WO1985003267A1

WO1985003267A1 - Sailboard mast-to-hull universal coupling

Info

Publication number: WO1985003267A1
Application number: PCT/AU1985/000006
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Edmund Vance
Original assignee: David Edmund Vance
Priority date: 1984-01-17
Filing date: 1985-01-15
Publication date: 1985-08-01
Also published as: EP0168441A1

Abstract

Versions of a sailboard mast-to-hull universal coupling with inherent righting moment abilities. All versions contain a bias means (7) one end (8) attachable to a sailboard mast (1) base, the opposite end (10) attachable to a sailboard deck (5), between those attachments is a free-standing part (12) allowing the mast (1) to precess in the usual ways. That bias means (7) is loaded when the mast (1) and attached whole-rig is taken away from verticality to that deck (5). That loading applies a righting moment to that mast and rig preventing them from submerging when fallen, and assisting their raising and re-raising, and providing an incremental force against which a sailboarder may lean to windward. A version provides for bias means replacement and changeability for bias means of lesser or greater righting moment magnitude. A version provides for the coupling assembly to be integral with and supplied with sailboard masts.

Description

THE DESCRIPTION. ( Rule 5, 5.1, (b) is applied).

Title: SAILBOARD MAST-TO-HULL UNIVERSAL COUPLING.

Field of the Invention.

This Invention concerns those sailing craft generally referred to as sailboards, sailing boards or the like.

This Invention replaces the mast-to-hull universal joint currently used for such craft.

This Invention is a sailboard mast-to-hull universal coupling assembly with a designed and planned ability to apply righting moments of designed and planned magnitudes to a sailboard mast and attached sailboard rig, when that mast is moved for whatever reason and from whatever cause, out of verticality to a sailboard hull, to which that mast is attached by this Invention.

The designed purpose of this Invention is to increase safety for sailboard sailors, hereinafter called sailboarders, by assisting a sailboarder to more easily and to more quickly and to at will, raise and re-raise a sailboard mast and attached rig which for whatever reason has become non-vertical to a sailboard hull; and to improve sailboarder performance by providing a force against which a sailboarder may lean, and lean a sailboard mast and rig to windward of a sailboard hull, while allowing the mast and rig to precess in the usual way.

Background Art.

No similar invention has been found. Titles researched by the inventor/applicant are : 'Sail Boards¹ 'Sailing Boards' 'Sailing Craft' 'Windsurfers' (reg. TM) 'Sailboard Rigging' 'Sailboard Universal Joints' 'Universal Joints' 'Rigging for Sailboards' 'Sailboard Masts'.

Magazines and periodicals concerning Sailing, Boating, Surfing and Sailboarding/Windsurfing, commencing with issues from 1965, and available in many countries and languages, have been researched. Some useful books for understanding and examining the Invention are:

'Windsurfing, The Complete Guide'. Taylor, Glenn. Published by MacGraw-Hill, a re-print of an edition published by Bay Windsurfing titled ; 'Wherever There's Water & Wind ' GV 811 .63.W56T39 1980 797. V 72 80-17377

ISBN 0-07-063154-9.

Reference especially pages 20 and 44 to 53, 1980

MacGraw-Hill paperback edition. 'Let's Go Windsurfing" by Graham Fuller

Published by Octopus Books Limited London 1981

ISBN 0706416120

Reference especially to pages 8 and 9, 14 to 17, and

26 to 33. 'One With. The Wind' by Neva Grigg.

Published by Australian Boating Magazine in agreement with Universal Copyright Company 1981 ISBN 0725510757.

Reference especially to pages 29 to 32.

The first sailboard patent applications are believed to have been made by Hoyle Schweitzer of Pacific Palisades California U.S.A.

In 1973 Schweitzer's Windsurfer's International Inc. licensed Ntjverdal TenCate of Holland for Europe, under German and U.K. patents.

The earliest sailboard patent application discovered in Australia refers to the 'Windsurfer' brand of Schweitzer's, and may be examined under Australian Letters of Patent 454516.

