CH639334A5 - DEVICE FOR PROPULSION OF A BOAT. - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for propelling a boat of any type, whether of a large vessel or a small fishing or sport boat, or of a lifeboat.

The energy crisis which affects all countries requires that petroleum-based fuels be saved as much as possible and that they be gradually replaced by the use of other types of energy, for example, in the case of navigation, by wind energy.

The object of the invention does not pretend to completely eliminate conventional engines powered by diesel or similar fuels, but to overcome their maximum need by using the energy of the wind when the latter is favorable.

This does not imply either a simple return to sailing, but the rational use of the will, thanks to sails of a configuration which can adapt to large ships as well as to small boats while allowing to benefit the maximum wind.

The device of the invention is defined in claim 1. It essentially consists in hoisting a mast close to the front of the boat a sail which comprises an upper part forming a deep concavity and whose outline forms approximately a quarter of a sphere, at the north pole of which a halyard point is provided, moored at the top of the mast in question, while the lateral ends of this upper part of the sail descend, forming other points moored by sheets at the edges of the boat.

At the equator of this upper part of the sail is connected a second non-spherical, but slightly hollow part, which has a lower central point at which is a fourth point of the sail which is moored to the bow, to a certain height to leave visibility below its edge, so that the sail in question makes it possible to take advantage of winds carrying from one tack to another, with its vélique center located approximately at the third of the height of the mast , and so that the force of the wind develops a pressure of which approximately 80% is transformed into a driving force and the remaining 20% into an ascending force which tends to lift the bow of the boat.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the sail comprises, in a large central area, a set of nozzles open at their rear face and oriented towards the deck of the boat, these nozzles channeling part of the air collected by the sail and directing it in the form of jets downwards by creating, by reaction, an ascending force which tends to lift the front of the boat and, at the same time, decreases the intensity of the shock of the wind on the sail when this the latter is inflated with great force.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the sail can be broken down into two symmetrical twin half-sails of roughly triangular shape, joined along their side by a removable connection, from the halyard points to tack points, so that it is possible to use both the pair of joined sails and a single sail, which can be one or the other, to take advantage of cross winds, whether they are port or starboard.

In the latter case, the ship, when it is of a high tonnage, can be equipped with other complementary masts which make it possible to hoist central sails which behave like jibs and which complete the action of the first sail. .

Other advantages of the invention will appear during the description which follows. In the accompanying drawings, given solely by way of example,

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hoisted and inflated sail, seen from the front and on the port side;

fig. 2 is a view also in perspective of the same sail, but seen from the rear and also on the port side;

fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to the previous one, but showing the case where the sail is composed of two triangular half-sails joined by their side;

fig. 4 is a detail view in longitudinal section on a larger scale, which represents the central wind orientation nozzles;

fig. 5 is a top view of a ship propelled in accordance with the invention using a sail divided into two halves;

fig. 6 is a side view of a ship propelled using a half front sail and other rear triangular sails which complete the action of the first;

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639,334

fig. 7 is a top view of the ship shown in FIG. 6.

The propulsion device for a boat according to the invention is represented in the drawings by a sail 1 which comprises an upper part 2 of a very marked concavity, with a parabolic profile and the curvature of which extends towards the lower part to form a quarter sphere, this sail being provided with a halyard point 3 moored at the top of a mast 4 placed near the bow 5 of a boat 6.

The upper zone 2 of the sail extends laterally up to two points 7 retained by sheets 8 and moored respectively to 10 port and starboard of the boat.

The lower part of the sail 1 is formed by a zone 9 of smaller curvature, slightly in the form of a pocket, with a lower central point or tack point 10 moored at the point 5a of the bow 5 and located at a certain height above this point, 15 to ensure visibility above the edge.

The biking center is approximately located in a zone 11, at a third of the height of the mast 4, which provides great stability to the boat.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the sail is equipped 2o with a set of nozzles 12 which occupy a large central area of this sail and extend towards the sides, these nozzles having an upper inlet 13 at their rear part and a lower outlet mouth 14 which is oriented towards the bridge, on the front face.

