US3444834A - Batten pocket for sailboat sails - Google Patents

Description

JAAAAAAA AAMAMNMAAAAAM D. L. BEVER ETAL BATTEN POCKET FOR SAILBOAT SAILS Filed April 18, 1968 DONALD L. BEVEI? JOHN W. BENNETT INVENTORS ARK/TA FIG. 3

May 20, 1969 FIG. 4

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United States Patent 3,444,834 BATTEN POCKET FOR SAILBOAT SAILS Donald L. Bever and John W. Bennett, San Diego, Calif, assignors to North Sails Filed Apr. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 722,354 Int. Cl. B63h 9/06 US. Cl. 114-102 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pocket to retain battens on the sails of sailboats is provided with a transverse batten entry slot and elastic means to prevent loss of batten through the slot.

Background of the invention As is well known in the art, battens are retained on the sails of sailboats by being placed within pockets. The pockets are usually formed by sewing a rectangular piece of the sail material onto the sail. A slot is provided for inserting and removing the batten.

Customarlly the slots or pocket openings are provided along a lengthwise edge of the pocket. Inserting and removing the batten causes significant wear and tear on the pocket. Unavoidable force is applied to the sides of the pocket through manual manipulation of the batten. The batten must enter and be removed from the edge thereof. Eventual tearing of cloth and ripping of pocket stitching is not uncommon.

Another usual method of retaining battens involves openings in the very outboard end of the pockets with covering flaps over this end. Tie strings or snap fasteners hold the battens in place. Such method results in undesirable friction, windage and drag in the leech area of the sail. The addition of such materials results in production costs and in an unsmooth product.

Summary This novel pocket features the slot for batten entry and removal being placed at right angles to the lengthwise edges of the pocket. Such slot is parallel to the ends of the pocket in the leech area. Within the pocket at the opposite end thereof a portion of elastic material is secured for retaining the batten in suflicient tension to cause the batten to abut the outer edge of the pocket. Accidental emergence of the batten through the easily accessible slot is thusly avoided.

Brief description of the drawing Referring to the drawing forming a part hereof:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing an empty pocket on the sail.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section detail of that portion of the pocket containing the elastic material.

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section detail of the opposite portion of the pocket containing the slot.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view showing the pocket with batten in place.

Description of preferred embodiments In the drawing wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout, the number 1 represents a pocket surface. It is preferably a rectangular piece of the same material as that of which the sail 8 is made. When sewed upon the sail, it, together with the underlying sail portion form the batten pocket.

The numeral 2 represents a novel transverse pocket slot. It preferably spans from one side of the pocket to the other, near and parallel to the end of the pocket proximate to the sail leech tabling 3. Preferred construction includes reinforced stitching 5 of tabling 3 onto resultant flap 10 as illustrated in FIGURE 3. Other reinforced stitching 5- is as illustrated.

Directing attention now to the opposite end of the pocket, item 4 is novel elastic means formed of ordinary elastic, easily stretchable, material available on the open market. It is best loop shaped with its two ends secured to the inner sides of the pocket. Upon entering slot 2, usual batten 7 forces the elastic loop in the direction of the arrows of FIGURE 2 to position indicated by the numeral 9. After the entire batten passes through the slot, the operator releases it. It is forced and retained in the direction of the arrows of FIGURE 4 and rests in the position shown in FIGURE 3. The batten is removed by manually reversing the process.

Reinforcement material 6 of the same substance as the sail and pocket provides resilience at the place shown in FIGURE 2.

Although preferred embodiments are shown and described, it is understood that a person skilled in the art may make obvious changes which will fall within the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A batten pocket for sailboat sails comprising two surfaces in parallel space relationship forming the sides thereof; an opening associated therewith for admitting a batten and elastic means secured to the interior of said sides for retaining the batten in position within the pocket.

2. The claim according to claim 1 above wherein the opening is a transverse slot cut in one surface of the pocket distal to the elastic means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,831,447 4/1958 Hanna 114-402 TRYGVE M. BLIX, Primary Examiner.

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