WO1993009999A1

WO1993009999A1 - A traveller car to be used at sheeting of the sail or rig of a sailboat

Info

Publication number: WO1993009999A1
Application number: PCT/DK1992/000332
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gert Hans Frederiksen
Original assignee: Gert Hans Frederiksen
Priority date: 1991-11-11
Filing date: 1992-11-11
Publication date: 1993-05-27
Also published as: AU2942792A; DK184991A; DK184991D0

Abstract

A traveller car (20) for retaining lines or block at sheeting of the sail or rig of a sailboat to an essentially T-shaped track (1). The car (20) comprises a car body (21) with a fixed sliderod (22') and a detachable sliderod (22) retained by means of a spring-loaded locking means (23). After the release of the locking means (23) the detachable sliderod (22) may be removed from car body (21) in the longitudinal direction of the track (1), whereafter the car body (21) may be lifted upwards and away from of the track (1) without moving the traveller car (20) past one end of the track (1). The traveller car (20) may then be mounted at any position on a different track (1) arranged at another position on the sailboat.

Description

Title: A traveller car to be used at sheeting of the sail or rig of a sailboat

Technical Field

The present .-nvention relates to a traveller car for securing lines or blocks at sheeting of the sail or rig of sailboat t.o essentially T-shaped tracks mounted on the sailboat, said car being provided with opposite sup¬ port members adapted to engage beneath the two opposite, protruding side edges of the track, said car and tracks having mutually, coacting guide faces for ensuring a longitudinal displacement of the car and for preventing displacement perpendicular thereto, when said car is mounted on the track.

Background Art

Several different types of traveller cars of the above type are known, of which two types are used in particu¬ lar. In the first type each opposite support member com¬ prises ball bearings, the balls circulating in a circum¬ ferential groove. In the second type the opposite sup- port members comprise sliding elements, preferably in form of sliderods with an circular cross-section or sli- derods with a U-shaped cross-section engaging beneath the protruding side edges of the track. However, a com¬ mon feature of the mentioned types of traveller cars is that, if they have to be removed from the track, it is necessary to displace the traveller car to the end of the track and past the end of the track. Often the tra¬ veller car ha: to be mounted in a predetermined position on another trick arranged at a different position on the sailboat, and the traveller car then has to be guided onto the end of the other track and moved to the prede¬ termined position. This work process is particularly difficult and time-consuming on a sailboat at sea.

For many years a demand for a traveller car has thus existed, whereby the troublesome work process may be avoided when the traveller car is to be moved from one track to another or merely removed from the track after end sailing for instance in order to avoid theft. Such a traveller car in particular should be one of the two above mentioned widely used of traveller cars .

US patent No. 4,719,869 discloses a traveller car of the type stated in the introduction, wherein the block usu¬ ally attached to the traveller car comprises a base plate releasably attached to the traveller car per se and being in engagement with a groove therein. The tra¬ veller car and the attached base plate may then be moved from one traveller car on a track to another traveller car on another track arranged at a different position on the boat. However, the system requires the use of as many traveller cars as tracks, thus being expensive in initial costs and not solving the above problem.

Disclosure of the invention

According to the present invention the traveller car is characterised in that the car comprises at least two separate parts ensuring in a mutually locked position that the car is retained in the mounted position, the mentioned mutually coacting guide faces being in engage¬ ment with eac , other, and one of said parts ensuring in a releasing position that the coacting guide faces may be disengaged from each other, whereby the car may be moved to and ^**ro the mounted position in a direction es- sentially perpendicular to the track.

As a result, a traveller car is provided, which may be quickly and easily removed from or mounted on a track without displacement of the traveller car in the longi¬ tudinal direction of the track to the end of the track and past said end, when the car is to be removed or in the opposite direction when the car is to be mounted. The traveller car may thus be moved from one track to another on the boat during sailing in a particularly easy manner or quickly removed after sailing, for in¬ stance in order to avoid theft. Moreover, a total weight saving in deck equipment of the boat is obtained, as a substantially smaller amount of cars is required than at hitherto known systems.

According to the invention one of the separate parts is a rigid car body and at least one part is a support mem- ber comprising the guide faces at one side of the car, the support member and/or the car body being provided with a locking means being activated externally for re¬ taining the support member in the mounted position of the car and the car body may be provided with recesses or openings for guiding the support member, when after the release of the locking means said member is to be removed from the car body or is to be arranged at mount¬ ing. The traveller car is thereby particularly simple to manufacture and maintains essentially the same outer di- mensions and strength as the hitherto known types of traveller cars .

Furthermore, according to the invention in its mounted position the support member may be adapted to engage in opposite, grooved-shaped recesses on the car body and/or on the track, and may subsequent to release of the lock¬ ing means be disengaged from said recesses by displace¬ ment in the longitudinal direction of the track. As a result, it is particularly easy and quick to remove the traveller car from a track and remount it on another one .