Co-working with Schweitzer on the original sailboard concept was James Drake who presented a paper to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics entitled : 'Windsurfing - A New Concept in Sailing' at the spring 1969 AIAA symposium. See document P-4076, 26th April 1969 AIAA Technical Symposium of Sail Boat Design, available from the Rand Corporation, Santa Monica California U.S.A.

This paper was re-printed in the Dupont company magazine, 1971.

These cited magazines, books, papers, reprints and patents refer to, indicate or illustrate, pivotal universal-type joints used to attach the lower part of a sailboard mast, with rig attached, to a sailboard hull. Later developments to these joints show metal parts replaced with knotted cords, rubber-like materials and the like, and some of these are illustrated in this application, together with the original 'windsurfer' brand pivotal coupling, at the start of the drawings section. The rubber-like couplings may apply some theoretical righting moment to a sailboard mast and rig but this moment would be almost immeasurable and would be of no use or value, and exists in. a theoretical sense only in that a rubberised coupling may have marginal return-to-normal-state elasticity. No universal joint or coupling for sailboards with a designed rig-righting assistance ability inherent in and designed into that coupling can be found.

No magazine, book, paper or patent has been found which refers to, illustrates or indicates any sailboard mast-to-hull attachment method designed and developed specifically to apply a righting moment to a sailboard mast and attached rig, assisting sailboarders to raise and re-raise a sailboard mast and rig, and to incrementally provide a resistance-force against which a sailboarder may lean and to lean a mast and rig to windward of a sailboard hull, while providing fo that mast and rig to precess in the usual ways. Background to and of this Invention.

Sailboards differ from conventional sailing craft in two main respects, functionally.

Firstly, sailboard rigs, that is to say the mast and the boom(s) and the sail and all necessary fittings and attachments, are attached to a sailboard hull at the lower end of the mast only, and in a universally flexible way. This allows the mast and attached rig to precess, to move and to be moved and to be held, usually throughout 360 degrees horizontally and about 100 degrees vertically, in relationship to the upper surface or deck of a sailboard hull. A sailboarder moves and holds the mast and rig by the boom handles in varying positions in these arcs or planes, to achieve optimal sailing performance and steerage of the craft. In conventional sailing craft, the mast, the booms, the sails and all necessary attachments are held more or less vertically to the craft's deck, with limited flexibility, by 'standing rigging' for examples shrouds and stays and the like.

Secondly, sailboards are steered by the sailboarder moving the mast and whole-rig forward or aft of verticality to the hull at the mast-to-hull attachment point, altering the relative position of the centre of effort of the sail fore or aft of that attachment point, thereby causing the bow of a sailboard to 'fall-away' from or to 'head-up' into the apparent wind direction. In conventional sailing craft, steering is performed by a rudder moved by connection to a tiller or a helm or a wheel, turning the stern not the bow of the craft.

Clearly, the rig must be held (by the boom handles) by a sailboarder and moved often through multiple positions in multiple arcs or planes, to one side or the other side of the mast-to-hull attachment point to achieve 'easing-off' or 'hardening-up' of the sail for sailing performance, and fore and aft of that attachment point to achieve steerage.

Equally clearly then, if a sailboarder drops the mast and rig to and partly under the water surface for whatever reason, the sailboard stops sailing, until such time as the sailboarder may re-raise the mast and rig to a sailing position.

When a sailboarder drops the mast and attached rig of a sailboard to the water surface, for whatever reason and whether voluntarily or involuntarily, the rig falls mostly and for its greater part beneath the water surface, and water enters to some parts of most rigs, and further the greater part of the sail submerges, the sail forms to two large shallow bags, one below and one above the boom, and these bags hold amounts of water, measured in tests at averaging 136 Kgs in weights. The weight of the rig itself, the weight of the water contained in the rig, and the resistance of the submerged sail against the bagged water, combine to present a resistance against the rig being easily and quickly raised and re-raised at will by the sailboarder to re-commence sailing.

