It are allowed to drop down and rest upon the horizontal ar'ms ot' rectangular levers n n the traveler will be caught and held in the catches, as indicated in red in Fig. 2. The levers n a are pivoted within boxes D D, and otherwise so arranged that by drawing on the ropes S S the catches will be thrown up and the traveler a released. The ropes S Sare carried aft along the sides ot' the gunwale, and arranged in a position convenient to the man stationed at the helm, who is thus enabled to release the traveler a at the proper time. By this arrangement the jib will be always confined by either one or the other catch h, except when the traveler is allowed to cross the deck in bringing the vessel round to the wind. Y

It will be seen from the above description that my invention can be applied to a vessel at a very small cost and without materially' altering the traveler-bar or the rigging of the jib.

Having thus described my invention, what devices, applied ai; or near the ends of the I claim as new, and desire to secure by Lettraveler-bar A, substantially in the manner ters Patent, isand for the purposes described.

l. The application of the jib-sheet to the y mast B, substantially in the manner and for Witnesses: the purposes described. JOs. KLEPPER, l

2. The use of catches h h, or equivalent XVM. T. WARRINGTON.

JOHN VV. SHARRET.

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