The role of the nozzles is extremely interesting, in the sense that these nozzles simultaneously perform two very important functions, one of which is to regulate the wind pressure which, at times, under the effect of a gust, could compromise the good stability of the boat, while thanks to the second - whatever the force of the wind, provided that it is stable and does not come across, - the greater the force or pressure of the wind, the more the sail acquires of ascending power, so that the thrust or power of the sail moves by concentrating at the tack and, since this effort is distributed simultaneously on the two sheets, it leaves the boat entirely stable without generating any heel while that, 3S at the same time, this thrust tends to lift the bow of the boat and protect it from the waves.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the sail can be broken down into two triangular half-sails la and lb (fig. 3)

joined by a removable link along the side 15, so that they can be used jointly or independently of one another.

In the case provided in fig. 1, 2, 3 and 5, sail 1, or all of the sails 1a and 1b, makes it possible to take advantage of tail winds. When one wishes to sail in a crosswind on one or the other tack, one hoists only one of the half-sails (fig. 6 and 7) and, in the case of large tonnage vessels, the propulsion can be supplemented by other triangular sails 16 behaving like jibs and hoisted to other complementary masts 17.

Ultimately, the invention makes it possible to complete the conventional propulsion carried out by means of known engines by using the force of the wind, provided that the latter is oriented in the appropriate direction, the yield obtained and the safety of navigation being sufficiently great to allow d '' adapt the invention to all types of boats, whatever their tonnage.

It should also be noted that the mast height at which the sail is hoisted is one third of the length of the boat when this length is greater than 150 m, which makes it possible to achieve a mast of reduced height.

It is obvious that the invention makes it possible to save a considerable amount of conventional fuel, to use the force of the wind whenever possible without causing any noticeable delay in the progress of the ship, since, as has been pointed out above, the power collected by the sail is very large.

Advantageously, two or more than two longitudinal ropes, inside and outside, which extend from the halyard point to the lower edge of the sail, are provided; they are threaded in small rings along which the sail slides when it is lowered, thus preventing it from falling into the sea.

The materials used for the production of the various elements of the device according to the invention, as well as the shapes and dimensions of these devices and that the other accessory details, do not form part of the field of the invention.

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3 sheets of drawings

Claims (6)

639,334 2 1. Propulsion device of a boat, characterized in that it comprises a sail (1; la, lb; 16) fixed to a mast (4,17) located near the front of the boat (6 ), this sail being provided with four points, one of which, the halyard point or upper point (3), is fixed to the top of the mast, of which two others, which are lateral points (7), are fitted with sheets (8) and fixed to port and starboard respectively, and the fourth, or tack (10), is moored at a certain height above the point of the bow, the sail comprising an upper part ( 2) in the shape of a quarter of a sphere whose concavity increases towards the bottom, the sail comprising a lower part (9) extending the upper part, of lower concavity and slightly in the form of a pocket, so that the velic center ( 11) is located approximately one third of the height of the mast, which makes it possible to navigate by tailwind carrying from one tack to another, the wind creating in the sail a thrust in the direction of advance of the boat and an ascending thrust which tends to raise the bow of the boat while ensuring the latter great stability. 2. Propulsion device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a set of large nozzles (12) arranged in a large central area of the sail (1; la, lb; 16) and which have an upper opening ( 13) formed in the rear face of the sail, for the entry of the wind, and a lower opening (14) located on the front face of the sail and constituting an outlet, these openings giving rise to air jets directed towards the deck of the boat, of a force all the greater as the intensity of the wind is itself greater, so that the thrust of the wind on the sail breaks down into a force for driving the boat towards the bow and in an upward force resulting from the reaction created by the air jets, and that not only do these jets constitute a safety discharge, but also tend to lift the bow of the boat, thereby increasing its stability. 3. propulsion device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the sail is divided into two half-sails (la, lb) symmetrical binoculars, of roughly triangular shape, joined along their side ( 15) by a removable link, which allows the two half-sails to be used jointly as a single sail or separately to take advantage of crosswinds, whether port or starboard. 4. Propulsion device according to claim 3, characterized in that the mast of the boat (6) is completed by other masts (17) which carry triangular sails (16) behaving like jibs which complete the action of the half-sail (la, lb) when sailing in crosswinds. 5. Propulsion device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the mast (4) has a height approximately equal to one third of the length of the boat (6) when this length is greater than 150 m. 6. Propulsion device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises two or more of two longitudinal ropes, outside and inside, which extend from the halyard point (3) to the edge bottom of the sail, which are threaded in small rings and along which the sail (1) slides when it is lowered, thus preventing it from falling into the sea.