AU592621B2

AU592621B2 - Mast ladder

Info

Publication number: AU592621B2
Application number: AU68557/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Terrance Richard Hebb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-02-05
Filing date: 1987-02-05
Publication date: 1990-01-18
Anticipated expiration: 2007-02-05
Also published as: AU6855787A

Description

I1 ~i i c* r*l~~"rr~ COMMONWEAlT7H Of AUSTRALIA fcn, PATENTS ACT 1962 COMPLETE SPE f

ION

(OIGINAL)

6 g.7/97 Application Nurnbor: P1104456 Lodged: 05- 02-86 FOR OFFICE USE Class Int. Class Compltot Spocification-Lodgod: Accepted: Publisho J: Priority: Rlohod Art: i t t TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT Name of Applicant: 'rcrnnjce Iichard Hlebb Address of Applicant: 49 lIfCIist Stnreet, Nrley, ill clic Stule of vstern Australi, CO)Inonwealll ol Atistroia :i t II I Actual Inventor: Address for Service: 'Terra nce mI cald el t) v Assn I Pe't, WlA i 1 6 I00 Perth, W.A. 6000 .It COmsP4o1 Specification for the invention entitled: 'MS'1 The following staiterent is a full dascript ion of this invention, including the best mothod of porforming it known to me i, 2 Lislb INVENTION relates to a masr ladder and in part icular to a flexible mast ladder for use on sailing craft.

On all sailing craft and particularly larger sailing craft there is a major problem when part of the rigging at the head of the mast becomes jammed or broken thereby requiring a member of the crew to be transported from the deck to the head of the mast to correct the problem. In most sailing craft the mainsail halyard, the headsail halyards and the spinnaker halyards all pass over pulleys located at or near the upper extremities of the mast.

Careless crew work or a broken shackle can sometimes result in the free end of a halyard being pulled to thc head of the mast and/or jamming on the pulleys located within the mast.

Mast bend is critical to the general tuning of the rig of the sailing craft and the mast is held in an upright position by a number of shrouds. Adjustment of the tension of these shrouds greatly effects the performance of the sailing craft. Single or double spreaders are used to assist in the amount of mast bend. If the spreaders are too long and push the shroud too far outboard they will, in turn, create a reciprocal thrust on the mast as the shroud tries to straighten out under tension. This may cause an excessive amount of middle mast bend. If the spreaders are too short they will not allow enough low j fore and aft bend; this will tend to keep the mast straight in the middle instead of assuming the desired bend. Some masts are provided with no spreaders, some have fixed spreaders and others have swinging spreaders with stops that control the swing aft. Continual maintenance on a mast is therefor necessary to ensure that the halyard arrangements are working effectively and that the spreaders are sound.

r -1 -3- Currently the normal process to carry out any maintenance on a mast is either to lift a member of the crew in a "bosuns chair" to the problem area of alternatively if the craft is moored in a pen to lower the mast. Lowering of the mast is a difficult undertaking in the case of extremely large craft and the general procedure is to make use of the "bosuns chair". The crew member must be winched to the top of the mast by a halyard shackled onto the bosons chair. This particular undertaking is both extremely dangerous as halyards have been known to break or in situations with a rough sea or strong winds the crew member is battered against the shrouds and mast when being winched to the upper extremities of the mast. A further danger exists in that the occupier of the "bosons chair" is entirely in the hands of the deck crew who are carrying out the winching and "tailing". Should the deck crew lose control of the halyard the occupier of the bosuns chair is likely to suffer serious injuries if he or she falls onto the deck below.

II

t 6#@ t I I tf I The current invention is to effective alternative to the single crew member is able to without relying upon other crew and cuts from shrouds and mast.

provide an efficient and "bosons chair" whereby a scale a mast in safety Smembers and avoid bruising In one form the invention resides in a mast ladder comprising an elongated flexible member provided at both ends with securing means, each side of said flexible length comprising a plurality of spaced apart footholds between said ends, whereby said footholds are disposed in sequence alternately on opposite sides of said flexible length.

Aj 4 -4trr rr r r Ip r( r i r ri Preferably, said footholds comprise loops of flexible material.

Preferably each loop comprises a length of flexible material the ends of which are anchored at spaced locations along the length of said flexible elongate member.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of one specific embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:- 10 Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of the mast ladder secured to a mast; Figure 2 is a part sectional view of the mast ladder; Figure 3 is a part sectional side elevation of one end of the mast ladder; Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mast ladder with additional foothold; and Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a further embodiment of the mast ladder.

