Ships – Sail or control means therefor – Reefing and furling
Patent
1996-04-01
1997-06-03
Avila, Stephen
Ships
Sail or control means therefor
Reefing and furling
114108, B63H 904
Patent
active
056344201
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a mast and boom coupled thereto by means of coupling means for a sailing boat, in which a boom includes:
an elongate structure which bounds a cavity extending in longitudinal direction;
a slotted hole extending on the top side thereof in longitudinal direction; and
a winding member rotatably drivable by drive means and extending in the cavity in longitudinal direction for winding up and unwinding a sail movable through the slotted hole.
It is an object of the invention to support the boom for rotation in an at least more or less horizontal plane round the mast such that the potential rotation angle has a considerable value, in the order for instance of .+-.90.degree. or even more.
A further object of the invention is to provide a combination of a mast and a boom, wherein the coupling means are embodied such that the edge of the foremost zone of the sail, irrespective of the reef situation of this sail, is always situated at the place of entry thereof into the boom at substantially the same position in relation to the boom.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
For this purpose the combination of the mast and the boom according to the invention has the special feature that the coupling means include:
a first support coupled to the mast, a second support coupled thereto for rotation round a rotation axis in a plane extending at least more or less perpendicularly of the mast, to which second support, and particularly to the underside thereof, the boom is fixed and which second support has a continuous slot-like opening which lies in register with the slotted hole in the boom and serves for passage of the foremost zone of the sail facing toward the mast, this such that the edge of the foremost zone of the sail extends in the region of the rotation axis.
The coupling means can be embodied in any suitable material. Particularly suitable are high quality construction materials such as aluminium of a chosen type, titanium, stainless steel or the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the annexed drawings. Herein:
FIG. 1 shows a partly broken away perspective view of a first embodiment of the structure according to the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a partly broken away perspective view on enlarged scale of the carriage with hooking means as according to FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows the leech of the sail to which are fixed hooking protrusions for co-action with the carriage according to FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 shows a view corresponding with FIG. 1 of a variant;
FIG. 5 shows a partly broken away perspective view of a swivel device of another type than shown in FIGS. 1 and 4; and
FIG. 6 shows a rear view of the boom in another embodiment with covering removed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows a boom 1 according to the invention in a first embodiment. Boom 1 comprises an elongate structure 2 of aluminium which bounds a cavity 3 extending in lengthwise direction, a slotted hole 4 extending on the top side of the structure 2 thereof in lengthwise direction and a winding shaft 6 drivable by a motor 5 and extending in lengthwise direction for winding up and unwinding a sail movable through the slotted hole 4. The motor 5 serves particularly to exert a downward directed tensile force on a sail 7 which is connected guidably in vertical direction to a mast 8. The winding shaft 6 serves particularly to pull through the slotted hole 4 into the cavity 3 and store therein a part 9 of the sail 7 for placing out of use. The winding shaft 6 is preferably embodied more or less with torsional stiffness. Sail 7 is inserted into shaft 6 via an undercut longitudinal channel 10 by means of a widened bottom edge into which for instance a cable is woven.
The slotted hole 4 is bounded by two mutually parallel prismatic edges 11, 12 in which a carriage 13 is received slidably for movement therealong. The edges 11, 12 have a curved form with mutually facing openings, while carriage 13, as can be seen particularly in FIG. 2, has widened side
REFERENCES:
patent: 3285215 (1966-11-01), Potter
Avila Stephen
Rondal B.V.
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