US2973737A - Sail boat control device - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1961 H. G. OLSEN 2,973,737

SAIL BOAT CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HARCLD q. OLSEN A ORNEY March 7, 1961 H. G. OLSEN 2,973,737

SAIL BOAT CONTROL DEVICE Filed July 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HAROLD q. OLSEN ATTORNEY SAIL BOAT CONTROL DEVICE Harold G.lsen, 418 George Road, Clifiside Park, NJ.

Filed July 6, 1959, Ser. No. 824,990

2 Claims. (Cl. 114-98) This invention relates to a sail boat control device wherein the boom is pivotally positioned on the mast and means so interconnect the jib sail forearm with the boom as to control the positions of the main sail and jib sail to conform'to wind conditions as encountered. The invention eliminates many sail linm and prevents the remaining sail lines from fouling, leaves the foredeck clear of sail lines and sail line deck fittings and thus allows persons to walk on, the foredeck on opposite sides of'the foresail without fear of tripping on sail lines or sail line deck fittings and enables the operator with one arm to relatively adjust andkeep constant and ready control of the main sail and jib sail.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic top plan view of a boat provided with the control device of the invention,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the boom and jib sail forearm and interconnecting means therefor, pursuant to the invention,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary, elevational view of the deck, main mast, boom and forearm interconnected therewith pursuant to the invention,

Figure 4 is a schematic viewillustrating a relative position to which the interconnected jib forearm and boom may be moved, and

Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the parts moved to another position.

The drawings illustrate the application of the invention to a sail boat having a deck 11 on which a mast 12 (Figures 2 and 3) is mounted. The main sail 14, conventionally secured to the mast, is secured as at 15 to the boom 16 which, pursuant to the invention, is pivotally or rotatably journaled, as by the ring 42 fixed thereto (Figure 2), on the mast 12. Halyards 18, 19 (Figure 3) are secured to the boom adjacent the free end thereof and at their other opposite ends to sides of the boat (Figure 1). The jib sail 20 (Figure 3) may be secured at two points to the bow of the boat and to the top of the mast 12, and at the third point to the forearm adjusting the arm 21. The latter, pursuant to the invention (Figure 3) is rotatably journaled or pivoted as by hub 47 (Figure 3) on a stud 23 which may be secured to a housing 24 which in turn may be secured to the mast 12 or to the deck 11 of the boat. By this arrangement, it will be noted (Figures 1, 3 and 5 for example) that the boom and arm (16 and 21) are pivotally journaled in line along the longitudinal center (40, Figure 4) of the boat and when they are disposed in line relation (Figure l), the main sail and jib sail will be correspondingly arranged in line.

Control means are provided for movement of the jib sail directly relative to and responsive to movement of the main sail boom so that the operator of the boat, by simply pulling on either halyard 18 or 19 moving the boom to one side or the other of the boat, may automatically adjust the position of the main and jib sails to wind conditions encountered or expected, leaving the operators other hand free to operate the rudder tiller 13.

sail and boom along the lines 26, 28, respectively.

For certain wind conditions, the relative arrangement of the main sail and the jib sail in line (Figure 1) relation is desirable; for other conditions, the other arrangements shown (Figures 1, 4 and 5) are desirable.

Pursuant to the invention, means are secured to the boom 16 in complementary interengagement with the forearm adjusting arm 21 of the jib sail 211 interconnecting the boomand forearm adjusting arm so that on rotation of the boom toward either side of the boat, the forearm adjusting arm will move synchronously therewith toward that side of the boat. The arrangement is such that the boom and forearm adjusting arm will rotate toward each other up to a predetermined. point (25, 27, Figure 1), con tinued rotation of the bottom beyond line v25 to point 26, Figure 1, resulting in a reversal of direction of movement of the jib forearm adjusting arm 21 (to line 23, Figure l). The movement of the boom and forearm adjusting arm initially from thein-line position on the longitudinal axis of the boat (full lines, Figure 1) may be at a given ratio, such as a one-to-one ratio, to the angle lines 25, 27 until wind conditions make it desirable to position the main Interengaging means provided pursuant to this invention for the boom 16'and for the forearm adjusting arm 21'of the jib sail are such that continued movement of the boom 16 (as indicated by the dotted arrow 35, Figure 1) beyond the just-mentioned point 25 will reverse the direction of rotation of the forearm adjusting arm 21 of the jib sail, as indicated by the dotted arrow 36 (Figure 1).

