US3341907A

US3341907A - Snap shackle

Info

Publication number: US3341907A
Application number: US496032A
Authority: US
Inventors: Michael James
Original assignee: Michael James
Current assignee: CHASSEUR ACQUIRING COMPANY Inc A CORP OF CA
Priority date: 1965-10-14
Filing date: 1965-10-14
Publication date: 1967-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 1984-09-19

Description

Sept. 19, 1967 J. MICHAEL 3,341,907

SNAP SHACKLE Filed Oct. 14, 1965 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 37 //V VE/V 70/? 33 JAMES MICHAEL Sept. 19, 1967 J. MICHAEL 3,341,907

SNAP SHACKLE Filed Oct. 14, 1965 9 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOI? JAMES MICHAEL 3) ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,341,907 SNAP SHACKLE James Michael, 107 Golden Gate Ave., Belvedere, Calif. 94920 Filed Oct. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 496,032 11 Claims. (Cl. 24-241) This invention relates to improvements in snapshackles and in particular to snapshackles adapted for use on sailing vessels or other like situations where it is important for the shackle to avoid entanglement with other rigging or objects lying in the path of its movement in use, and where it is important that the snapshackle be such that a sailor can disconnect it from one sail and connect it to another sail in a minimum of time and without any fumbling or lost motions.

One important use for the snapshackle of this invention is in the running rigging of a sailing vessel used to trim the jib sail to its proper position in relation to the boats course and the winds direction. The jib sheet (rope to the layman) comprises two separate lines, each connected to the clew of the sail by its own snapshackle. One sheet passes from the sail along the starboard deck back to the cockpit and the other along the port deck. The snapshackles are secured to the clew of the sail. In changing from a starboard tack to a port tack the jib sail needs to be shifted to a position where it was controlled by the port sheet to where it is controlled by the starboard sheet. This means the sail, the snapshackles and the forward ends of the two sheets must move across the vessel in front of the mast. In this area there is standing rigging, the mast, and usually numerous other objects on which the snapshackles could hang up. This has been the situation for years in this art and the snagging of a shackle will delay completion of the tack until a sailor frees the snagged parts. This is one of the problems to which the present invention is directed.

One object of this invention is therefore to' construct the several parts of the snapshackle so that each part cooperates with the other parts to do the job and yet be out of the way so the shackle will slide over any obstructing rigging, mast or the like.

Another problem solved by this invention relates to the changing of sails during racing. In addition to the jib sail, the same jib sheets are used with a Genoa jib, a balloon jib, or a spinnaker. A quick change from one sail to another is essential in racing where seconds count. The problem is accentuated by the fact that the sail change frequently comes during the interval that the vessel is shifting position while changing tack or coming about. The sailor in the precarious position on the forward deck is handicapped if he has to handle loose or unwieldly shackles in changing the sails.

To solve this problem one of the objects of the present invention is to so position the shackle body, the hub, the splice to the sheet, and the hook actuating means that the parts just named are arranged as an easily grasped integral unit for the sailor to hold in the palm of his left hand While he unhooks one sail and connects to the'clew in the new sail.

Another object of the invention is the provision of novel hook release means, which can also function as a delicately set trip latch to hold the locking pin in retracted position, but will automatically release it when the hook vibrates the shackle when the hook is slammed against the face on the hub.

Other advantages and objects will 'be apparent from the drawings in which,

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing the snapshackle with a line spliced to the hub on the frame body-and with the hook -in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device with the jib sheet spliced to the hub and the side of the frame cut away to show the spring, the locking pin and the lifting lever for retracting the pin;

FIG. 3 is a similar view with the sheet spliced to the hub and with the hook in opened position ready to engage a'fitting in the clew of the sail. The sailors hand is sketched in dotted lines to show an important feature to be explained later;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the device showing the pull lever nested inside the frame;

FIG. 5 is a plan View of the frame;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the frame;

FIG. 7 is a top View of the frame;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the locking pin retraction lever in the fully raised latched position; and

FIG. 9 is a view of the underside of the pin retraction lever.

