GB2133758A

GB2133758A - Indicator for the instruction of sailing

Info

Publication number: GB2133758A
Application number: GB08400341A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Stockbridge
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-01-19
Filing date: 1984-01-06
Publication date: 1984-08-01
Also published as: GB2133758B; GB8400341D0

Abstract

An indicator has a plurality of movable pointers (2A and 2B) representing the sails of a sailing boat, set on a facia (1) bearing a representation of a boat. The facia is covered with a transparent cover bearing an arrow (4) to represent wind direction. In operation the transparent facia is moved such that the wind arrow is set to the wind direction relative to the representation of the boat and, by means of an internal cam mechanism (fig. 3), causes the pointers, representing the sails, to adjust themselves to indicate the position in which the sails of the sailing boat should lie for optimum sailing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Indicator for the instruction of sailing This invention relates to an indicatorforthe instruction of sailing.

One ofthefactors influencing the art of sailing is the knowledgeofthe positions that the sails of a sailing boat must be held in orderthatthe boat may be propelled through the water in a efficient manner. For each direction ofthe wind relative to the desired direction oftravel of the sailing boat, there is an optimum angleforthe sails relative to the boat.

The relationships between direction of sailing, angle of sails andwind direction are well known and can easily be found by recourseto books upon the subject, or reliance upon the experience of others. But to the novice sailorthesesources of knowledge are not always availablesince many experienced sailors are not very good teachers and that reference to books whilst in a small boat has obvious limitations.

This invention describes an indicator on which the direction ofthe wind relative to the direction of travel ofthesailing boat can be set on a movablefacia.This setting will cause the movement of a plurality of pointers, representing the sails ofthe sailing boat, to be moved such that their positions, relative to the direction ofthe wind, and the direction of movement ofthe boat, are the same as their relationship for optimum sailing in a full size sailing boat Thus the indicator will show the user the exact relationship between wind, sails and direction oftravel ofthe boat without the problems outlined above.

The invention will now be described byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa plan view of the fixed and movable facias ofthe device; Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional viewtaken along line AA of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross sectional viewtaken along line BB of Figure 2.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3,the illustrated indicator has a circular plate 1 which will be called the guide plate. On the underside of this guide plate are grooves which act as guides fortwo cam followers 8A and 8B.

The cam followers are formed having on one of their faces a boss 9A and 9B. The boss is so positioned as to engage an endless track 11 formed in a face cam 5 which is mounted belowthe guide plate and is movableco-axiallyto it. The rack edges 10Aand 10B of the camfollowers engage pinions 7A and 7B which rotateaccording to the movement of the cam follow- ers, this rotation being about fixed axies through the guide plate. Attached to the axies ofthe pinions, and abovethe guide plate, are pointers 2A and 2B which movewith the pinions and represent the sails ofthe sailing boat.

The upperface of the guide plate is marked by printing or otherwise with a design representing the hull of a sailing boat as is illustrated in Figure 1 with the pointers 2A and 2B positioned in such away aosta represent the sails of the sailing boat. Also marked on the guide plate may be sailing terminolgy such as the names given to different modes of sailing and different parts of a sailing boat.

The base of the indicator is formed by another plate 6 which will be called the indexing plate. This plate is of circular form and has at its centre a raised hub, also of circularform and co-axial with it, about which the cam plate 5 rotates. The indexing plate is fixedly attached to, and co-axial with,the guide plate 1 but in such a way that the cam followers 8A and 8B may slide between them, andthe pinions7Aand7B befreeto rotate in concert with the movement of the cam followers. The underside of the indexing plate may be knurled or ribbed for ease of grip and may be marked by printing or otherwise with sailing terminology or information.

The previously mentioned cam plate 5 also forms the sides of the indicator, which may be knurled on their outer face or otherwise equipped for ease of grip.

A transparent facia 3 is fixedly attached to the sides of the cam plate, and is marked by printing or otherwise with an arrow4 upon its surface which represents the direction of the wind.

In usethe indicatoris held such thatthe arrow representing wind direction on thetransparentfacia 3 is aligned with the actual direction ofthe wind and the facia depicting the hull ofthe boat 1 aligned with the direction oftravel of the boat. The pointers representing the sails will then automatically indicate the positions in which the sailing boat's sails should be set for optimum sailing.

The indicator may be manufactured as a number of components from plastics materials and be assembled by the use of screws or rivets, or by glueing, welding or press fitting the components together.

1. Adevice usable as an indicatorforthr instruc tionofsailing; said devicecomprisingfirstand second relatively rotatable components, one providing a visual representation of wind direction and the other providing a visual representation of a sailing craft, displaceable means for representing the relative position of at least one sail ofthe craft representation and a mechanism for translating relative rotation between the components into an equivalent displace ment ofthe sail position representing means thereby to show the correct orientation ofthe sail position representing meansfora given wind direction.

2. A device according to claim 1,wherinthe sail-position representing means represents the positions of two sails of the craft representation.

3. A device according to claim 1 or2, wherein said one componentwhich provides a visual representation of wind direction takes the form of a transparent facia having indicia at least in the form of an arrow mounted over the other component.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the facia is connected with a camming plate and the other component is a further plate mounted between the camming plate and the facia.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein the other component is a plate rotatably supported on a base and the facia is connected to a cam plate providing an input to the mechanism.

