WO2009022957A1

WO2009022957A1 - Actuating apparatus for a furling staysail device

Info

Publication number: WO2009022957A1
Application number: PCT/SE2008/000469
Authority: WO
Inventors: Peter Norlin
Original assignee: Peter Norlin
Priority date: 2007-08-15
Filing date: 2008-08-14
Publication date: 2009-02-19
Also published as: SE533195C2; SE0701857L

Abstract

A furling staysail device has its driving dog (42) for the tack of the staysail located immediately above the deck (3) of the boat. The forestay (30) extends through the deck (3). A bevel gear is mounted immediately below the deck (3), above the lower attachment (3) of the forestay. Due to the small dimensions of the bevel gear (50), the lower attachment of the forestay (30) can be placed at.the upper end of the stem (2) and in the vicinity of it, immediately under deck. A driving device (70) is placed under deck and drives the driving dog (42) and the hollow profile (40) via the bevel gear (50).

Description

Actuating apparatus for a furling staysail device

The invention concerns an actuating apparatus for a furling staysail device for a sailing boat of the type indicated in the preamble of the independent claim.

Thus, the invention relates to a furling staysail device for a sailing boat, wherein the sailing boat has a stay, the upper end of which is attached to a mast of the boat and a lower end that is attached to the hull of the boat in the vicinity of its stem. A hollow profile encloses the stay and is arranged rotatable around it. The fore peripheral region of the headsail is attached to the hollow profile. A driving dog (tack fitting) is arranged rotatable around the stay and is positioned above the deck of the boat and has, at a distance radial from its axis of rotation, an attachment for a lower fore corner of the headsail. The hollow profile is attached to the driving dog. The forestay extends linearly through the deck of the boat and has its lower attachment connected to a fitting that is attached to the inside of the stem of the hull. Other arrangements of the stay are also possible. A driving device is connected to the driving dog to have the headsail furled on the hollow profile. The staysail can be defurled from the hollow profile with the aid of the driving device or manual pulling of sheets connected to the sail.

By placing the driving dog immediately above the deck of the boat it is possible to have the lower periphery of the headsail to extend close to deck level, which entails that wind is effectively caught by the headsail; wind can not easily depart between the lower periphery of the headsail and the deck. One inconvenience in arranging the lower attachment of the forestay under deck and arranging the driving device between the lower attachment of the stay and the deck is that the space in the corner area between stem, deck and the sides of the hull at the upper end portion of the stem is very limited, which entails that the lower attachment of the forestay must be placed relatively far astern to ensure that the driving device gets the necessary space. Due to that, the area of the headsail is reduced. Also, in another case of prior art where a driving device of a furling staysail device is placed on the deck, said driving device occupies a substantial space of the deck of a boat and in an area of the deck where it is narrow and, therefore, said driving device is an obstacle when embarking and disembarking the boat.

An object of the invention is to devise a furling staysail device that allows for a placement of the driving dog close to and above the deck and that allows for the stay attachment to be placed under deck and far ahead.

The object is achieved by the invention.

The invention is stated in the attached independent claim.

Embodiments of the invention are stated in the attached dependent claims.

Basically, the invention involves that the driving device is connected to the driving dog and the profile via an angular gear, for instance a bevel gear, and that the angular gear is adapted to be mounted at least partly below deck level of a boat. In the case of a bevel gear, such an angular gear includes two conical gear wheels which engage each other and are carried by a gear housing carried by the forestay. In the gear housing there is a first gear wheel that coaxially encloses the forestay and has a shaft that is connected with the driving dog. The other gear wheel which also is arranged within the gear housing is connected to the driving device. The shafts of the gear wheels are arranged with a mutual angle of essentially 90°, though other angles are possible, and the shaft of the other gear wheel extends generally astern in any possible angle, for instance in the vertical longitudinal centre plane of the boat, or along the sides of the boat.