Where the word line is used in this patent, it is meant to include the use of wire or any other material secured to the snapshackle.

Referring now to the drawings it will be seen that the 'snapshackle is adapted for use on sailing vessels. The parts are designed to interpose a minimum of interference with other rigging as the shackle travels from side to side with the flapping clew of the jib sail as the vessel changes tack. Also the parts are designed so that when the sheet is spliced to the hub on the frame the splice and the frame form a compact unit which nestles firmly in the hand of the sailor as he opens and closes the shackle when changing sails.

The numeral 10 denotes the frame body which has a hub 11 at one end. The hub is recessed preferably with its surface 12 shaped to receive a line 13 of the correct diameter for the jib sheet on a selected size of vessel. The hub 11 has the

flanges

14 and 15 which serve to hold the spliced line 13 in place even when the hook is open. The hub also holds the splice in firm alignment with the body 10. This gives an important assist to the sail-or using the device in that the splice and the body 10 tend to behave as one unit which nestles in the hand while the sailor is opening the latch arm 16 to release the clew of one sail and to secure the latch arm 16 to the clew of another sail.

The end of the frame 10 near the flange 14 in the hub 11 is faired so that the curved surface 17 merges with the curved surface of the line 13 thereby avoiding any sharp corners or edges that could hang up on another piece of rigging.

The end of the hub 11 has the mating face 19 which, as shown in FIG. 6, has an oval or elliptical shape. The midsection 20 of the hub 11 around which the sheet 13 is spliced also has an elliptical oval'shape. It will be seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 that the hub 11 is longer than it is wide with the long dimension extending lengthwise of the whole frame body 10. This elliptical shape cooperates with the line 13 spliced on the hub 11 to cause the splice 21 and the body 10 to tend to stay in axial alignment. In other Words, the elliptical shape is designed to hold the shackle in' place and to prevent the hub from slipping out of the splice'in the line. How this assembly is held easily in the sailors left hand is illustrated in FIG. 3 and will be explained later in this description.

On the end of the frame 10, opposite to the hub 11 but adjacent to its flange 14 is a pivot bearing 21 with its axis lying normal to the axis of the hub 11. In this bearing is mounted the hook 16 :by means of the pin 22. The other end of the hook 16 has an elliptical face 23 which matches and mates with the elliptical face 19 on hub 11. The end 24 of the hook 16 is rounded and tapered so that it merges into the curved surface of the line 13 at 25, thereby avoiding any sharp corners or edges that could hang up on another piece of rigging.

The hook 16 is formed in relation to the body to have its holding portion 26 substantially in line with the midsection 20 of the hub 11 and located close to the pivot 22. This compactness and alignment acilitates opening and closing of the hook on the clew of the sail while the splice and body 10 are held in the left hand as shown in FIG. 3.

The locking pin 27 fits slidably in a bore 28 in the hub 11. This bore extends in a plane which coincides with the middle longitudinal axis of the body 10 and hub 11. This bore also extends through the hub 11 in the aforesaid plane, at an angle to the face of the hub. The bore slopes from the face 19 in the direction of the pivot bearing 21. From the face 23 of the hook 16 there is a bore 29 which is aligned with the bore 28 in the hub 11. The locking pin 27 slides in those aligned

bores

28 and 29.

The bore 28 in the hub 11 has a shoulder 30 and a reduced bore 31 at its end opposite the face 19. The locking pin 27 has a shoulder 32 and reduced shank 33 to slidably fit in the bore 31. Between the shoulders 30 and 32 is fitted a light coil spring 34 which functions to yieldably hold the locking pin projecting beyond the face 19 of the hub 11.

By sloping the bore 28 and the pin 27 the effect, as to the hook 16 when the pin 27 is in the bore 29 of the hook, is for the pin to lock the hook 16 in position with sufficient holding power to resist any pull put on the hook 16. The only way in practical use for the hook 16 to be opened is for the pin 27 to be retracted into the hub 11.