The sailboarder must seize a short length of l ne, termed the rig uphaul , which is generally attached to the forward end of the boom at the boom-to-mast attachment point. The sailboarder must bring the rig and the sailboard hull into a particular most desirable position in relationship to each other, and must further adopt a particular position and stance and posture, one which may cause back stress and may on occasions contribute to back injury. The sailboarder then should apply body weight only, from a medical viewpoint, but in practice a combination of body weight and tugging on the uphaul by arms. Gradually the rig starts to emerge from the water, and slowly at first then increasingly, water is spilled from within the rig and from the sail, reducing the totalled weight as this not physically easy task nears completion, at which time the sail itself may be under wind pressure, continuing the strain asked of the sailboarder until the mast is nearly vertical to the hull.

When a sailboarder is exhausted, or is inexperienced, or is of physically light stature, or is physically unfit, the task of re-raising the rig may become impossible to further perform. Sometimes the rig is released to the^' ater voluntarily by the sailboarder as a means of stopping the craft to complete a sailing travel, or to avoid a hazard or a collision, or to rest. The rapid stopping ability of a sailboard is not shared by conventional sailing craft to any degree. Providing the forward movement of the sailboard may be re-commenced at will and quickly and easily by the sailboarder, the rapid stopping ability of a sailboard is a safety advantage. However, if the rig may not be so raised for whatever reason, this safety advantage may instead become a sometimes serious and potentially fatal safety hazard. Sometimes the dropping of the rig to the water is involuntary, due to a sailboarder error or exhaustion or to inexperience or because the sailboard and the sailboarder become overwhelmed by wind velocity, wind direction changes or water surface conditions. Even experienced and physically fit sailboarders ftnd the task of raising and re-raising the rig difficult after a time or when exhausted or in extreme conditions. Eventually the task may become impossible to further perform irrespective of experience.

Sailboarder safety is therefore reduced when for whatever reason the sailboarder is unable to, at will and quickly and easily, re-raise the rig and re-commence sailing. Collisions and other hazards such as lee shores may not be avoided and on occasions it is impossible for a sailboarder to return to shore. Depending on the circumstances, that may be merely an inconvenience, or it may be a serious safety situation, on occasions requiring a rescue effort when this is possible and available. It is believed lives have been lost due to a sailboard's inability to further re-raise a rig and then sail the craft to a safer position, or return to shore.

Additionally some people are precluded from participation, or have that participation in sailboarding reduced below their desired level, by the physical demands made upon them to raise and re-raise a sailboard rig. Disclosure and Description of this Invention.

The primary objective of the invention in all its versions is to increase safety for all sailboarders including those who are physically fit and experienced, and to greatly increase safety for people who are not experienced or physically fit, or who are naturally or un-naturally less able. Secondly, open the activity of sailboarding to people who may not now be able to participate or participate fully, due to physical stature or strength, or age, or because of naturally or un-naturally reduced physical ability or dexterity. Thirdly, to allow a sailboarder to participate for longer periods by reducing the effort needed to raise and re-raise a sailboard mast and rig, thus lifting the exhaustion thresholds, thereby increasing sailboarder safety. And fourthly, to provide a resistance-force, incremental to that inherent in wind force applying a pressure onto and over the windward face of a sailboard sail, against which a sailboarder may lean to windward and lean a sailboard rig to windward to optimise performance. Fifthly, to retain the only objective of all current sailboard mast-to-hull universal joints, that is to allow a sailboard mast to precess or to be flexible in its attachment to a sailboard hull.

It is believed this invention fulfills these objectives by being in part flexible, and by providing a spring-back.-!ike property to a sailboard mast which also reduces the apparent weight of a sailboard mast and rig. This reduction of apparent weight allows a sailboarder to at will, more easily and more quickly, raise and re-raise a sailboard mast and rig which has for whatever reason fallen out of vertical to the deck of a sailboard hull. Various versions of this invention have been developed.