Such a bevel gear calls for little space, both in the direction along the forestay and in the direction radial to the stay, and this makes it possible to place the lower stay attachment high up on the inside of the stem.

The driving device can be a manual winch device, the driving line of which can extend to a position in the vicinity of the cock pit of the sailing boat. The winch can be attached to a lateral bulkhead in the hull in the vicinity of the stem, so that the winch device is placed in a space that otherwise does not easily find any useful use. The winch device, which can be of the type usually found coaxially adapted enclosing the forestay, is located at a distance from the angular gear and may be connected to it by means of a rod that is connected to the other gearwheel. The rod may possibly include a universal joint to provide a greater degree of freedom in placing the winch vertically on the bulkhead. The manual winch may of course be replaced by an electrical motor.

The patent document US 4 557 213 describes an apparatus for furling a sailboat jib. The apparatus comprises an angular gear, a shaft and a gear box. However, the angular gear is mounted above deck level and therefore cannot provide the benefits of the present invention, namely increasing sail area due to a mounting of a driving dog closer to deck. In fact, US 4 557 213 aims at solving another problem, the problem of providing a stronger and more dependable driving mechanism compared to that of earlier furling jibs. Also, the angular gear of US 4 557 213 is an obstacle when embarking and disembarking the boat.

The invention will be described below by means of an example with reference to the appended drawings .

Fig. 1 schematically shows a view in section of a furling staysail device on a sailing boat.

Fig. 2 schematically shows a section along the line II-II in figure 1.

Fig. 3 schematically shows a mounting where a part of an angular gear appears above deck level.

In fig. 1, a front part of a sailing boat hull is shown, wherein the hull has a stem 2 and a deck 3 and a lateral bulkhead 4 astern of the stem 2. Also, an actuating apparatus 50 according to the invention, in the form of an angular gear, is shown. The actuating apparatus is part of a furling staysail device, which furling staysail device also includes a hollow profile 40 and a driving dog 42.

As is apparent from fig. 2, the upper area of the stern 2 is formed by a plate 26 that extends in a right angle towards a vertical longitudinal centre plane of the hull. On the inside of the plate 26 there is an inner fitting 22, in t-shape form, forming a lower attachment for a forestay 30. The forestay 30 includes a plate 23 that abut against the inside of the plate 26 and has a there against perpendicular web 24, to which a fitting 31 on the lower end of the stay 30 is attached with a through bolt 25. The plates 23 and 26 are mutually connected with a through bolt connection 27.

Turning again to fig. 1, a hollow profile 40 encloses the stay 30 and is, in a way already known, connected to and along the leading edge of a headsail (not shown) . The hollow profile is rotationally rigidly connected with a driving dog 42, that is arranged rotatable around the stay 30 and has, at a distance radial from its axis of rotation, an attachment 44 for the front lower corner of the headsail (not shown) in a way in itself known.

The driving dog 42 is located close to the upper side of the deck 3. The actuating apparatus for the furling staysail device, being adapted to be connected to the hollow profile 40, includes a bevel gear 50 arranged below the deck 3, close to the stem 2. The gear 50 includes a housing 51 through which the stay 30 extends. The gear 50 includes a first conical gear wheel 52 that coaxially encloses the stay 30 and is rigidly connected to the driving dog 42. A second gear wheel 53 is rotationally journalled in the housing 51 and engages the gear wheel 52 and is connected with a transmission 60 to a rotational driving device 70, shown carried by a lateral bulkhead 4. The transmission 60 can be in the form of a rod as shown, wherein the rod possibly may have a universal joint 61 to provide a greater degree of freedom in respect of the placing of the driving device 70. The driving device 70 can be a conventional furling staysail winch that usually lies coaxially aligned with the stay 30. As an alternative, the driving device 70 can be in the form of an electric motor. The bevel gear 50 may be given small dimensions along the stay 30 as well as in a normal plane to it. Hereby, the angular gear 50 can be placed at the upper end of the stem 2 and far ahead where the distance in a cross-direction between the boards 6 of the hull is proportionately small in modern sailing boat constructions. The housing 51 is located immediately below deck and is, due to the small cross sectional diameter in a normal plane to the forestay 30 of the housing, the small diameter of the gear wheel 52 and the attachment position 31, situated foremost in the hull, of the forestay 30, in a position at the inside of the stem and as far up along the stem 2 that is allowed by the diameter of the housing, the height of the housing (small diameter of the gearwheel 53) and the distance between the sides of the hull in the area of the housing 51, respectively.

