Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
L0563
SPECIFICATION
This invention relates to novel means for raising,
lowering and furling sails on all vessels from the smallest
sail-boats to vessels of any suitable length. All other
sails on the market today suf~er from the following defects,
namely, some are labour intensive, that is, they require
additional manpower with the attendant problems. Others
depend on complicated and highly technical devices to
operate their sails. The high initial costs and dif~icult
maintenance problems and failures in a marine environment
of these devices make them difficult, if not impossible,
for the small vessel owner to use same on his vessel. Other
sail units require too much working of the sail, either
by winch means or the necessary presence of complicating
rigging. This present invention overcomes the past problems
by supplying and simplifying the method of furling and
setting ths fabric forming the sail. This lends itself
to ~eing lnstalled in a variety of configuration, namely,
mast supported by a tri-pod structure, free standing masts
or a mast guyed with wires or a mast supported by any other
suitable means. It also lends itself to being remotely
controlled from the wheel house or any other appropriate
location on the vessel or lt can be fully automated using
a micro-processor.
The folding mechanism is simple and rugged as opposed
to other sa~l devices utilizing parts with closely machined
tolerances, which provide many mechanical failures and
problems with attendant danger to crew and attendants.
In this present lnvention, many of the above difficulties
are ellmlnated as rOllOwS:
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a mast mounted for rotation about a vertical axis on the hull
of a ship, an upper pair of yard arms pivotally connected to
135~3
an upper portion of the mast and a lower pair of yard arms
pivotally connected to a lower portion of the mast, each of the
upper and lower pairs of yard arms being movable between an
open position in which the yard arms are substantially in
alignment to set a sail extending between said yard arms and a
closed position in which the yard arms are folded to be sub-
stantially parallel to the mast so that the sail will be compactly
furled, the upper pair of yard arms being pivoted downwards
for folding and the lower pair of hard arms being pivoted
upwardly for folding, means for moving said yard arms between
open and closed positions and a sleeve adapted to slide over the
yard arms and sail when said yard arms and said sail are in
folded position.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, said
sleeve is stored at the base of the mast when not in use and
is raised to slide over the yard arms and sail when they are
in folded position.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the
upper and lower pairs of yard arms are mirror images of each
other.
In accordance with the preferred aspect of this invention,
a strut is pivotally connected to each of the yard arms and
a first slidable means, such as a collar, movable axially of the
mast is pivotally connected to the struts of the upper pairs of
yard arms and a second slidable means movable axially of the mast
is pivotally connected to the struts of the lower pair of yard
arms.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the
means for moving said yard arms between open and closed position
is hydraulic means connected between said first and second
slidable means.
In accordance with a preferred feature of the invention,
rotation of the mast is controlled by a microprocessor.
1~05~3
In the drawings illustrating the embodiments of my
invention:
FIGURE 1: illustrates a plan view of this invention
in a tri-pod configuration, showing the yardarms and the
struts in extended position.
FIGURE 2: illustrates a lateral view of Figure 1.
FIGURE 3: illustratesa front view of the invention,
showing the yardarms and the struts in closed position and
showing a protective sleeve around the yardarms and struts.
FIGURE 4: illustrates details of nylon bushings at
thetop and bottom of rotating mast to facilitate easy rotation.
In the drawings, Figure 1, the number 1 illustrates
the top and bottom hinged yardarms. The number 2 illus-
trates a conventional hinging mechanism. The number 3
illustratçs two sliding collars to allow struts ~ to push
or pull the yardarms 1 to desired position on the mast 5.
The number 6 lllustrates the legs of the tri-pod. The
number 7 illustrates a cap fitting over the top of the
rotatable mast 5.
In Figure 2, the number ~3 illustrates a hydraulic cylinder
attached to the lower collar 3 by means and to a spacer bar
8a. The number 9 illustrates a tiller bar welded to a
rotating mast 5 to ~acilitate the rotating of the mast 5.
In Figure 3, the number lO illustrates a protect~ve
sleeve, disposed over the struts 4 and the yardarms 1, and
the sail, (not shown), when in closed position.
In Figure 4, the number 11 illustrates a nylon bushing
inside the cap 7 fitting over the top of the rotating mast
5. The number 12 illustrates a threaded bolt welded to the
top end o~ plate 13 on the mast 5. The number 14 illustrates
a nut fitting over the threaded bolt 12. The nu~ber 15
lllustrates another mounting plate on the deck of the ship
~2~0SÇi3
or vessel. The number 16 illustrates an access port to
attach another nut 14, (not shown), to threaded bolt 12
welded to mounting plate 15 on the deck.
~ he mode of use and the operation of this invention
are as follows:
The mast5, on which are disposed and adapted the two
collars 3, attached to the struts 4, which are attached to
the yardarms 1, is affixed to the deck of the ship, Figure
4. The cap 7 is placed over the mast 5 and the two legs 6
are attached to cap 7 and extended to the deck in a tri-pod
position where they are affixed to the deck by conventional
means.
A sail, not shown, is conventionally attached to the
top hinged yardarm 1 and to the bottom hinged yardarm 1.
The lnvention is then ready to be used.
The sail may be furled by actuating the hydraulic
cylinder 8 by conventional means, which brings the two
collars 3 together on the mast 5, thus drawing the two
struts 4 into a closea position, which automatically draws
the two hinged yardarms 1 at the top and at the bottom of
the mast 5 into a closed po~ition against the mast 5,
Figure 3, thus furling the sail, attached as aforesaid to
the yardarms 1, against the mast S. A protective sleeve
lO is provided at the bottom of the mast 5, disposed and
adapted to be hauled up and over the furled ~ail, the folded
struts 4 and the folded yardarms 1, holding the sail in a
turled position against the mast 5, in a compact protected
unit.
The rotating mast 5, Figure 4, turned by the tiller
bar 9, facllitated by the bushings 11, permits the mast 5
to be turned in any direction, $n order that the sail,
atfixed to the yardarms 1, as atoresaid, may catch the
prevaillng winds ~rom any direction.
05'~
The sail may be quickly unfurled and set by removi~lg
the sleeve and actuating the collars by the hydraulic
cylinder to move apart from each other. It may be seen that
the operation of this invention could be automated by micro-
processor means or, in case of mechanical or electrical
failure and in emergency, the collars could be actuated by
conventional rope and pulley manual means, on order to furl
and unfurl the sail.
It may be seen that the mast may be held up~ig~t un
1~ the deck of the ship by other than the leg means described.
It may further be seen that, in case of mechanical fallure
of the hydraulic cylinder, or in case of emergency, or in
the case of the use of this lnvention in undeveloped countries,
where advanced technology may be lacking, the collars of
this invention could be actuated by conventional rope and
pulley manual means, thus raising and lowering the sail,
as described above and resulting in the easy and rapid
raising, furling and setting of sails, which ~s the ob~ective
of this invention.
The above disclosure and specification describes the
embodiments of my invention and discovery, but as same may
be used or adapted to use in forms, other than, or similar
to, or varying from, the features set forth in the above
disclosure and specification, I claim as my inventlon and
discovery all forms of same which may be deemed to fall
fairly within the s~ope of my appended claims.