To accomplish this retraction of the pin 27 a pulling lever 35 is pivoted at 36 to the reduced end 37 of the locking pin 27. The side of the body 10 has a longitudinal recess at 38 to provide

walls

39 and 40 which surround the small bore and provide the shielded recess 38. The lever 35 and its two ends 41, 41 are protected from snagging on any rigging while changing tack. The end 41 is scooped out to provide an easy finger lifting recess 42. The under side of the lever 35 shown in FIG. 9 is also perforated or recessed at 43 so the lever 35 and the end 37 of the locking pin can assume the cooked position shown in FIG. 8. The forces are such in this position that the parts mentioned will hold this position until the shackle is jarred or a tilting pressure is applied on the end 41.

It will be noted that when the snapshackle and splice are held in the left hand as shown in FIG. 3 the elliptical hub 11 tends to hold the splice 21 and the body 10 in alignment and firmly in the sailors hand. With the thumb of the right hand the sailor lifts on the cavity 42 of the lever 35 and withdraws the locking pin 27 from the bore 29 in the hook 16. This allows the hook 16 to swing open to release the clew of a sail shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3. Having a firm grip with the left hand on the shackle and splice 21 the sailors right hand is free to bring the clew of the new sail onto the hook and to close the hook.

If the lever 35 remains cooked in the position of FIG. 8 the vibration, imparted to the shackle body 10 by the hook face 23 striking the face 19 of the hub, will release the lever 35 and the spring 34 will project the locking pin 27 into the aligned bore 29 of the hook. If the lever 35 is in the down position shown in FIG. 2 the face 23 of the hook will slide on the corner of the pin 27 and will cam it back into its bore 28 in the hub 11. When the hook face 23 contacts the mating face 19 of the hub 11, the bore holes 28 and 29 will be aligned and the locking pin will be projected up into the bore 29 to lock the parts together.

In complying with the statute in describing a preferred form of the invention, it is not intended thereby to limit the invention to this one form, because other manufacturers may still incorporate principles of the invention while making a snapshackle that may appear different to the eye.

What I claim is:

1. In a snapshackle the combination of an elongated body frame;

a flanged hub at one end of said frame,

adapted to have a line spliced thereon, said flanged hub having a face at its unsupported end;

a hook pivoted to the other end of said frame, said hook having a face to mate with the face on said hub; and

a locking pin slidable in a bore in said hub and retractable therein to a position below the face on said hub;

said hook having a bore which aligns with said pin bore when the mating faces are adjacent each other.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said hub is of an elliptical cross-section with the major axis extending in the direction of the body frame, whereby the line spliced to said hub will tend to hold the body frame and the line in alignment.

3. The device of claim 1 in which there is pivoted to the end of said locking pin, a lever adapted to lay in a recess in said body frame and to fulcrum on one end in said recess to retract said locking pin when lifting force is applied at the opposite end of said lever.

4. The device of claim 3 in which the lifting lever is adapted to embrace said locking pin and thereby to permit said lifting lever, when raised, to move its fulcrum point in close enough to said locking pin to hold and to latch the latter in its retracted position until the fulcruming end of said lifting lever is moved away from said locking pin.

5. In a snapshackle adapted for use on sailing vessels and which will interpose a minimum of interference with other rigging as it is moved from side to side by the clew of the sail as the boat changes tack, the combination of a frame body, having a flanged hub formed in said body at one end crosswise of the longitudinal axis of the frame;

said hub being adapted to firmly hold to the frame a splice in the end of a line;

said frame body being faired in to one edge of the hub and having a mating face on the other edge of the hub;

a pivot bearing formed at the other end of said frame body adjacent said hub with its axis lying normal to the axis of said hub;

a hook pivoted to said frame body in the aforementioned bearing,

said hook having at its free end a face adapted to mate with the aforementioned mating face on said hub with the end of said hook faired into the edge of said hub;

said hook having adjacent to its pivot portion, and substantially in line with said flanged hub, a recess to receive a connecting link to the sail or other rigging; and

a locking pin slidable in a hole formed in said hub and engagea-ble in an aligned hole in said hook.

