EP1183180A1

EP1183180A1 - Hooking device for a sail

Info

Publication number: EP1183180A1
Application number: EP00936975A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Michel Lacene
Original assignee: Lacene Thomas; Lacene Vincent
Current assignee: Lacene Thomas; Lacene Vincent
Priority date: 1999-05-31
Filing date: 2000-05-30
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-05-30
Also published as: AU5228100A; WO2000073138A1; AT252015T; FR2794100B1; ES2208337T3; DE60005948D1; EP1183180B1; FR2794100A1

Abstract

A device for hooking a sail (5) to the top of the mast (3) of a sailboat enabling said sail (5) to be tightened, characterised in that the inventive device comprises a fixed part (1), a moveable part (2) which is adapted in such a way that it can be fixed in a corner of the sail which is to be hoisted (5), a halyard (6) which is fixed to the moveable part (2) so that said moveable part (2) can be hoisted towards the fixed part (1), whereby said device comprises two supporting means which can be reversed in said movable part (2) by the fixed part (1), thereby determining two positions which are offset in relation to the maintenance of the moveable part (2) with respect to the fixed part and which are adapted in such a way that they can bear a maximum longitudinal strain having different predetermined values, in addition to comprising means for moving from one maintenance position to another by acting upon the halyard (6) or the sail (5) attached to the moveable part.

Description

"Sail hanging device"

The invention is in the general field of fittings for sailboats. It relates more particularly to rigging fixing devices, for example along a mast.

Conventionally, on a sailboat, to hoist and fix a sail along a mast, we use a pulley permanently attached to the top of the mast, in which passed a halyard whose two ends are attached to the bottom of the mast when no sail is hoisted. When hoisting a sail, one end of the halyard is attached to the top point of the sail, and a pulling force is exerted (by a winch or other manual or motorized device) on the other end of the halyard, this who hoists the sail. The sail is then stretched by this same halyard, the end of which is blocked at the foot of the mast.

We understand that this method requires, on the one hand, to use a halyard capable of supporting the pulling force exerted on the sail, and therefore the force created by the wind on the sail, and, on the other hand, causes the creation with a force in the axis of the mast equal to twice the traction exerted on the sail (fixing the halyard stretched at its two ends).

This force exerted by the tension of the halyards of the sails in the axis of the mast is at the origin of the mechanical buckling of masts in many occasions (in particular in race), because one seeks to lighten the sailboat, and therefore to reduce the mass of the mat. The resumption by the mast of the tension of the sails then becomes a critical problem in the design of sailboats.

Furthermore, the halyard length required is at least twice the length of the mast, and in practice almost three times this length. The cost of halyards is high, and all the more so when their diameter is large. The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, by proposing a new means of fixing the sail at the top of a mast.

The problem posed in the present application is that the attachment of front sails, in particular in the case of sails stored, that is to say wound on a flexible stay and stored in a bag. According to a second objective of the invention, the device is significantly less more expensive than existing devices.

According to another objective of the invention, it is possible to no longer have halyards running along the mast when no sail is rigged.

To this end, the invention proposes a device for attaching a sail to the top of a sailboat mast, so as to allow tensioning of said sail, characterized in that it comprises a fixed part placed permanently at the top of the mast, a mobile part adapted to be fixed in a corner of the sail to be hoisted, a halyard fixed to the mobile part, so as to allow to hoist the mobile part towards the fixed part, the device comprising two support means reversible of the mobile part by the fixed part, determining two offset positions for holding the mobile part relative to the fixed part, adapted to withstand maximum longitudinal forces of different predetermined values, and means for passing from a holding position to another by acting on the halyard or on the sail attached to the mobile part. According to a preferred implementation, the device comprises means adapted so that a continuous pull on the halyard ultimately leads to blocking in a first holding position, the transition from the first holding position to the second is caused by a pull on the mobile part, and the release of this second holding position is caused by a traction of limited amplitude on the halyard.