This apparent reduction of weight of a sailboard mast and rig is achieved in all versions by replacing the conventional sailboard mast-to-hull joints with this invented coupling which is designed to apply, by means of a loadable bias means which may store energy, a righting moment to a sai1board ^'mast and rig which has for whatever reason moved out of vertical to a sailboard deck. That same as means may provide a force against which a sailboarder may lean and lean a sailboard rig to windward to achieve optimal sailing performance. It is considered productive to the intent of this application to at this point in this application express the variations which exist in sailhoarding conditions and usage, for example from the relatively orderly and protected inland and seaboard-inlet sailboarding generally found in Europe, to the open- ocean and surf-riding sailboarding common in Hawaii and other places. Further, variations exist in sailboard hull, sail and rig sizes and weights to have regard for varying conditions of weather and for sailboarders of varying experience and physical abilities. During testings of prototypes of this invention across a-

^■ range of sailboarding conditions, it became clear that the heavily designed and constructed versions of the invention in its complete form, developed for the extreme sailboarding conditions of heavy weather and open-ocean and surf-riding, were more robust and therefore more expensive than necessary for use by those sailboarders who do not live in areas where such extreme conditions exist, or who elect not to sailboard in such conditions. Further, it was well regarded that many sailboarders are young and may not have yet fully developed their income earning capacities, and while perhaps wishing to avail themselves of the invention in its complete form may not yet be able to do so from their economic position, and therefore the invention in a reduced form, which would allow them to utilise their existing mast and hull fittings for example, yet still allow them the increased safety and other advantages inherent in this invention, had to be considered.

Therefore, several versions of this invention have been developed to satisfy the variations in sailboarding conditions, sailboarder abilities and experience, and to allow those sailboarders with limited purchasing capacity to still have the advantages of this invention, in particular the safety advantages of this invention.

This invented sailboard mast-to-hull coupling may be fixable to or into or over existing sailboard mast bases, and may be fixable to existing mast-to-hull attachment fittings in existing sailboards. A version provides for adjustability of the bias means magnitude by providing for that bias means to be removed and alternatively replaced. A further most developed and robust version provides for a complete sailboard mast with this invention permanently integral with its base, and a robust fitting which is permanently fixable into a sailboard hull, and to which the lower part of this mast and integral invention attaches.

The basic and least expensive yersion of this invention may be used with existing sailboard masts, and no alterations or modifications to existing sailboard hulls are necessary. These are considered important factors with regard to the basic version, as younger sailboarders may generally be those who sailboard most, and who may sailboard in ill-considered conditions and situations, and who therefore may be those who may benefit most from the increased safety and other advantages inherent in this invention, yet who may be least able to afford to avail themselves of the invention in its more developed versions.

This invention is a sailboard mast-to-hull universal coupling assembly with the designed and planned ability to apply righting moments of designed and planned magnitudes to a sailboard mast and attached rig, when that mast is moved for whatever reason and from whatever cause, out of verticality to a sailboard hull deck, to which that mast is attached at its lower part by this invention, and characterised by a bias means which, when taken from its naturally linear configuration, exhihits a propensity to return to its naturally linear state.

That bias means may be comprised of one or more rod-like or tubular parts of non-metallic materials, or it may be conveniently and as shown herein a coil spring of for example marine grade stainless steel or the like, or as a.lso shown here it may be a single length of solid rubber-like material which when bent displays spring- back-like qualities.

The bias means may be attached at one end, called here the upper part when the invention is in use, to the lower part of a sailboard mast. This attachment may be directly to the enclosed base of a sailboard mast, or it may be by fixing the bias means to the outside of the base of a sailboard mast, or conveniently and as shown herein, it may be by inserting and fixing a length of that bias means into an insert, such insert itself insertable and fixable into the hollow lower part of a sailboard mast. The bias means may be attached at its opposite end, that is to say the lower end when the invention is in use, to a housing. This attachment may be made directly to an enclosed end of that housing, or it may be made by attached the bias means to the outside of the housing, or conveniently and as shown herein, it may be made by inserting and fixing a length of that bias means into one end of that housing.