As an alternative, it is also possible to mount the actuating apparatus at least partly below deck level, that is, not necessarily completely below deck level. The same benefits are achieved as for an actuating apparatus mounted completely below deck level albeit to a slightly lesser extent. The more below deck level the actuating apparatus is placed, the closer to deck the position of the driving dog will be. Having a driving dog close to deck means that air can not pass under the sail as easily, and also increases the sail area.

Fig. 3 depicts diagrammatically a mounting where a part of the actuating apparatus including an angular gear 50 appears above deck level 99. In this figure, the angular gear 50 is in fact also mounted ahead of the stem and is connected to the stem via a plate 98. In this position, the housing of the angular gear should preferably be watertight. A mounting of the angular gear ahead of the stem means that the sail area can be increased further, compared to a mounting astern of the stem. Of course, a mounting at the inside of the stem of the boat, as in figure 1, is also possible. Also, as in fig. 1, a mounting of the angular gear 50 below deck level is possible, as has been described earlier.

As such, the general idea of the invention is to use an angular gear to facilitate a more beneficial placement of the stay of the boat and the driving dog. This is due to the compact size of an annular gear compared to the size of the driving device usually located at the end of a stay of a boat.

The attachment 24 of the stay 30 can be connected to the stem of the boat. For instance, in fig. 3 the stay 30 is connected to the stem of the boat via a plate 98. Other points anchoring the stay 30, via some sort of attachment, could for instance be: a deck of a boat or any of the sides of the hull of a boat .

The angular gear 50 of the invention could be any suitable gear that provides an angle between an incoming shaft and an outgoing shaft of the gear. Examples of such angular gears are: a bevelled gear and a worm gear. Due to different types of angular gears, a first gear element of the angular gear may be, for instance, a gear wheel, a worm wheel or a worm. Correspondingly, due to different types of angular gears, a second gear element of the angular gear may be, for instance, a gear wheel, a worm wheel, or a worm.

Thus, in this way the forestay 30, that is to say the driving dog 42, may be placed very far ahead and adjacent the deck 3, so that the headsail area can be made big and effective. A quill shaft of the gear wheel 52, which quill shaft is connected with the driving dog 42 is by means of a thread connection (and a glue joint in the thread connection) connected with a body 43 that encloses the forestay which connected receives, in a recess, the lower end of the hollow profile 40 that has a non-circular cross-section, for rotationally driving of the hollow profile 40.

When the driving device 70 consists of a line winch its hauling line (not shown) may be arranged to extend to a position in or in the vicinity of the cock-pit of the boat, such that the crew can, from the cock-pit, furl the headsail around the hollow profile 40, that extends up till the upper end part of the leading edge of the headsail.

The actuating apparatus of the invention can be produced and sold as a retrofit device to replace, for instance, an ordinary furling jib winch.

The actuating apparatus of the invention could also be produced and packaged to be a part of a complete furling staysail device. Such a furling staysail device would preferably include, besides the actuating apparatus of the invention, a hollow profile 40 adapted to enclose a stay 30 of a sailing boat, the upper end of which stay 30 connects to a mast on the boat and the lower end of which stay 30 is attached to an attachment 24 connected to a hull of the boat, and a driving dog 42, that is located, in use, at a small distance above a deck 3 of the hull of the boat and adapted to be rotatable around the stay 30 and carries an attachment 44 at a distance radial from its bearing axis, for a front lower headsail corner, wherein the driving dog is rotationally rigidly connected to the hollow profile 40 and is adapted to be rotatable by a driving device 70.

