Ships – Keels
Patent
1984-02-07
1986-02-18
Blix, Trygve M.
Ships
Keels
114219, 114 39, B63B 5902
Patent
active
045705631
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This United States application stems from PCT International Application No. PCT/SE83/00235 filed June 8, 1983.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a grounding protective device for sailing and similar boats provided with a fin keel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sailing vessels or sailing boats are in principle provided with a fixed keel, which may be designed in two different ways. One keel design comprises a continuous garboard plate, which extends from prow to stern and mostly is comprised in the hull proper. The second design relates to so-called fin keels, which consist of a garboard plate, which is attached in the central plane of the boat approximately below the center thereof, and secured in the hull generally by keel bolts. The first mentioned boat type is called long-keeled boats, and the boat rudder generally is attached to the trailing edge of the keel. When such a boat touches ground, the boat runs aground with its middle line against the ground, and the grounding mostly proceeds cautiously, so that there is only small or no damage at all to the boat. The sliding movement of the keel on the ground produces a relatively soft braking of the speed of the boat, whereby a heavy impact on the boat is avoided. The risk of injuries for the crew, therefore, is low.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has the object to eliminate to the greatest possible extent the effect of the impact on a boat with a fin keel when the boat touches ground with the keel. It is essential that boat and crew are given a long braking distance in order to prevent damage to the boat and injuries to the crew. It is possible, within certain limits, to build boats, which are capable of withstanding running aground, but human beings cannot be reinforced and, therefore, the braking must proceed mildly and through a long distance. A further object of the invention is to eliminate damage to freely suspended rudders of fin-keel boats. In order to achieve the above objects, the invention is characterized in that in the central plane of the boat a stay is provided which extends from at least one of the end edges of the fin keel at the lower end to a point so located that between the point and the fin keel the stay extends at least as deep as any part of the boat. Fin-keel boats can be understood also to be boats similar to long-keel boats, which at some portion of the keel length, have an inclination which does not allow the boat to slide up on the ground.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Two embodiments of the invention will now be described in the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational side view of a first embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As appears from the figures, a sailing boat with fin keel is shown. The fin keel is presupposed to be rigidly secured in the lower surface of the hull. There exists also fin-keel boats, at which the keel can be retracted into the hull. Although the invention also can be applied to such a type of fin keel, it is hereinafter assumed that the fin keel is rigidly secured in the lower part of the hull along the middle line thereof.
Groundings occur most often in such a way, that the ground is located below the water surface. Accordingly, it is the leading edge of the fin keel which strikes the ground, and the remaining part of the hull passes over the ground. As the ground hereby causes the boat directly and immediately to stop at the place of contact, a strong impact force arises which is transferred to the area of attachment between the fin keel and hull. The fin keel generally is so rigid that it is not deformed, or is deformed very little. This implies that in the contact between ground and keel no substantial deformation work arises which could reduce the stress caused by the impact force in the area of attachm
REFERENCES:
patent: 3085544 (1963-04-01), Hamlyn et al.
patent: 3462960 (1969-08-01), Bruehl
patent: 3717326 (1973-02-01), Leach et al.
Blix Trygve M.
Hypeco AB
Swinehart Edwin L.
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