Between the two ends or parts of the said bias means, described in the two preceding paragraphs of this application, may be a part of that bias means which may be free-standing and may have precessional ability, and this part may protrude on the one hand from the said insert, and may on the other hand protrude from the said housing, and further this part may be protectively sheathed in a sponge-like material or the like.

The said housing may have at its end opposite to that which the bias means enters, a larger diameter end-closing flange coaxially integral with that housing end, and into the lower face (when in use) of that flange may be a coarse-threaded hollow bore. Into this threaded bore may be screwed a selected one of several adaptors, and these adaptors may have an integral larger flange, coaxial with that adaptor, the lower flange face may bear against the upper face of a sailboard hull deck, such flange may also be of ergonomicly convenient size and form to allow the adaptor fitting to ^'with facility be inserted into or withdrawn from existing sailboard hull fittings which are provided by sailboard manufacturers to accept the usual couplings or joints which this invention replaces. Because some sailboard makers provide a male spigot-like fitting with sailboard hulls, the said adaptor may have in its lower face, that is the lower part when the invention is in use, a female receiving part, or conveniently as most sailboards are made with a female receptable in the hull, and as shown herein, the lower face of the said adaptor fitting may have a male spigot-like part, which click-fits into such female deck fittings. It may be understood now that this invention in its basic version is a sailboard mast-to-hull coupling assembly which contains a loadable bias means with the ability to store and deliver a sailboard mast and rig-righting moment, and one end of that bias means being attachable to a sailboard mast base, with or without the rig attached, and the other end of that bias means attachable to a sailboard hull deck, and in between these two parts of the bias means is a free-standing part of that bias means which allows a sailboard mast and attached rig to precess in the usual way. The invention operates in two ways.

Firstly, when a sailboarder has assemhled a sailboard rig, that is to say, a sailboard mast and a sailboard boom and a sailboard sail and all needed fittings and parts as an assembled and whole-rig, and the sailboarder has then attached the whole-rig to a sailboard hull, and the hull and whole-rig have been taken to and placed in water, the sailboarder then stands on the sailboard hull in a most correct position and seizes the previously described rig uphaul , and commences to raise the assembled whole-rig, from and from partly under the water where it rests more or less at 100 degrees to the hull deck face, to a less fallen position in order to commence sailing the craft. It is at this point that the weights and forces which apply to a sailboard whole-rig in such a position and described previously herein, present a resistance to whole-rig raising easily and at will,. using a sailboard rigged in the normal way and without this invention. However, when a sailboard is rigged with this invention, the bias means part of this invention is taken from its naturally linear state by being attached at one end to the mast and at the other end to the hull, and by the act of the mast being out of vertical for whatever reason with the hull at the attachment point. And because the bias means is loaded by this bending from its linear form that bias means then stores a returning force which, by attachment of that bias means to the mast, converts to a mast/rig righting assistance moment. The magnitude of this moment is so designed that the mast, with all rig attached and when not held by a sailboarder, lies at an angle of about 80 degrees to the sailboard hull deck, upper face, that is to say, the mast lies marginally above parallelity to the water surface. Importantly considered in the conception of this invention and its development was that the magnitude of the righting moment should not be so great as to allow a fallen mast and rig to return unassisted by a sailboarder to a position so approaching verticality to a sailboard hull deck, that a sailboard sail may accept sufficient wind force to allow a sailboard to sail of its own volition and unattended and unheld by a sailboarder, as such a situation may clearly defeat the main objective of this invention, that is to say, improving safety for sailboarders.

Therefore, when a sailboard has been rigged with this invention in any of its forms or versions, and the sailboarder commences the task of raising to the sailing position a sailboard mast and attached rig by hauling on the rig uphaul, as that up-hauling is commenced the stored force within the hent bias means is released and applied to the mast with attached rig and the whole-rig may be easily and quickly and at will raised by a sailboarder. Further, during the course of sailboarding, a sailboard mast and rig may be dropped voluntarily or involuntarily as previously described herein, and this invention therefore allows a sailboarder to in such situations continue to re-raise a fallen sailboard rig with a raised exhaustion threshold. The rig-righting assistance moment is so designed that after a sailboarder has made the initial haul on the rig uphaul, the mast and rig variably self re-erects towards the waiting sailboarder, depending on wind velocity.