In order to reduce the diameter of the halyard to the strict minimum, and therefore only to support the weight of a sail, according to a preferential arrangement, a first reversible support means is adapted to support a force corresponding substantially to the weight of a sail. , and a second support means is adapted to withstand a force corresponding substantially to the maximum tension exerted on the sail.

The description and the drawings which follow will make it possible to better understand the aims and advantages of the invention. It is clear that this description is given by way of example, and is not limiting. In the drawings: - Figure 1 very schematically shows a sail rig using a device according to the invention;

- Figure 2 shows a sectional view of a fastening device according to the invention;

- Figure 3 shows a top view of the same device;

- Figures 4 and 5 show cross sections of the core at the pushers, and the guide at the support balls; - Figures 6 to 10 show different respective positions of the fixed part and the mobile part of the device during its use.

In order to better understand the description of the parts making up the device, we first briefly present its operating mode.

In general, and as can be seen in FIG. 1, the device according to the invention comprises a "fixed" part 1 and a "mobile" part 2. The fixed part 1 is intended to be permanently attached at the top of mast 3, at the final attachment point of a sail. The movable part 2 is intended to be attached to the upper end 4 of a sail 5 to be rigged. This mobile part 2 is therefore mobile thanks to a halyard 6 of small diameter (a few millimeters) which passes through a sheave 7 formed in the fixed part 1.

When the sail 5 is not yet rigged, the mobile part 2 is lowered to the bottom of the mast 3, to be handled by a crew member.

When the sail 5 is being rigged, the mobile part 2 is hoisted with the sail 5 (stored or "socked") which is attached to it along the mast 3 towards the fixed part 1.

The movable part 2 then comes to nest within the fixed part 1 and is blocked by elastic play at the level of a groove 39 formed in said fixed part 1, this blocking being adapted to support the weight of the sail 5 (at maximum a few tens of kilos), but not its tension, and therefore being adapted to allow the halyard 6 to be released once the mobile part 2 is blocked in the fixed part 1.

The release of the halyard 6 then causes the installation of a locking element 31, which prevents the release of the mobile part 2 (as long as the halyard 6 is not again urged to raise the locking element 31 and release the moving part again 2).

The assembly formed by the fixed part 1 and the movable part 2 locked in force is then able to withstand a tension imposed on the sail 5 from the lower end 8 thereof.

It is understood that the halyard 6 no longer has to support the tension of the sail 5 (several tonnes) but only its weight (a few tens of kilos), is of significantly reduced diameter, and therefore very economical both in cost and in place busy. Its smaller diameter also allows it to pass inside the mat 3, and not outside of it, as is the case in traditional devices.

More specifically, the mobile part 2 is organized around a core 9 of mainly hollow cylindrical shape. It is fixed to the sail 5 by a swivel fixed to a ring 10, secured in the lower part of the core 9 by an axis 11. The dimensions of the ring 10 and of the axis 11 are conventional, depending on the type of rigging. used.

The profile of the core 9 is illustrated in FIG. 2.

As can be seen, the interior of said core 9 comprises coaxially, from bottom to top (according to FIG. 2, which corresponds well to the direction of presentation of the device in practice):

1 - a cylindrical space 12 of diameter adapted to the passage of the fixing point 13 of the ring 10, (for example 3 centimeters) and with a length of a few centimeters, 2 - a housing 14 also cylindrical of the same diameter as the cylindrical space 12 in the example described here without limitation, and a length of a few centimeters (4 centimeters in the present example),

3 - a cylindrical channel 15 of small diameter (for example 1 centimeter), intended for the free passage of a lifting element 16, detailed below. The core 9 possibly includes two opposite lateral openings to allow the passage of the fixing point 13 of the ring 10.

