Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H9/00—Marine propulsion provided directly by wind power
  • B63H9/04—Marine propulsion provided directly by wind power using sails or like wind-catching surfaces
  • B63H9/08—Connections of sails to masts, spars, or the like
  • B63H9/10—Running rigging, e.g. reefing equipment
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63H—MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING
  • B63H9/00—Marine propulsion provided directly by wind power
  • B63H9/04—Marine propulsion provided directly by wind power using sails or like wind-catching surfaces
  • B63H9/06—Types of sail; Constructional features of sails; Arrangements thereof on vessels
  • B63H9/065—Battens

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a sail sheeting device attachable to the sail of a sailing boat so as to keep the sail sufficiently far to the side of the boat when sailing downwind.
• the bushing may be adapted to extend substantially forward past the sail leech, thus allowing the sheeting angle to be set by pulling from the sheets attached to the end of the bushing.
• the principal benefits of the invention include that the invention disposes with any need for detaching the boom when switching the tack. Furthermore, the sail can be kept laterally in a desired flatness or bagginess, respectively, and the sail with its boom can pass during switching the tack through the slot between the mast and the sail luff.
• Figure 1 shows a sail sheeting device according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows a sail sheeting device according to the invention, said sheeting device having its batten/boom member formed by a pocket sewn on the sailcloth and an inflatable tube inserted in said pocket;
• FIG. 3 shows a sail sheeting device according to the invention, said sheeting device having its batten/boom member formed by a pocket sewn on the sailcloth and a set of pivotally folding tubes inserted in said pocket; and
• Figure 4 shows a sail sheeting device according to the invention, which device has its body part attached to the sail or inserted in a pocket sewn on the sailcloth and further has its batten/body part formed by a set of tubes having a line with locking pieces threaded therethrough.
• Fig. 1 therein is shown an embodiment of the sail sheeting device according to the invention, said device comprising a body part 1 that can be attached to the leech 4 of the sail by tightening clamp screws 3 of clamp plates 2.
• the device further comprises a guide bushing 5 with a pivot pin 6 connected at its one end to said guide bushing 5 and at its other end to said body part 1 .
• a batten or boom member 7 Through the guide bushing 5 is passed a batten or boom member 7 which is attached by its distal end to the rear corner, that is, the clew of the sail 8.
• the proximal end of the batten or boom member 7 has a pulley 9 and attachment eyelets 1 0 for sheets 1 1 .
• the batten/boom member 7 may be provided with at least one extension piece 7a for setting the length of the batten/boom member.
• the embodiment of the sail sheeting device according to the invention illustrated in Fig. 1 functions as follows.
• the device is attached to the leech 4 of the sail 8 so that the leech 4 is compressed between the body part 1 and the clamp plates 2 by means of clamp screws 3.
• both the body part and the clamp plates are provided with grooves that secure the clamp on the leech.
• the batten/boom member 7 can be first adjusted to a proper length by means of extension pieces 7a and then attached to the clew of the sail 8.
• the length of the batten/boom member 7 may be extended at its end attached to the clew of the sail 8 by pulling from the boom tensioning line thus accomplishing the tensioning of the sail. After proper trimming of the sail, it can be sheeted at a desired sheeting angle by pulling from the opposite side sheet 1 1 . At mild winds, also the switching of tack may be aided by pulling from said opposite side sheet.
• the batten/boom member can be shortened by easing the boom tensioning line 1 2 whereby the rubber band 1 3 pulls the batten/boom member 7 slidably backward in the guide bushing 5 thus withdrawing the batten/boom member at its end attached to the clew of the sail.
• the rest length of the rubber band 1 2 is selected such that, in its fully retracted position, the batten/boom member 7 can pass from one side of the boat to the other through the slot between the mast and the sail luff even when attached to the clew of the sail 8.
• Both the sheets 1 1 and the boom tensioning line 9 are passed into the cockpit and provided with sheet/line snatchblocks.
• the batten/boom member adapted into the guide bushing 5 is comprised of a batten or batten/boom pocket 14 sewn on the sailcloth 8, an air-inflatable tube 1 5 threaded into the batten or batten/boom pocket 1 4, an adapter 1 5a, a fill hose 1 6, a compressor 1 7, a relief valve 1 8, a spring-loaded relief lever 1 9, a pull line 20, a fill valve 21 , an electric cable 22 and a control switch 23.
• the batten/boom member of the sail sheeting device according to the invention illustrated in Fig. 2 functions as follows.
• the batten/boom member adapted into the guide bushing 5 is comprised of a batten or batten/boom pocket 14 sewn on the sailcloth 8, a set of two or more tubes 24 threaded into the batten or batten/boom pocket 14 and connected to each other by means of at least one parallel-oriented pin hinge 25.
• a rotating means 26 having a tensioning spring 27 and a boom tensioning line 28 connected thereto.
• the batten/boom member of the sail sheeting device according to the invention illustrated in Fig. 3 functions as follows.
• the rotating means 26 By pulling from the boom tensioning line 28, the rotating means 26 will be turned into its lower limit position, whereby the hinge pins 25a of the parallel-oriented pin hinges 25 joining the ends of the tubes 24 inserted in the batten/boom pockets 14 will be aligned horizontal thus stiffening the batten/boom member.
• Releasing the tension on the boom tensioning line 28 allows the tensioning spring 27 to rotate the rotating means 26 upward toward its upper limit position, whereby also the hinge pins of the parallel-oriented pin hinges joining the tubes 24 are rotated toward their upright position thus facilitating the flexing of the batten/boom member at its pivotally hinged points.
• the position of the hinge pins serves to control the degree of flexing of the boom.
• the batten/boom member may be made from a composite tube forming a continuously bendable hinge with an oriented flexibility that facilitates different degrees of batten/boom stiffness when rotated axially at different angles.
• the body part 1 a having the guide bushing 5 connected thereto by means of a hinge pin 6 is adapted into a body part pocket 29 sewn on the sailcloth 8, while the batten/boom member proper is comprised of a set of two or more tubes 30 connected end-to-end with each other and covered at their end joints by an elastic jointing tube 31 .
• the batten/boom member proper is comprised of a set of two or more tubes 30 connected end-to-end with each other and covered at their end joints by an elastic jointing tube 31 .
• a boom tensioning line 32 having at least two stiffening pieces 33 adapted thereon at the joints between the tubes 30.
• the stiffening pieces 33 have a resilient front end and a stiff rear end.
• the end of the boom tensioning line 32 is attached via an elastic rubber band 34.
• the batten/boom member of the sail sheeting device according to the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 functions as follows.
• the stiffening pieces 33 will be displaced from the joints inside the tubes 30 thus allowing the bending of the batten/boom member.
• the stiffening pieces 33 are moved to coincide with the joints between the tubes 30 thus accomplishing the stiffening of the batten/boom member.
• the flexibility of the batten/boom member can be controlled by fine-adjusting the tension on the batten/boom tensioning line 32.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8550175

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Citations (3)

• 1997
  • 1997-12-19 FI FI974574A patent/FI974574A/sv not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1998
  • 1998-12-14 WO PCT/FI1998/000979 patent/WO1999032354A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1998-12-14 AU AU15657/99A patent/AU1565799A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (3)

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