Secondly, in the way that this invention provides a rig- righting moment to a sailboard mast and attached rig which is for whatever reason out of verticality to a sailboard hull to leeward of that hull, a similar righting moment applies when the mast and rig is leaned to windward of a sailboard hull, and the magnitude of moment is relative to the degree to which a sailboard mast and rig is so leaned to windward. A sailboarder leans a sailboard rig to leeward ^' of a sailboard hull primarily to 'harden-up' the sail, that is to say, to increase the driving wind force onto and over the windward surface of a sailboard sail, and to the better sail on certain points of wind. Clearly, if a sailboard mast and its attached rig is not more or less firmly held in a more or less vertical position relative to the deck of the craft, as is the case with conventional sailing craft, then the sailboarder who leans the rig to windward must also lean to windward, and is able to perform this action only to the degree allowed by the wind force applying to the sail and, by connection, to the sailboard boom handle held by the sailboarder, such wind force thereby providing a variable force against which the sailboarder may lean; however in practice the weight of the sailboarder may overcome the leaning-resistance provided by the wind force on the sail, and the sailboarder must either push the rig to leeward contrary to desirability and performance intent, or the sailboarder and the mast and rig shall fall to the water on the windward side of the hull.

This invention therefore provides an additional force against which a sailboarder may hold a sailboard mast and rig to windward, and this invention therefore assists to improve sailboarding performance. In a further and more developed version of this invention the bias means may be replaced within the aforesaid insert and housing parts of this invention, either due to bias means breakage, or more importantly and more likely to allow a sailboarder to select, 5 fit and use bias means of lesser or greater righting moment magnitude than that designed to apply to the standard version of the invention which is suitable for most sailboard rig weights and sizes, thereby having regard for specialised sailboarding with rig sizes and weights which vary more than marginally from that which is considered

10 standard. This replacihility and selectabil ty of the invention's bias means embodiment may be made by screwing the bias means out of and in to threaded sections of the said insert and housing.

A further and most robust and most developed version of this invention contains all the foregoing embodiments and is

15 additionally characterised in that the said tubular housing may be closed at one end, and that housing may have a flange integral with its lower part, and that flange may bear upon the upper face of a multiple position mast step hull fitting which may be permanently chemically fixable to and into a sailboard hull, and this housing

2Q and therefore this invention including a sailboard mast may be - easily locked into a hore within this mast step fitting by a half- turn, and held there by a safety release pin which passes through apertures in the flange of the housing and is a snap-fit in mast- step fitting. A length of elasticised cord retains the release

25. pin to the flange. This safety release pin is an important embodiment as it has happened in practice in rough conditions that a sailboarder's leg has become trapped between a sailboard hull and a sailboard rig which has fallen.

Description of the Drawings.

Figures \ z 3 4 5, 6, 7, ^are explanatory illustrations only.

Figure l. is a side representation of a sailboard with sail, boom, all attachments and fittings assembled to the mast as a whole-rig. The relative and approximate position of this invention is shown between the lines leading to the letter 'X'.

Figure 2. is a frontal representation of Figure 1 , in both cases the whole-rig is in a vertical and sailing position. Figure 3. is a frontal representation. The stick-figure represents a sailboarder in a whole-rig uphaul position. The whole-rig is shown in bold at the most fallen position it may reach using this invention, and in broken lines at a position that whole-rig may achieve when a sailboard is rigged without this invention.

Figure 4. represents a commonly-used universally pivoting mast-to- hull joint, this is representative of the Windsurfer (Reg T.M.) type of sailboard joint.

Figure 5. is a development of Figure D, using cords and a rubber-l ke spacing buffer.

Figure 6. is a development of Figure D, using a cord knotted at each end.

Figure 7. is a development of Figure D, using a flexible rubber-like connecting and precessionable part. Figure 8. is a sectional side elevation of this invention, using a rubber-like length with spring-back properties as the bias means.