The outer profile of the core 9, which is mainly cylindrical as said, comprises substantially at mid-height an annular rim 17, extending by a few millimeters (4 in the present example) towards the outside of the core 9. This rim annular 17 is locally reinforced on its lower flank, either by special surface treatment intended to harden it, or by interlocking with a ring 18 of hard material (case-hardened steel for example). A few millimeters above the annular rim 17 (one centimeter in the present nonlimiting example), the core 9 has a frustoconical oblique shoulder 19 (practically placed in line with the lower limit of the cylindrical channel 15 internal to said core 9). The core 9 therefore forms in its lower part a thick skirt, the thickness and material of which are chosen so as to be able to take up the forces of several tonnes exerted by the sail. In the present example, envisaged without limitation for a sailboat of 16 meters, the core 9 can for example be made of aluminum, with a skirt thickness of 10 millimeters and a low external diameter of 5 centimeters.

Above the oblique shoulder 19, the core 9 has a second cylindrical part 20 whose diameter is, in the example described, about 4 centimeters. This second cylindrical part 20 is terminated at the top by a second oblique shoulder 21 and a flat 22 of small diameter. The second cylindrical part, the thickness of which is approximately 15 millimeters, is drilled radially halfway up six cylindrical recesses 23 angularly spaced by 60 ° (FIG. 4).

In these recesses 23 are arranged three "pushers" 24 (spaced from

120 ° each) each comprising a means (for example spring) of exerting a radial force towards the outside, by means of a ball 25. The recess opposite each pusher 24 makes it possible to introduce an adjustment tool of the force exerted by the pusher 24, in a manner known per se.

These pushers 24 are of a type known per se (and for example marketed by the French company Norelem under the reference 0303_080). It is understood that the balls 25 of these pushers spontaneously tend to project outwards from the second cylindrical part 20 of the core 9, under the effect of a spring in the pushbutton 24, but can be brought back inside of said core 9 by a sufficient radial force.

A lifting element 16 formed by a hollow rod 26 terminated by a sidewall 27 is disposed inside the core 9. It can slide freely in the small diameter bore 15, and therefore has a length of clearance L1 (FIG.

10) equal to the height of the housing 14 (to the thickness of the sidewall 27 and the halyard 6 knotted close) The internal diameter of the hollow rod 26 is suitable for the passage of a halyard 6 of predetermined diameter, for example 5 millimeters On the other hand, a knot on the halyard 6 is enough to prevent it from happening in the hollow rod 26 As regards now the fixed part 1, it comprises a support

28, so daπsé by three parallel screws 29 to a guide 30, adapted to receive the movable part 2, a bell 31 movable in translation along the screws 29 coming to coat the guide 30

The guide 30 is a part with a cylindrical external surface closed at its upper part, and with an internal profile substantially complementary to that of the core 9

Indeed, this interior profile comprises from top to bottom

1 - first an oblique shoulder 32 (corresponding to the oblique shoulder 21 which ends the core 9), 2 - a narrow cy ndπque zone 33 (of diameter and length just greater than those of the second cylindrical part 20 of the core 9 ),

3 - a second oblique shoulder 34 (corresponding to the first oblique shoulder 19 of the core 9),

4 - finally a wide cylindrical zone 35, of diameter just greater than that of the core 9 at the rim 17

The narrow cy ndnque zone 33 has a groove 39 deep about 2 millimeters, adapted to receive the balls 25 of the pushers 24, when the core 9 is completely inserted in the guide 30

This groove 39 has slightly oblique edges, so as to allow retraction of the balls 25 in the core 9, when a force greater than a predetermined value (for example a few tens of kilos) is applied in the direction of the axis of the device. An adjustment of the pushers 24 will make it possible to fix this predetermined force value

It is understood that in this way, the balls will protrude into the groove 39 as long as the only weight of the sail (a few tens of kilos maximum) is exerted on the core 9, but will be retracted in the core 9 when the sail 5 will be in tension (force of several tons) The wide cylindrical zone 35 extends longitudinally over a distance corresponding approximately to half the length of the part of the core 9 situated below said rim 17.

