GB2202495A

GB2202495A - Land yacht

Info

Publication number: GB2202495A
Application number: GB08706794A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Adrian James Locke; David Murray Hardy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-03-23
Filing date: 1987-03-23
Publication date: 1988-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 2007-03-23
Also published as: GB2202495B; GB8706794D0

Abstract

A "sail-kart" has a chassis 1 and four wheels 2, the front or rear pair of which are steerable and all four wheels of which are fitted with brakes 13. The chassis carries a cockpit 3, mast 5 and sail 6 or sails. Steering and braking are effected by means of a tiller 9 which when moved laterally steers the vehicle and when depressed applies the brakes. <IMAGE>

Description

SAIL-KART This invention relates to a "sail-kart" - a form of land yacht.

Land yachts are sporting vehicles which generally comprise a chassis with three wheels - the front wheel being steerable, a sail on a mast, and a cockpit providing a single fixed seating position from which a driver both steers the vehicle and controls the position of the sail. Land yachts are not normally equipped with brakes. Slowing down and stopping are achieved by allowing wind to spill from the sail or by steering a course which brings the vehicle round to head into the wind. This type of land yacht thus requires a large expanse of space in which to operate.

The present invention termed a "sail-kart", comprises a chassis with four wheels, a cockpit, mast and sail. In one version the two front wheels are steerable and, in an alternative version, the rear wheels are steerable. In both versions, the wheels are equipped with brakes and both steering and braking are effected by means of a tiller arrangement. Movement of the tiller from side to side steers the "sail-kart", whilst depression of the tiller applies the brakes. The cockpit has a seating and floor arrangement which enables the driver, and any crew member or passenger carried, to move into any position considered appropriate for controlling the sail and steering or stabilising the vehicle.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows, in perspective, the "sail-kart" with steerable front wheels, cockpit, mast and sail. The alternative version with steerable rear wheels is virtually the same but has the tiller connected to the rear wheels. Figure 2 and 3 show elevations of the two versions of the "sail-kart", with front wheel steering and with rear wheel steering respectively.

Referring to the drawings, the "sail-kart" comprises a chassis 1 with four wheels 2 and a cockpit 3 which is attached to the chassis. The cockpit may be permanently attached, or detachable for ease of transportation. On the chassis is a mast holder 4 which, in this specific embodiment, is shown in the form of a socket in which the mast 5 is stepped. The mast holding arrangement may be any of several employed on sailing craft. The mast, which is removable for ease of transportation, carries a sail 6, the position of which is controlled by the "sail-kart" driver or a crew member by means of a rope 7, called a "sheet" in sailing parlance, which is attached to a boom 8 to which the sail is attached. The mast, sail, boom and sheet arrangements may be any of several employed on sailing craft.The "sail-kart" may also be fitted with a second sail which would be carried on a stay forward of the mast.

Steering and braking of the "sail-kart" described in this specific embodiment are effected by means of the tiller arrangement 9 which pivots at its forward ends where it connects with the steering shafts 10. As previously described movement of the tiller from side to side steers the vehicle and depression of the tiller applies the brakes. In this specific embodiment the braking mechanism employs cable brakes as are fitted to bicycles and light motorised bicycles. It comprises cables 11, two of which are connected near the end of the tiller beyond the pivots 12 on the steering shafts 10, so that as the tiller is pressed downwards the cables are tensioned and the brakes 13 applied.

The brake mechanism on the wheels may be of any type employed on wheeled vehicles. An alternative tiller arrangement employs a single flexible or hinged bar, the ends of which are connected with pivots to the steering shafts in a similar way to that described above.

Claims

CLADIS

1. A form of land yacht, herein termed a 'sail-kart', comprising a chassis with four wheels, a cockpit, a mast and sail or sails.

2. A 'sail-kart' as claimed in Claim 1 with the two front wheels steerable.

3. A 'sail-kart' as claimed in Claim 1 with the two rear wheels steerable.

4. A 'sail-kart' as claimed in Claim 2 and in Claim 3 with all four wheels fitted with brakes.

5. A 'sail-kart' as claimed in Claim 4 with steering effected by means of a tiller arrangement.

6. A 'sail-kart' as claimed in Claim 5 with braking effected by means of the tiller arrangement.

7. A 'sail-kart' as claimed in Claim 6 with the cockpit permanently or detachably connected to, or incorporated in the chassis.

8. A "sail-kart" substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A 'sail-kart' as claimed in Claim 7 with a cockpit arrangement permitting the driver and any crew member or passenger carried to sit in any position considered appropriate for steering, sailing and balancing the vehicle.

9. A 'sail-kart' substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows CLAIMS 1. A form of wind-propelled land yacht, herein termed a "sail-kart", comprising a generally rectangularly configured chassis supported on four wheels each of which is fitted with a brake mechanism, the said chassis having a cockpit suitable for seating and carrying one or more persons, a cross-connected tiller steering arrangement and a mast and sail arrangement similar to that employed on sailing dinghies and catamarans.

2. A "sail-kart" as claimed in Claim 1 with the two front wheels steerable by means of the cross-connected tiller arrangement.

3. A "sail-kart" as claimed in Claim 1 with the two rear wheels steerable by means of the cross-connected tiller arrangement.

4. A "sail-kart" as claimed in Claim 2 and in Claim 3 with braking effected and controlled by means of the cross-connected tiller arrangement which is connected to and operates the brake mechanism on each wheel.

5. A "sail-kart" as claimed in Claim 4 with the cockpit permanently or detachably connected to, or incorpor ated in the chassis.

6. A "sail-kart" as claimed in Claim 5 with a cockpit arrangement permitting the driver and any crew member or passenger carried to sit in any position considered appropriate for steering, sailing and balancing the vehicle.

7. A "sail-kart" as claimed in Claim 6 with the mast, sail or sails and boom, if fitted, all detachable to permit removal for ease of transportation of the complete vehicle.