Figure 9. is a sectional side elevation of this invention, using a coil compression spring with spring-back properties as a bias means.

Figure 10. is a sectional side elevation of this invention in its most robust and most developed version.

Figure H- is an above view of a multiple position mast step plate, an integral part of a fitting which is chemically adhere-able into and to a sailboard hull, and which is an embodiment of the version of this invention depicted in Figure 10. Description of the Embodiments.

Referring to explanatory illustration Figure 1. the mast (1) and the sail (2) and the boom (3) and all attachments (not shown) are assembled as a whole-rig, and are attached by this invention, the relative positioning of which is indicated between the lines leading to the letter (X), to a sailboard hull (4) at the hull deck (5). The rig uphaul (6) is shown attached.

The arrowed broken line arcs indicate some of the planes in which the whole-rig may precess and some lines of rig-righting moment direction.

Referring now to Figure 8. the bias means (7) is a solid length of rubber-like flexible material which when bent has spring- back qualities, and it is attached at its upper part (8) to a tubular insert (9) which is chemically adhered into the lower part of a sailboard mast (1).

The lower part (10) of the bias means is chemically adhered into a tubular housing (11) which is closed at its lower end.

Between these two parts and attachments of the bias means is a free-standing part (12) which is precessionable. This free- standing part is protectively sleeved in a sponge-like sheath (19).

The said housing (11) has integral with its closed and lower end a large flange (13), and into the lower face of that flange is a hollow threaded core (14).

Into this core is screwable a like-threaded spigot (15) which protrudes from the upper face of an adaptor (16) which is size and form matched to the said flange (13). From the other face of the adaptor protrudes a clip-spigot (17) matched in size and clip-type to the mast-step fittings (18) supplied and fitted to sailboard hulls (4) decks (5). This adaptor is a selected one of several adaptors which are made as a part of this invention version to suit the variety of existing supplied mast-step fittings (18), and in some cases (not shown) such adaptor has a hollow core to accept spigot-like, deck- protruding fittings supplied with a small number of sailboard types. Referring now to Figure 9. the bias means (7) is a coil compression spring which when taken from its naturally linear form exhibits spring-back properties, and in this version of the invention this bias means may be replaced by screwing out of and into threaded cores in the insert (91 and the housing (11). Also in this version the threaded spigot (15) screws to a threaded hollow core (14) of the housing flange (13) arid therefore into the centre bore of the bias means (7) in this case. The arrowed arcs and angled centre-lines indicate the minimum, the mean and the maximum angle to the hull deck (5) which the bias means (7) embodiment of this invention allows a fallen mast (1) and attached whole-rig to settle after falling.

Referring now to Figure 10.the insert (9) is permanentl ^•• fixed and is integral and is supplied with a sailboard mast (1).

The housing (11) is not in this case inserted into an adaptor as no- such adaptor is used in this version, but that housing instead is insertable deep into a sailboard hull (4) by way of being insertable into one stephole (24) of a multiple position mast-step fitting (18) which in this case and version is an embodiment of this invention and replaces the mast-step fitting normally supplied with a sailboard.

The housing (11) is firmly fixed within the selected step-hole (24) by a half-turn of the housing within the step-hole, and engaging flanges in like slots (both shown, not numbered)-, and held in that locked position by a safety release pin (20) which is attached by a short part of elasticised cord (shown, not numbered) to the flange (13). This pin passes through a flange bore (21) and click-fits into a pin hole (22) in the mast-step fitting (18). The mast-step fitting (18) which is a part of this version is chemically adhered within a sailboard hull (4) and is more or less flush at its upper face with a sailboard hull deck (5), and this fitting has an in-hull flange (23) which provides incremental strength and wrenching resistance against the forces of the bias means (7) and the weights and forces of falling and raising whole-rigs.

Claims

The Cl aims.