The thickness of the guide 30 is in its lower part of about 5 millimeters. This value depends on the material chosen (for example aluminum here), it is suitable for the recovery of longitudinal forces due to the tension exerted by the sail, these forces being transmitted from the core 9 to the guide 30 at the level of the wide cylindrical zone 35 , by means of six balls 36 (only three of which are shown in FIG. 5). To this end, the guide 30 comprises at the level of the wide cylindrical zone 35

(at a distance from the oblique shoulder 34 greater than the distance between the rim 17 of the core 9 and the oblique shoulder 19 of said same core 9), in a regularly angularly spaced manner, six housings 37 of diameter approximately 11 millimeters, and having a small ledge inside. It should be noted that the vertical distance existing on the guide 30 between the groove 39 and the top of the housings 37 is chosen to be greater than the distance existing on the core 9 between the balls 25 of the pushers 24 and the flange 17 of said core 9.

In this way, when the movable part 2 reaches its position for blocking the pushers 24 in the groove 39 of the fixed part 1 (which is a position capable of supporting only the weight of the sail), the blocking means formed by the balls 36 and the flange 17 has been exceeded by a length L3 (figure

10), and is therefore "armed".

The material forming the guide 30 is treated locally at the level of the housings 37 by hardening the metal if it is made of metal, or by adding a piece 38 of high hardness around said housing 37.

A ball 36 made, for example, of very hard steel, about 10 millimeters in diameter, is placed in each housing 37.

In its upper part, the guide 30 has three tapped bores 40, suitable for fixing three screws 29 securing the guide 30 to the support 28, and thereby to the mast 3 of the sailboat.

The bell 31, movable in translation along these screws 29, is a skirt thin cylindrical (for example 3 millimeters made of aluminum or plastic of the so-called ABS type) closed in its upper part by a surface 41 comprising three bores intended for the passage of the screws 29, and a central bore 42 intended for the passage of the halyard 6, but adapted to block the vertical movement of the lifting means 16. It is understood that this arrangement allows the lifting means 16 to drive the bell 31 upwards in its vertical movement, when the movable part 2 enters the fixed part 1.A return spring 47 is arranged around each support screw 29, so as to exert a force tending to bring down the bell 31. The cylindrical skirt proper comprises from the top down a narrow zone 43 ( said blocking area) and a wide area 44 (said release area).

The narrow zone 43 has an internal diameter just greater than the external diameter of the guide 30. It has a length suitable for that, when the bell 31 is placed in abutment on the upper surface of the guide 30, this narrow zone 43 comes to block the balls 36 in a position projecting inwards from the guide 30.

The wide area 44 has an internal diameter just sufficient for the balls 36 to be able to move in their housing 37 until they are no longer flush with the interior of the guide 30, thus allowing the core 9 and more generally the mobile part 2 to pass.

The wide area 44 has a length substantially equal to the length of travel of the pusher 16 (hollow pull tab 26 through which the halyard 6 has passed).

An oblique shoulder 45 is formed between the narrow zone 43 and the wide zone 44, so as to cause, under the effect of the weight of the bell 31 and the action of the return springs 47, the re-entry of the balls 36 into the housings

37, so that they protrude towards the inside of the guide 30, and therefore block the core 9.

In this way, it is determined between the rest position of the bell 31 on the guide 30 (locking position), and the position of the bell 31 for which the balls 36 are fully retracted in the guide 30 and no longer come out towards the core 9, a locking length L2 (Figure 10). We understand that this bell 31 takes up only the mechanical force linked to the pushing effect towards the outside of the balls 36 under the action of the rim 17 of the core 9. A possible reinforcement of the bell 31 can therefore be provided for. level of this pressure point 46, for example by a surface treatment, a local allowance or an external reinforcement ring (not shown).