Moreover, according to the invention the support member may comprise a plurality of roller bodies retained in a holder being in locked engagement with the car body, preferably by means of a T—groove connection.

According to the invention, the roller bodies may advan¬ tageously be formed by balls retained in a holder provi¬ ded with a circumferential groove, wherein the balls may circulate.

According to the invention the support member is a sli¬ derod, preferably with a circular cross—section, whereby the traveller car is able to resist particularly heavy load and still have a good sliding ability on the track.

Furthermore, according to the invention the support mem— ber may be a sliderod gripping around the protruding side edge of the track and preferably have a U-shaped cross—section, whereby the traveller car is particularly easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

Moreover, according to the invention one end of the sup— port member may comprise a locking means protruding in the mounted position, preferably a spring—loaded pawl means, which is particularly easy to use.

Furthermore, according to the invention one of the parts may be formed by two mutually hinged support members to form the car body, and the second part may be formed by a locking bolt extending in the locked position through the hinge arrangement essentially in the mentioned lon¬ gitudinal direction.

Finally, according to the invention the axis of rotation of the hinge arrangement extends in the mentioned longi¬ tudinal direction in the mounted state of the traveller car essentially perpendicularly above a side edge of the track, whereby the traveller car is particularly easy to manufacture .

Many modifications may be performed without thereby dev¬ iating from the scope of the invention. The support mem¬ ber may for instance comprise other types of slide or roller means :han the ones described herein.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is described in greater detail in the fol¬ lowing with reference to the particularly preferred em¬ bodiments and accompanying drawings , in which

Fig. 1 is a end view of a traveller car according to the invention, partly in section, wherein one support member is a plurality of balls retained in a holder,

Fig. 2 illustrates the ball holder removed from the tra¬ veller car of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the traveller car in a dismounted state, wherein the support member is a sliderod,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the traveller car partly in section, wherein the support members are U-shaped sliderods, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of the traveller car, wherein the traveller car comprises two mutually αinged support members . Best Mode for carrying out the invention

The traveller car (10) of Fig. 1 comprises a rigid car body (11) , preferably made by extrusion of an aluminium section and closed at its ends by means of end covers (61,62) screwed onto the body. The support members of the car comprise balls adapted to circulate in circumfe¬ rential grooves, one of the support members of the car at one of the side of the car being formed as at the known types of traveller cars. At the other side of the car the support member comprises a holder (17) provided with a circumferential groove (19'), wherein the balls (19) may circulate. The groove (19') of the holder (17) is formed so as to extend beyond the centre of the ball in such a manner that the balls are securely retained in the groove (19'). The holder (17) further comprises an upwardly facing T—section adapted to engage a T—shaped groove (18) in the car body (11) .

At mounting the holder (17) with the balls (19) is slid into a recess (14) at one side of the car body (11) for engagement wi h the T—groove connection (18). The holder (17) is furthermore provided with an upwardly facing locking pawl (13) engaging a recess (not shown) when the holder (17) is arranged in the recess (14) .

The traveller car (10) of Fig. 1 is primarily used in connection with a track (1) comprising opposite, groove- shaped recesses (15), in which the balls (19) may roll when the car (10) is moved back and forth in the longi¬ tudinal direction of the track. The car (10) is usually provided with an upwardly facing shackle (51) or the like for securing for instance a block (50), through which a line is drawn for connection to the sail or rig to be sheeted. When the traveller car (10) of Fig. 1 is to be removed from the track (10) , the pawl (13) is merely lifted up¬ wards and the entire holder (17) with balls (19) is re¬ moved from the car body (11) in the longitudinal direc- tion of the track (1) . The car body (11) may then .be lifted upwards and away from the track (1) without it being necessary to move the entire car to the end of the track and past the track end.

The car (10) may then be mounted onto a track (1) at another position on the deck, mast or boom of the boat. In this respect, the car body (11) is moved from above downwardly onto the new track (1) , until the ratained balls (19) at one side of the car body (11) abut the recess (15) at one side of the track (1) . The holder (17) is then pushed into the recess (14) of the car body (11) in the longitudinal direction of the track (1) , until the locking means (13) is brought into engagement, the balls (19) rolling in the recess (15) on the other side of the track (1) . The traveller car (10) is then ready to be used again.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 the holder (17) is provided with a T-section for engagement with a T-groove (18) in the car body (11) . However, the section and the connection may also be of another form provided the forces transmitted between the balls (19) and the recess (15) of the track (1) can be transmitted by the stated connection between the section and the groove.

The traveller car (10) may also be provided with an ope¬ ning (55) at both ends for securing lines for adjustment of the position of the traveller car (10) in the longi¬ tudinal direc ion of the track (1) .