Ultimately, of course, the furling staysail device of the invention would be mounted to a sailing boat. The mounting of the staysail device of the invention could be performed in many ways, with the angular gear mounted ahead of the stem of the sailing boat, inside the stem of the sailing boat, etc. Many of the possible mountings are discussed above.

Claims

1. Actuating apparatus for a furling staysail device, said apparatus being adapted to be connected to a hollow profile (40) that encloses a stay (30) of a sailing boat, the upper end of which stay (30) connects to a mast on the boat and the lower end of which stay (30) is attached to an attachment (24) connected to the boat hull, wherein a driving dog (42), that is located at a small distance above a deck (3) of the boat hull is arranged rotatable around the stay (30) and carries an attachment (44) at a distance radial from its bearing axis, for a front lower headsail corner, wherein the driving dog is rotationally rigidly connected to the hollow profile (40) and is rotatable by a driving device (70) , said actuating apparatus including an angular gear (50) , whereby a first gear element of the angular gear is received in a gear housing (51) and is suspensionally journalled thereon and is connectable to the driving dog (42), wherein the angular gear (50) has a second gear element (53) that is received in the housing (51), engages the first gear element (52) and is connectable to a shaft that is connected to the driving device (70) characterised in that - said first gear element of the angular gear is adapted to be journalled coaxially with the stay, and - said angular gear (50) is adapted to be mounted at least partly below deck (3) level of the boat.

2. Actuating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the angular gear (50) is any gear from the group consisting of: a bevelled gear and a worm gear.

3. Actuating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first gear element is any element from the group consisting of: a gear wheel, a worm wheel, a worm.

4. Actuating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second gear element is any element from the group consisting of: a gear wheel, a worm wheel, a worm.

5. Furling staysail device for a sailing boat including: - an actuating apparatus according to any of claims 1-4,

- a hollow profile (40) adapted to enclose a stay (30) of a sailing boat, the upper end of which stay (30) connects to a mast on the boat and the lower end of which stay (30) is attached to an attachment (24) connected to a hull of the boat, and

- a driving dog (42), that is located, in use, at a small distance above a deck (3) of the hull of the boat and adapted to be rotatable around the stay (30) and carries an attachment (44) at a distance radial from its bearing axis, for a front lower headsail corner, wherein the driving dog is rotationally rigidly connected to the hollow profile (40) and is adapted to be rotatable by a driving device (70) .

6. Sailing boat having a furling staysail device according to claim 5 mounted thereto.

7. Sailing boat according to claim 6, wherein the attachment (24) is connected to a stem of the boat.

8. Sailing boat according to claim 7, wherein the angular gear (50) is mounted ahead of the stem of the boat.

9. Sailing boat according to claim 7, wherein the angular gear (50) is mounted at the inside of the stem of the boat .

10. Sailing boat according to any of claims 6-9, wherein the angular gear (50) is mounted below deck level of the boat .

11. Sailing boat according to any of claims 6-10, wherein the driving device (70) is connected to the angular gear

(50) via a transmission (60) that has a form of a rod, preferably with a universal joint (61) .

12. Sailing boat according to any of claims 6-11, wherein the driving device (70) is carried by a lateral bulkhead

(4) in the hull, in the vicinity of the stem (2) .

13. Sailing boat according to any of claims 6-12, wherein the driving device (70) is a line winch the driving line of which extends to a place in or in the vicinity of the cock-pit of the boat.

14. Sailing boat according to any of claims 6 - 13, wherein the driving device (70) is an electric motor.

15. Sailing boat according to claim 6, wherein the angular gear (50) is minimised with respect to size and is placed in an upper corner area of the hull of the boat, in the vicinity of the stem (2), deck (3) and boards (6) of the boat, wherein the stay (30) extends linearly from its attachment to the mast through the first gear element (52) to the place of attachment on a fitting (22) on the stem.