In the first embodiment a mast ladder 11 comprises an elongated flexible member being a continuous length of flexible material extending between two shaped fittings 12, 13 and stitched 15 in such a manner as to provide a plurality of regularly spaced apart footholes 17 in the form of loops between each extremity 19, 21 of the mast ladder. Throughout the longitudinal length of the mast ladder a plurality of eyelets 23 are provided to which may be fitted mainsail track "slides" or "slugs" (not shown) to enable the mast ladder to engage the mainsail track providced in a mast 25 and thereby be in contact with the mast in the same manner in which a i 5 mainsail is secured to a mast. Each foothold 17 may be provided with reinforcing means 27 Co prevent -essary wear from the footwear being used by the crew member.

As an alternative to using "slides" or "slugs" the mast i Ladder may be provided with a bolt rope so that the bolt Srope can pass up the mainsail track and retain the mast i ladder in close proximity to the mast.

r As shown in figure 4 of the drawings the upper extremity of the mast ladder may be provided with an additional foothold 17A so that a crew member working at the head of the mast is provided with an even foothold i.e. both feet are able to be supported at the same or similar levels.

I In figure 5 of the drawings a second embodiment of the invention is shown. In this embodiment, to each side of a central webbing member 22 is stitched a series of footholds 17. Each foothold 17 being parallel with the foothold on the opposite face of the central webbing member 22 so as to form a plurality of levels upon which to support the weight of the crew member.

In use, the mainsail itself must be lowered and the main halyard 29 secured to the upper fitting 12 provided on the end of the mast ladder. The mast ladder is winched to the top of the mast 25 with the bolt rope or slides engaging in the mainsail. track provided in the mast. When winched to the top of the mast the main sail halyard 29 can be secured in the conventional means. The lower extremity 21 of the mast ladder is secured to the base of the mast by a cunningham 31 or the 1.1ke. In position, the mast ladder is secured at both the head and foot of the mast and to the mainsail track thereby providing a stable and secure means to assend the mast. The crew member may 6 as an additional safety means wear a safety harness to whicn may be secured a further halyard, however, once having ascended to the required location the crew member I by using the safety harness and a life line around said mast, is then free to use both hands to carry out any maintenance or repair work necessary. The full weight of the crew member being carried by standing in one or more footholes of the mast ladder.

i Obviously a ladder of the form illustrated in figure 4 of the drawings would provide a more comfortable working foothold than having to stand on one leg or having feet at different levels. With the embodiment shown in figure 4, the mast ladder need only be run up the mast track until the parallel pair of footholds 17 17A are just below the desired working level, the mast halyard is then secured and the lower end of the mast ladder secured by using a cunningham or similar equipment.

The second embodiment shown in figure 5 provides a plurality of level footholds for use when working on the mast and mast rigging.

The mast ladder can obviously be made of any length and said footholes need not necessarily extend the full length of the ladder. By being made of flexible material i the ladder can be conveniently stowed away.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to one specific embodiment it is not limited thereto and may be varied somewhat without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

2. A mast ladder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ends are each fitted with a shackle or shaped fitting.
3. A mast ladder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongated flexible member is provided with means to engage r' the mainsail track provided in a mast.
4. A mast ladder as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means is a mainsail boltrope. t t A mast ladder as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means consists of a plurality of mainsail track slides.
6. A mast ladder as claimed in claim 3 wherein said S: means consists of a plurality of mainsail track slugs.
7. A mast ladder as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims wherein the upper extremity of the mast ladder is provided with an additional foothold positioned adjacent to another foothold and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said ladder.
8. A mast ladder comprising an elongated flexible member provided at both ends with securing means and being provided on each side of said flexible length with a plurality of spaced apart footholds, said footholds on a) PI 1 8 each side of said flexible material being adjacent to a corresponding foothold of the opposite side of the flexible material to form a series of parallel footholds.
9. A mast ladder according to claim 9 wherein each said loop comprises a length of flexible material the ends of which are anchored at spaced locations along the length of the elongated flexible member. A mast ladder substantially as herein described with reference to figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
11. A mast ladder substantially as herein described with reference to figure 5 of the accompanying drawings. Dated this TWENTYFOURTH day of O TERRANCE RICHARD HEBB Applicant WRAY ASSOCIATES, Perth, Western'Australia, Patent Attorneys for the Applicant. CTOBER 1989. I '^J