The traveller car (20) of Fig. 3 shown in the dismounted state comprises a rigid car body (21) , preferably made by extrusion, and two end covers (61,62) screwed onto the body and a detachable sliderod (22) . As the corres¬ ponding known traveller cars, the present traveller car (20) is provided with a fixed sliderod (22') at one side being retained by means of pins (not shown) , extending into the ends of the sliderod (22') and into the end covers (61,62) .

The support member at the other side of the car body (21) is a detachable sliderod (22) , one end of which is provided with a protruding locking means, preferably a spring—loaded pawl means (23) . One end of a rod of a circular cross—section, bent 90°, is screwed into the end of the sliderod (22) and the other end of the cir- cular rod. is provided with a protruding pawl means (23).

The traveller car (20) is used in connection with a track (1) comprising opposite groove—shaped recesses (25) and the sliderods (22,22') are pushed into said re¬ cesses (25) as well as in recesses (24) arranged oppo- site thereof in the car body (21) . The track (1) is shown mounted by means of screws (53) and provided with end stop (52) past which the traveller car (20) cannot be moved.

In order to remove the traveller car (20) from the track (1), the pawl means (23) is moved in a direction away from the car body (21) and away from the recess (23'), whereafter the entire sliderod (22) is pulled in the longitudinal direction of the track shown by the arrow P out of the recess (24) in the car body (21) . The car body (21) may then be lifted upwards and away from the track (1) .

When the traveller car (20) is to be mounted at a posi- tion on another track, the car body (21) is moved from above downwardly onto the track (1) , until the fixed sliderod (22') rests in the recess (25) at one side of the track (1) . The detachable sliderod (22) is then pla- ced in the recess (25) at the other side of the track (1) and pushed in the longitudinal directional of the track into the recess (24) at the other side of the car body (21) , until the pawl means (23') is brought into locked engagement. The traveller car (20) may then be subjected to load.

The traveller car (30) of Fig. 4 comprises a rigid car body (31) , for instance made by extrusion of an alumini¬ um section, but may equally be made by bending a sheet of stainless steel. On the surface of the car body (31) a shackle (51) or the like may be mounted for securing a block or a line. The traveller car (30) is used in con¬ nection with a track (2) with a proper T-shaped cross section^', all corners of the T comprising essentially 90° angles. The traveller car (30) comprises at least one, but preferably two U-shaped sliderods (32) gripping around the side edges (4) of the track (2) and engaging the oppositely positioned recesses (34) in the car body (31) in the mounted position of the traveller car (30) . One end of the sliderods (32) is provided with a spring- loaded pawl means (33) .

When the traveller car (30) of Fig. 4 is to be removed from the track (2) , the pawl means (33) of one of the sliderods (32) is pushed in the longitudinal direction of the track (2) , shown by the arrow P, until the spring-loaded pawl means (33) is released from the lock¬ ed engagement and the U-shaped sliderod has been pushed completely out of the recess (34) of the traveller car (30) . In this embodiment of the traveller car (30) it is furthermore necessary to move the car body (31) slightly sideways in the direction towards the slide (32) not removed, and thereafter slightly incline said car body (31) , until said side of the car body is released from the its engagement beneath one side edge of the track (2) . The entire car body (31) may then be lifted upwards and free of the track (2) .

When the traveller car (30) of Fig. 4 is to be mounted on another track (2) at a different position on the boat, the car body (31) is moved from above downwardly onto the track (2) , the side of the car body (31) , from which the detachable sliderod (32) has been removed, initially being brought into engagement beneath the first side edge (4) of the track (2) . Thereafter the opposite side of the car body (31) with the fixed slide— rod (32) is moved into engagement beneath the second side edge (4) of the track (2), and finally, the detach¬ able sliderod (32) is pushed in the longitudinal direc¬ tion of the track (2) to engage the recess (32) of the car body (31) , until the spring—loaded locking means (33) is brought into engagement. The traveller car (30) may then be subjected load.

The traveller car (40) of Fig. 5 comprises two mutually hinged support members (43,44) forming the car body (41) , and a locking bolt (42) . The two support members (43,44) of the car body (41) may be manufactured by cut¬ ting of extruded aluminium sections or by closed die forging of aluminium blocks.

The traveller car (40) is preferably used in connection with a track (2) of the same type as described in con- nection with the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4. The support members (43,44) are designed to grip around the side edges (4) of the track (2) . The hinge arrangement (45) between the two support members (43,44) is obtained by means of a through-going upper bolt (47) , whose axis of rotation (46) extends in the longitudinal direction of the track in the mounted state of the traveller car (40) essentially perpendicularly above a side edge (4) of the track (2) . The hinge arrangement (45) comprises alternating rib portions (49) on the two support members (43,44) extending in between one another.