In operation, the fixed part 1 already being permanently fixed to the top of a mast 3, when rigging a sail 5, the swivel fixing ring 10 of the mobile part 2 is attached to the high point 4 of said sail 5 (which is then stored or "stocked up", so as not to undergo any force related to the thrust of the wind) by a swivel of conventional type, and the halyard 6 is pulled while supporting only the weight of the sail during this traction, by means of the hollow rod 26 supported on the lower face 48 of the core 9. When the movable part enters the fixed part (FIG. 1), the balls 36 are extended as far as possible towards the interior of the guide 30. When the traction on the halyard 6 continues, the hollow rod 26 comes into contact with the upper part 41 of the bell 31 (FIG. 6) and raises the latter (FIG. 7), thus allowing the displacement of the balls 36 outwards and therefore the passage of the rim 17 of the core 9 at these balls 36 (Figure 8).

At the end of travel of the halyard 6, the upper part of the core 9 comes into contact with the guide 31, the pushers 24 then having their balls 25 housed in the groove 39 of the guide 30. The first holding position is thus reached (FIG. 9 ) of the movable part 2 in the fixed part 1, capable of supporting the weight of the sail 5.

The halyard 6 can then be released, causing by the effect of the springs 47, the descent of the bell 31 and the locking of the balls 36 inside their housing 37 towards the core 9 (FIG. 10).

The mobile part remains locked in this position as long as a tension force of the sail greater than a threshold determined by the adjustment of the pushers 24 is not applied. By cons, as soon as such a tensioning force of the sail 5 is applied (by pulling on the low point 8 of the sail 5), the balls 25 of the pushers 24 return to their housing, and the core 9 descends from the length L3, until the flange 17 comes to bear on the balls 36.

In this second position for holding the movable part 2 relatively at the fixed part 1, the device is able to withstand a maximum force determined by the structural resistance of the balls 36, of the guide 30 at the level of the balls 36, of the flange 17 of the core 9, and of the bearing zone 46 of the balls 36 on the bell 31. A dimensioning of these parts, known to those skilled in the art, allows a force of several tonnes to be taken up, corresponding to the forces created by the wind on the sail 5.

When the sail 5 is no longer to be used, it is detached by its lower part 8. A light pull exerted on the halyard 6 then suffices to lift the bell 31 until the balls 36 are opposite the wide area 44 of said bell 31, and under the simple radial force created by the rim 17 on the balls 36, these return to their housing 37, thereby releasing the core 9, and thereby the movable part 2. It is then sufficient to leave spin the halyard 6 to lower the sail 5. In an alternative embodiment of the parts, these are mainly made of plastic material of ABS type or equivalent, sized according to the maximum forces to be taken up, with simply metal reinforcements at the points of 'effort of the balls mentioned in the description.

In another variant, the ring 10 can be replaced by a swivel directly integrated into the movable part 2, which reduces the total weight of the device for attaching the sail.

It has been clearly understood that the invention allows the rigging of a sail, without an external guide element (with the exception of the halyard which is used to hoist the sail), unlike all the previous devices in the field, for which, either a fixed forestay already tensioned serves as a guide for the sail (in the case of a forward sail), or a mast serves as a guide rail (in the case of a mainsail). In these cases, the sail rigging device is guided by the fixed stay and is movable along it.

The present invention is therefore particularly suitable for a head sail. It allows you to rig a sail without having a fixed forestay previously installed, and also allows you to rig a flying forestay (free), which then allows you to attach a sail in the conventional way (with carabiner etc.).

The structure of an axially symmetrical guide device (device mainly cylindrical) is also due to the fact that the guiding and centering is carried out directly by the halyard, and not by another forestay already stretched, and along which the sail would run.

It is also understood that the present invention allows remote unlocking of the hooking device, unlike a number of devices known in the prior art, for which a locking ring must be unscrewed for example.

It is understood that this device is particularly well suited in the case of stored sails, in so far as, once the sail is hoisted to the top of the mast, the maneuver can then be carried out from the cockpit, by two sheets, which is very interesting and less dangerous in heavy seas.

