WO2016039697A1

WO2016039697A1 - Carbon anchor arm with a turning mechanism and method of manufacture

Info

Publication number: WO2016039697A1
Application number: PCT/SI2014/000051
Authority: WO
Inventors: Roman KOGOJ
Original assignee: Seaway Yachts, D.O.O.
Priority date: 2014-09-08
Filing date: 2014-09-08
Publication date: 2016-03-17

Abstract

The present invention relates to a carbon anchor arm with a turning mechanism that enables the anchor to be lowered and raised using an anchor windlass and allows the anchor to be stored inside an anchor storage compartment located at the bow of the boat. The entire carbon anchor arm and rotating mechanism assembly is fitted in the bow and comprises an anchor support member, a carbon anchor arm (1), an anchor arm locking mechanism with sliding bearings made from Koterm and other anchor arm elements (2), a bottom metal member with a hub that guides the anchor chain (3), and a hydraulic mechanism with a hydraulic motor (4) that enables 180-degree rotation.

Description

Carbon anchor arm with a turning mechanism and method of manufacture

The subject matter of the present invention is a carbon anchor arm that enables the user to lower the anchor to anchor the boat when required and raise the anchor to sail away. The carbon anchor arm allows the anchor to be positioned at a distance from the edge of the boat, thereby preventing damage to the hull when lowering and raising the anchor.

In current practice, anchors are positioned on a stainless steel bracket oh the bow of the boat. The anchor is mounted at the far end of the bow and is visible, unprotected and at times even dangerous, as there is a risk of a sail, e.g. a spinnaker, becoming caught on the anchor and tearing.

Existing anchor brackets are mostly made from AISI 316L stainless steel. The bracket is fixed to the bow, attached to the structure of the hull, and the anchor is mounted on rotating polypropylene bearings and fixed with a safety pin in the raised position. When the anchor needs to be lowered, the safety pin is removed and the anchor is lowered into the water by means of the bearings.

The need has arisen in the development of boats with a focus on modern design, safety, etc., to reposition the anchor from a mount on the bow into an anchor storage compartment, from where it can be safely lifted when required and moved a sufficient distance away from the edge of the boat, from which position it can be slowly or quickly lowered.

The above technical problem is solved by a carbon anchor arm that is fitted directly onto a hydraulic motor. The fact that the anchor is now stored in a storage compartment using a carbon anchor arm provides increased safety during open ocean sailing, as there is no risk of mechanical damage to the anchor safety pin or the hull laminate due to the large forces generated at the bow upon impact with the water.

The invention is described in detail below and illustrated in the enclosed drawing.

Figure 1 shows an anchor arm mounted on a hydraulic mechanism that allows the arm to rotate through 180 degrees. The entire carbon anchor arm and rotating mechanism assembly is fitted inside the bow and comprises the following elements: an anchor support member, a carbon anchor arm 1, an anchor arm locking mechanism with sliding bearings made from Koterm and other anchor arm elements (screws, guide wheel) 2, a bottom metal mounting member with a hub that guides the anchor chain 3, and a hydraulic mechanism with a hydraulic motor 4 that enables a 180-degree rotation.

The anchor arm 1 is moulded from a single piece of carbon fibre and is mounted on the hydraulic mechanism 4 through the metal hub 3. The hydraulic mechanism with a hydraulic motor 4 enables the anchor arm 1 to rotate from 0 degrees, where the anchor arm is closed, to 180 degrees, where the anchor arm is open and stowed inside the hull.

Operating the anchor arm, i.e. raising and lowering the anchor using the anchor arm 1, is very simple. The anchor arm is operated using a remote control, which can be either wired or wireless. When the anchor arm is activated, the cover of the anchor storage compartment opens and the remote control is used to lift the anchor arm 1 from the anchor storage compartment and then rotate the anchor arm 1 from the closed position by 180 degrees into the open position, where the anchor arm 1 is stowed inside the hull. Once the anchor arm locks into place, the anchor can be lowered (slowly or quickly). The procedure for raising the anchor is identical to the lowering procedure but reversed.

The carbon anchor arm 1 according to the invention is made from carbon fibre with different layer orientations. The carbon anchor 1 is manufactured by laying down pre-impregnated carbon fibre fabric in a mould, adequately sealing the mould using vacuum foil and heat-treating the material at temperatures of up to 95 degrees Celsius.

Multiple layers of pre-impregnated carbon fibre fabric of different grammages are laid down in the mould at different angles, namely 0, 90, +45 and -45 degrees. Fabric with different grammages per square meter is used to achieve the required final thickness of the anchor arm. Once all the carbon fibre fabric layers are laid down in the mould, vacuum foil is applied to ensure adequate sealing and the anchor arm 1 is heat-treated according to the prescribed procedure at temperatures of up to 95 degrees Celsius. After the heat treatment procedure is complete, the anchor arm 1 is demoulded and trimmed and the visible carbon layer is wet-laminated. After the vacuum foil is removed, the anchor arm 1 is varnished to achieve the final carbon appearance. The carbon anchor arm pivot mount is made from AISI 316L stainless steel and is fitted on a special hydraulic motor that lifts and lowers the anchor arm.

Claims

1. A carbon anchor arm with a rotating mechanism, characterised in that it comprises an anchor support member, a carbon anchor arm (1), an anchor arm locking mechanism with sliding bearings made from Koterm and other anchor arm elements (2), a lower metal fastening section with a hub that guides the anchor chain (3), and a hydraulic mechanism with a hydraulic motor (4), whereas the carbon anchor arm (1) is a monolith cast in one piece and made of carbon fibre, and is fixed by means of a metal hub (3) to the hydraulic mechanism with a hydraulic motor (4), whereas the hydraulic mechanism with a hydraulic motor (4) enables the anchor arm (1) to rotate or move, from 0 degrees, when the anchor arm is closed and to 180 degrees, when the anchor arm is open and stowed inside the hull.

2. The method for manufacturing the carbon anchor arm according to claim 1, characterised in that multiple layers of pre-impregnated carbon fibre fabric of different grammages are laid down in the mould at different angles, namely 0, 90, +45 and -45 degrees; once all the carbon fibre fabric layers are laid down in the mould, vacuum foil is applied to ensure adequate sealing and the anchor arm (1) is heat-treated according to the prescribed procedure at temperatures of up to 95 degrees Celsius; after the heat treatment procedure is complete, the anchor arm (1) is demoulded and trimmed, the visible carbon layer is wet- laminated; after the vacuum foil is removed, the anchor arm (1) is varnished.