When the traveller car (40) is to be removed from the track (2) , the locking bolt (42) in pulled out of the hinge arrangement (45) in the direction of the arrow (P) , whereafter one of the support members (44) may be pivoted in the direction of the arrow (T) about the ro¬ tation axis (46) , until the first support member (44) is released from its engagement beneath the first side edge (4) of the track (2) . The car body (41) is then moved slightly sideways, until the second support member (43) is released from its engagement beneath the second side edge (4) of the track (2) , whereafter the entire car body (41) may be lifted upwards and away from the track (2) .

When the traveller car (40) is to be mounted on another track (2) at a different position on the boat, the car body (41) is moved from above downwardly onto the track (2), until the support member (43) engages below the first side edge (4) of the track (2) , whereafter the second support member (44) is pivoted to engage beneath the second side edge (4) of the track (2) . The locking bolt (42) is then moved into engagement with the hinge arrangement (45) and may, if desired, be locked at one end by means of a snap ring (56) or a locking pin (not shown) .

The embodiment of Fig. 5 comprises a specific type of hinge arrangement, many other types of segmented hinge arrangments may, however, be used without thereby devia¬ ting from the scope of the invention.

Claims

C l aims

1. A traveller car (10,20,30,40) for securing lines, or blocks at sheeting of the sail or rig of a sailboat to essentially T-shaped tracks (1,2) mounted on the sailboat, said car (10, 20, 30, 40) having with opposite support members (12; 22;32;43,44) adapted to engage be¬ neath the two opposite, protruding side edges (3,4) of the track (1,2) , said car (10,20,30,40) and tracks (1,2) having mutually, coacting guide faces for ensuring a Longitudinal displacement of the car and for preventing displacement perpendicular thereto when said car is mounted on the track (1,2) , c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that the car (10, 20,30,40) comprises at least two separate parts (11 , 21 , 31 , 41 ; 12 , 22 , 32 , 42) ensuring in a mutually locked position that the car (10,20,30,40) is retained in the mounted position, the mentioned mutually coacting guide faces being in engagement with each ot¬ her, and one of said parts (12,22,32,42) ensuring in a releasing position that the coacting guide faces may be disengaged from each other, whereby the car (10,20,30, 40) may be moved to and fro the mounted position in a direction essentially perpendicular to the track (1,2) .

2. A traveller car as claimed in claim 1, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i s e d in that one of the parts is a rigid car body (11,21,31) and at least one part is a support member (12,22,32) comprising guide faces at one side of the car, in that the support member (12,22,32) and/or the car body (11,21, 31) is/are provided with a locking means (13, 23 33) being activated externally for retain- ing the support member (12,22,32) in the mounted posi¬ tion of the car (10,20,30) and in that the car body (11- ,21,31) is provided with recesses (14,24,32) or openings for guiding the support member (12,22,32) , when after the release of the locking means said member is to be removed from the car body (11,21,31) at dismounting or is to be arranged at mounting.

3. A traveller car as claimed in claim 2, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i s e d in that the support member (12.22,— 32) in its mounted position is adapted to engage in op¬ posite, grooved—shaped recesses (14, 24, 34; 15 , 25) on the car body and/or on the track, and subsequent to release of the locking means (13,23,33) may be disengaged from said recesses by displacement in the longitudinal direc- tion (P) of the track (1,2).

4. A traveller car as claimed in claim 3, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i s e d in that the support member comprises a plurality (12) of roller bodies retained in a holder (17) being in locked engagement with the car body (11), preferably by means of a T— roove connection (18) .

5. A traveller car as claimed in claim 4, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i s e d in that the roller bodies are for¬ med by balls (19) retained in the holder (17) provided with a circumferential groove (19'), wherein the balls (19) may circulate.

6. A traveller car as claimed in claim 3 , c h a ¬ r a c t e r i s e d in that the support member is a sliderod (22) preferably with a circular cross—section.

7. A traveller car as claimed in claim 3, c h a - r a c t e r i s e d in that the support member is a sliderod (32) gripping around the protruding side edge (4) of the track and preferably having a U-shaped cross- section.

8. A traveller car as claimed in one or more of the claims 2 to 7, c h a r a c t e r i s e d in that one end of the support member comprises a locking means pro¬ truding in the mounted position, preferably a spring- loaded pawl means (13,23,33) .

9. A traveller car as claimed in claim 1, c h a - r a c t e r i s e d in that one of the parts is formed by two mutually hinged support members (43,44) to form the car body (41) , and the other part is formed by a locking bolt (42) extending in the locked position through the hinge arrangement (45) essentially in the mentioned longitudinal direction.

10. A traveller car as claimed in claim 9, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i s e d in that the axis of rotation (46) of the hinge arrangement (45) extends in the mentioned longitudinal direction in the mounted state of the tra- veller car (40) essentially perpendicularly above a side edge (4) of the track (2) .