Similarly, traditional devices are not adaptable to the rigging of a stored sail. Indeed, the fixed stay of these devices prevents the unwinding of a sail wrapped around a second stay.

Furthermore, the present device is removable and can be simply removed from the mat, as opposed to a large number of previous devices for which the locking device is bolted to the top of the mat, and therefore difficult to dismantle. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the details of the embodiments described here by way of example, but on the contrary extends to modifications within the reach of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Hanging device at the top of a mast (3) of a sailboat from a sail (5) before it has been stored, so as to allow tensioning of said sail (5), characterized in that the device comprises a fixed part (1) permanently placed at the top of the mast (3), a mobile part (2) adapted to be fixed in a corner of the sail (5) to be hoisted, a halyard (6) fixed to the mobile part (2), so as to allow the mobile part (2) to be hoisted towards the fixed part (1), the device comprising two means for reversibly supporting the mobile part (2) by the fixed part (1), determining two positions offset shifting of the movable part (2) relative to the fixed part (1), adapted to withstand maximum longitudinal forces of different predetermined values, and means for passing from one holding position to another by action on the halyard (6)

or on the sail (5) attached to the mobile part (2) 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the device comprises means adapted so that a continuous pull on the halyard (6) finally causes blocking in a first holding position, the passage from the first holding position to the second is caused by a traction on the mobile part (2), and the release of this second holding position is caused by a traction of limited amplitude on the halyard.

3. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that a first reversible support means (25,39) is adapted to support a force corresponding substantially to the weight of a sail (5), and a second support means (36,17) is adapted to withstand a force corresponding substantially to the maximum tension exerted on the sail (5).

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a locking means (31) reversible of the second support means (36,17) in the locked position.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the part mobile (2) is adapted to fit reversibly into) a fixed part (1).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the movable part (2), of substantially cylindrical shape, comprises: a hollow core (9) in which is placed a lifting element (16) adapted to be secured to the halyard (6) and movable in translation in the axis of the core (9) over a predetermined clearance, a point (10) for fixing the sail (5), an annular rim (17) disposed substantially halfway up the core (9) on its outer surface, extending a few millimeters towards the outside of the core (9), - "pushers" (24) each comprising a means of exerting a radial elastic force towards the outside of the outer surface of the core (9), by means of balls (25). and in that correspondingly, the fixed part (1) comprises:

a guide (30), adapted to receive the movable part (2), and of internal profile substantially complementary to that of the core (9), said guide comprising, on the one hand, a groove (39) adapted to receive the balls (25) pushers (24), when the core (9) is inserted in the guide (30), and on the other hand, housings (37) adapted to receive balls (36) retractable in the wall of said guide ( 30) a bell (31) movable in translation along the longitudinal axis of the device, and coming to coat the guide (30), said bell (31) comprising a cylindrical skirt comprising from top to bottom a narrow zone (43) (said zone of blocking) and a wide area (44) (called the release area).

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that: the narrow zone (43) has an internal diameter just greater than the external diameter of the guide (30), -the narrow zone (43) has a length adapted so that, when the bell (31) is placed in abutment on the upper surface of the guide (30), this narrow zone (43) comes to block the balls (36) in a position projecting towards the inside of the guide (30), -the wide area (44) has an internal diameter just sufficient for the balls (36) to be able to move in their housing (37) until they are no longer flush with the inside of the guide (30), thus allowing the core to pass (9) and more generally the mobile part (2).

8. Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the device comprises an oblique shoulder (45) formed between the narrow area (43) and the wide area (44), so as to cause, under the effect of the weight of the bell (31) and faction of the return springs (47), the retraction of the balls (36) in the housings (37), so that they protrude towards the inside of the guide (30), and therefore block the core (9).

9. Device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that at least one of the points of contact of the balls (36) on the core (9), the guide (30) and the bell (31) is reinforced at a level corresponding to a holding position.