6. A device according to claim 3, wherein the mechanism comprises a cam formed on a cam plate fixed to the facia, at least one cam follower engaging with the cam and a rack-and-pinion linkage operably disposed between the cam follower and the sail

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Indicator for the instruction of sailing This invention relates to an indicatorforthe instruction of sailing. One ofthefactors influencing the art of sailing is the knowledgeofthe positions that the sails of a sailing boat must be held in orderthatthe boat may be propelled through the water in a efficient manner. For each direction ofthe wind relative to the desired direction oftravel of the sailing boat, there is an optimum angleforthe sails relative to the boat. The relationships between direction of sailing, angle of sails andwind direction are well known and can easily be found by recourseto books upon the subject, or reliance upon the experience of others. But to the novice sailorthesesources of knowledge are not always availablesince many experienced sailors are not very good teachers and that reference to books whilst in a small boat has obvious limitations. This invention describes an indicator on which the direction ofthe wind relative to the direction of travel ofthesailing boat can be set on a movablefacia.This setting will cause the movement of a plurality of pointers, representing the sails ofthe sailing boat, to be moved such that their positions, relative to the direction ofthe wind, and the direction of movement ofthe boat, are the same as their relationship for optimum sailing in a full size sailing boat Thus the indicator will show the user the exact relationship between wind, sails and direction oftravel ofthe boat without the problems outlined above. The invention will now be described byway of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure lisa plan view of the fixed and movable facias ofthe device; Figure 2 is a transverse cross sectional viewtaken along line AA of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross sectional viewtaken along line BB of Figure 2. Referring to Figures 2 and 3,the illustrated indicator has a circular plate 1 which will be called the guide plate. On the underside of this guide plate are grooves which act as guides fortwo cam followers 8A and 8B. The cam followers are formed having on one of their faces a boss 9A and 9B. The boss is so positioned as to engage an endless track 11 formed in a face cam 5 which is mounted belowthe guide plate and is movableco-axiallyto it. The rack edges 10Aand 10B of the camfollowers engage pinions 7A and 7B which rotateaccording to the movement of the cam follow- ers, this rotation being about fixed axies through the guide plate. Attached to the axies ofthe pinions, and abovethe guide plate, are pointers 2A and 2B which movewith the pinions and represent the sails ofthe sailing boat. The upperface of the guide plate is marked by printing or otherwise with a design representing the hull of a sailing boat as is illustrated in Figure 1 with the pointers 2A and 2B positioned in such away aosta represent the sails of the sailing boat. Also marked on the guide plate may be sailing terminolgy such as the names given to different modes of sailing and different parts of a sailing boat. The base of the indicator is formed by another plate 6 which will be called the indexing plate. This plate is of circular form and has at its centre a raised hub, also of circularform and co-axial with it, about which the cam plate 5 rotates. The indexing plate is fixedly attached to, and co-axial with,the guide plate 1 but in such a way that the cam followers 8A and 8B may slide between them, andthe pinions7Aand7B befreeto rotate in concert with the movement of the cam followers. The underside of the indexing plate may be knurled or ribbed for ease of grip and may be marked by printing or otherwise with sailing terminology or information. The previously mentioned cam plate 5 also forms the sides of the indicator, which may be knurled on their outer face or otherwise equipped for ease of grip. A transparent facia 3 is fixedly attached to the sides of the cam plate, and is marked by printing or otherwise with an arrow4 upon its surface which represents the direction of the wind. In usethe indicatoris held such thatthe arrow representing wind direction on thetransparentfacia 3 is aligned with the actual direction ofthe wind and the facia depicting the hull ofthe boat 1 aligned with the direction oftravel of the boat. The pointers representing the sails will then automatically indicate the positions in which the sailing boat's sails should be set for optimum sailing. The indicator may be manufactured as a number of components from plastics materials and be assembled by the use of screws or rivets, or by glueing, welding or press fitting the components together. CLAIMS

6. A device according to claim 3, wherein the mechanism comprises a cam formed on a cam plate fixed to the facia, at least one cam follower engaging with the cam and a rack-and-pinion linkage operably disposed between the cam follower and the sail position representing means.

7. Adeviceaccprding to any one of claim 1 to 6, wherein the sail-position representing means takes the form of one or more pointers.

8. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sail position representing means takes the form of one or more pointers and the or each pointer is supported on a rotatable pinion forming part of said mechanism.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the mechanism at least includes a cam.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the cam is an endless track and a cam follower forming part of the mechanism engages with the cam.

11. A device according to any one of claim 1 to 10, wherein the other component also provides indicia representing the points of sailing.

12. Adevice according to claim 1, wherein said components are both circular plates with the plate constituting said one component being transparent and located abovethe otherplate, a grippable base plate rotatably supports said sail position representing means, a circular plate bearing a cam is rotatably linked with a rim portion to the one component and has an annular portion disposed between the other component and the base plate and said mechanism comprises a cam follower disposed between the cam plateandthe other componentto operably connect the cam tothe sail position representing means.

13. A device according to any one ofthe preceding claims and made predominantly from plastics material.

14. A device substantially as described, with reference to, and as illustrated in. the accompanying drawings.