1. A sailboard mast-to-hull universally pivoting coupling providing a designed and planned ability to apply assisting righting moments and actions of designed and planned 5 magnitudes, to a sailboard mast (1) and attached sail (2) and attached boom (3) and all necessary attachments and fittings, assembled as and called a whole-rig, when that mast and whole-rig is for whatever reason and from whatever cause, taken out of verticality to the deck (5) of Q a sailboard hull (4) to which that mast and whole-rig is connected, by this Invention, and characterised by: a bias means (7) which when bent from its naturally linear configuration, exhibits a propensity to spring back to that naturally straight state, and that bias means (7) being attachable at one end, called the upper part (8) when the invention is in use, to the lower part of a sailboard mast (1), and that bias means (7) having a free-standing and universally precessionable part (12), and that bias means (7) being attachable at its opposite end, called the lower part (10) when the invention is in use, to a deck (5) of a sailboard hull (4), and that bias means (7) being loadable by being bent by a mast

(1) to which it is attached, being moved out of vertical to a sailboard deck (5) to which that bias means is also attached, and that bias means (7) so loaded being able to store a spring- back force, and that bias means (7) so loaded possessing the ability to of its own volition hold a sailboard mast (1) to which it is attached, and the whole-rig which is attached to that mast (1), at an angle of less than 90 degrees to a line taken vertically from a sailboard deck (5) to which that mast (1) is attached by this invention at a mast-step fitting (18) in that deck (5) , and that bias means (7) being so loaded and so holding a spring-back force, possessing on the one hand an ability to reduce the apparent weight of a sailboard mast (1) and attached whole-rig when that mast and whole-rig is to be raised by a sailboarder hauling on an uphaul (6), this reduction of apparent weight being the result of releasing of the said stored energy in the bent bias means (7) by the commencement of uphauling, applying a righting moment to the mast (1) and attached whole-rig, and that bias means (7) being so loaded and so holding a spring- back force, providing a resistance against which a sailboarder may lean and may lean a sailboard mast (1) and attached whole-rig to windward of a sailboard hull (4) to which that mast is attached by this invention

A sailboard mast-to-hull universally pivoting coupling as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that: ^• the said bias means (7) upper part (8) is insertable into and fixable into an insert (9), and said insert (9)- is in turn insertable into and fixable into the lower part of a sailboard mast (1), and that same bias means (7) has a free-standing and precessionable part, and the same bias means (7) lower part (10) is insertable into and is fixable into an end of a tubular housing (11), and the said housing (11) is closed at its opposite end by a larger diameter flange (13) coaxially integral with that end of that housing (11), and that flange (13) accepts and holds firmly a selected one of several adaptors (16), and that adaptor (16) being attachable to that flange (13) and bearing upon it, and that adaptor (16) being bearable on and attachable to a sailboard hull (4) deck (5) by way of existing sailboard mast-step fittings (18)

3_, A sailboard mast-to-hul l universal ly pivoting coupl ing as claimed in Claim 2 , and characterised in that: the said bias means (7) is removable from and replacable to the insert (9) and the housing (11)

4. A sailboard mast-to-hul l universal ly pivoting coupl ing as claimed in Claim 3 , characterised in that: the bias means (7) is replacable with a bias means of lesser or greater righting moment magnitudes.

5. A sailboard mast-to-hull universally pivoting coupling as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that: the said housing (11) has an external integral coaxial flange (13) bearable on a sailboard mast-step fitting (18), and the said housing (11) is closed at its end opposite to that end into which the bias means (7) is insertable, and that closed end of the housing (H) i insertable and attachable into a selected one of several step-holes (24) in a mast-step fitting (18), and said mast-step fitting (18) has a strengthening in-hull flange (23), and the said mast-step fitting (18) is fixable into a sailboard hull (4) with its upper face flush with that sailboard deck (5), and said housing (11) lower when-in-use part is lockable into and releasable from the said mast-step fitting (18) by means of a safety release pin (20) which passes through a flange bore (21) and is lockable in a pin-hole (23) in the mast-step fitting (18).

6. A sailboard mast-to-hull universally pivoting coupling as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that: the said coupling is integral with and part of a sailboard mast (1) in that the said insert (9) is integral with the lower part of that sailboard mast (1).