6. The device of claim 5 in which said hub is elliptical in cross-section with the long dimension of the hub extending generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the frame body whereby the line spliced on said hub will tend to support said frame body in general alignment with said splice.

7. In a snapshackle for rigging adapted for quick fastening to and quick release from the clew of a sail, the combination of a frame;

having at one end a flanged hub adapted to secure to said frame the spliced end of a line;

a hook having a pivoted connection securing it to said frame on the end opposite to said flanged hub,

said hook being bent back upon itself for substantially degrees to provide a locking portion in line with the said hub,

said locking portion having its free end adapted to engage the exposed face of said flanged hub;

a locking pin slidably mounted in a bore extending through said frame in the general axial direction of said flanged hub and projecting above said exposed face,

said locking portion end of said hook having a bore aligned with the bore in said frame and adapted to receive said locking pin when in its projected position; and

a pull-lever pivoted to the end of said locking pin, said pull-lever lying in a recess in said frame, and being of a length to fulcrum in said recess as one end is raised to retract said locking pin.

8. In a snapshackle the combination of a body frame, a hook pivoted thereto, and a locking pin slidable in a bore in said frame and engageable in and aligned in said hook; characterized by a flanged hub formed at one end and on one side of said body frame, with a mating face formed on its unsupported end; and a face on the free end of said hook mated to the like face on said hub; and in which said hub and said hook are at opposite ends of said body frame.

9. The device of claim 8 in which said hub in crosssection is elliptical in shape, with its long dimension extending lengthwise of said body frame, whereby a line spliced to said hub will be held in general alignment with said body frame.

10. The device of claim 8 in which the end surface of said body frame adjacent said hub and the end surface of the hook adjacent said hub curve inwardly into substantial contact with the line spliced to said hub.

11. In a streamlined snapshackle adapted for use on the jib sheet of a sailing vessel, the combination of a body frame characterized by a flanged hub at one end and side of said frame;

there being a bore in said hub and connected side frame portion,

a retractable locking pin slidable in said bore,

there being a longitudinal recess in the outer face of said side frame portion in the area Where said bore ends, said recess being formed by upstanding side Walls; a hook mounted in said frame on an axis normal to the aforementioned bore, said hook being characterized by a face mating with the unsupported end of said hub, the exposed end of said hook being tapered inwardly to the general area adjacent the flange on said hub, and said hook having a bore which aligns with the bore in said hub when its face is mated with the face on said hub; and a locking pin retraction means characterized by a pulllever pivoted to one end of said locking pin, and having a recessed body adapted to partially embrace the end of said locking pin whereby the fulcrum end of said pull-lever can be moved close enough to said locking pin to latch said pin in open position, said locking pin when in inactive position lying in the aforesaid longitudinal recess in said body frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 859,082 7/1907 Kenter 5985 967,141 8/1910 Merriman 24-239 XR 967,664 8/1910 Peterson 24265 1,073,292 9/1913 Shnable 114108 XR 2,760,707 8/ 1956 Anderson 24230.5 XR

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. D. A. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

8. IN A SNAPSHACKLE THE COMBINATION OF A BODY FRAME, A HOOK PIVOTED THERETO, AND A LOCKING PIN SLIDABLE IN A BORE IN SAID FRAME AND ENGEAGABLE IN AND ALIGNED IN SAID HOOK; CHARACTERIZED BY A FLANGED HUB FORMED AT ONE END AND ON ONE SIDE OF SAID BODY FRAME, WITH A MATING FACE FORMED ON ITS UNSUPPORTED END; A FACE ON SAID HUB; AND IN WHICH SAID HUB AND SAID HOOK ARE AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BODY FRAME.