The interconnecting means are preferably such that initial rotation of the boom 16 to the position 25 (Figure 1) through the are marked by arrow 33 will result in a one-to-one complementary rotation of the forearm adjusting arm 21 through the are 34 to line 27, but the continued rotation of the boom 16, as noted at 35 to line 26, will result in reversal of direction (arrow 45) of rotation of the forearm adjusting arm 21 past the longitudinal axial center 41) (Figure 4) of the boat and to the line 28 through arc 36 in a preferably two-to-one ratio. Thus, when the boom 16 and thus the main sail 14 are substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis 40 of the boat, the forearm adjusting arm 21 and jib sail 20 will be at an obtuse angle to the main sail, as indicated by the lines 26, 28, respectively (Figure 1). Where it is desired to achieve a reverse relative sail arrangement (Figure 5),

rotation of the boom from its in-line (Figure 1) position through the are 37 toward the side 38 of the boat, will correspondingly rotate the forearm adjusting arm 21 in the direction of arrow 39 through arc 41 to side 38 of the boat, disposing the main sail 14, and jib sail 24} along the lines 29, 31 (Figure 5). Continued rotation of the boom past line 29 to line 30 (Figure 5) thus disposing the main sail 14 at substantial right angles to the longitudinal axis 411 of the boat, will result in reversal of direction of rotation of the forearm adjusting arm 21as indicated by the arrow 46, moving the jib sail 211 to the line indicated at 32 (Figure 5).

The foregoing disclosure of the conception of the problem and means for solving it will enable those skilled in this art to attain the objectives mentioned by providing suitable interengaging means on the boom and jib and forearm adjusting arm respectively.

. A convenient means illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 comprises a gear 42 fixed to a ring 42 which, in turn, is keyed to the boom 16, in mesh with a gear segment 52 integrally extending from the forearm adjusting arm 21 of the jib sail 20 and pivoted on stud 23. Meshing of the gears 42, 52 by movement of the boom 16 from the position shown in full lines in Figure 1 to the dotted line position 25 indicated through the arc 33 will thus rotate the forearm adjusting arm 21 through the are 34 to the line 27. Rotation of the boom in the reverse direction i the boat (for example to the lines 26, 28 position shown in Figure -1 or to the position shown in full lines in Figure 4), may be attained as follows: Starting with the boom and jib sail forearm adjusting arm at the lines 25, 27, respectively, in Figure 1, the gears 42 and 52 will be at their extreme point of contact. Continued rotation of the boom 16 along the are 35 to line 26 will rotate the gears 42 and 52 out of engagement with each other and will rotate the gear 43 keyed to boom 16 through ring 42" keyed to ring 17 and rotating on mast 12 into mesh with gear 60 journalled at 61 into mesh with upper pinion 62 (Figure 3) keyed to the hub 47 to which the forearm adjusting aim 21 is also keyed (said hub 47 being rotatable on the stud 23), rotating the jib forearm adjusting arm from the line 27 to line 28 position while the boom 16 moves from the line 25 to line 26 position.

Similarly, starting with the boom 16 at the position indicated by line 29 of Figure and with the forearm adjusting arm at the position indicated by the line 31, said boom and forearm adjusting arm having been moved to said positions on meshing of the gears 42, 52, said gears at that time being at their extreme points of engagement. Further rotation of the boom from line 29 to line 31 will disengage the gears 42, 52 and will move gear 44 into meshing engagement with the gear 53 which is pivoted at 54, rotating gear 53 into mesh with lower pinion 63 keyed to hub 47, thus rotating the latter through the arcs 41, 46 to move the forearm adjusting arm 21 to the line 32 position while the boom 16 is being moved to the line 30 position. The gears mesh as follows, at different levels:

4 and 62 53 and 63 52 and 42 43 and 60 44 and 53 I claim:

1. In a sailboat having a mast, a boom and a mainsail secured to the mast and boom and a jib sail and forearm adjusting arm for the jib sail, a device for controlled movement of the jib sail relative to movement of the boom-and thus of the mainsail, said device comprising means for journalling the boom on the mast, means for pivotally mounting the forearm adjusting arm of the jib sail in spaced relation to the mast, complementary interengaging means secured to the boom and forearm adjusting arm of the jib interconnecting said boom and forearm adjusting arm so that, on movement of the boom pivotally and toward one side of the sailboat, the forearm adjusting arm will move synchronously therewith, said interconnecting means being such that on said movement of the boom, the forearm adjusting arm will so move synchronously therewith toward the boom for an arc of rotation of the boom and on continued movement of the boom in extension of said are the forearm adjusting arm will move synchronously therewith but in a reverse direction away from the boom.

2. In a sailboat as set forth in claim 1, said interconnecting means being complementary gear means connected to the boom and connected to the forearm adjusting arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,429,156 Moraitis Sept. 12, 1922 1,891,555 Rockwood Dec. 20, 1932 2,106,209 Edge Ian. 25, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 392,451 Great Britain May 18, 1933 623,036 Great Britain May 11, 1949

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