Mast and sail structure for boats

Abstract

 57 A mast and sail structure for boats comprises battens (5) that are each housed in a respective pocket (6) of the sail (2) and are each associated to a collar (14) having an airfoil section. which is fitten on the mast (1) and is housed therewith in a respective pocket (3) of the sail (2). Each batten (5) penetrates into the collar (4) through a rear slot (7) of the same and it is at least horizontally pivotable about an axis substantially coinciding with said slot (7). The batten can bear against a transverse stabilization baffle (8) which is provided in the interior of the collar (4) and is preferably movable transversely to the mast (1).

Description

[0001] The invention concerns a mast and sail structure for boats, provided with battens that are each housed in a relative pocket of the sail, and that by their forward end are each articulatingly connected, so as to be at least horizontally pivotable, to a collar preferably having an airfoil section, which is fitten on the mast and is housed therewith in a respective pocket of the sail.

[0002] In these mast and sail structures, the supporting function on one hand, and, on the other hand, the function of guiding the battens and of profiling the leading edge of the sail are performed by distinct elements. The supporting function is performed by the mast which can have a circular outline, so that it can be made in a simple and economical manner notwithstanding its usually tapering shape, and the required strength is guaranteed with a minimum weight.

[0003] t The aerodynamic profile of the fore edge of the sail is obtained by means of wing-like-profiled collars that guarantee also the correct guiding of the battens, control the angle between the mast and the sail battens, and maintain in every moment the best profile of the sail. These collars do not perform any substantial supporting action, and so they can be made from any suitable, cheap and light material. Moreover, the collars protect the sail against any hole produced by the pressure of the forward end of the battens.

[0004] The object of the invention is to further improve the mast ans sail structures of the above-disclosed kind, in order to facilitate their construction and reduce the respective costs, and especially in order to simplify the collars fitted on the mast and their connection with the respective battens, and to ensure the indeformability of said collars notwithstanding their simple and economic construction.

[0005] To this end, the invention provides a mast and sail structure of the kind as described at the beginning, characterized in that

a) the collar has a rear slot;

b) through the said rear slot the batten is fitted the collar with such a play that it is at least horizontally pivotable about an ideal axis substantially coinciding with the said slot;

c) the collar has an internal space of such a width that the forward end of the batten is free to pivot in the said internal space of the collar;

d) the batten bears against a member which is integral with the collar.

[0006] The collar fitted on the mast may be made from any suitable material. Preferably, the collar is made from plastics for reasons of economy, and in order to make it more resistant to water and corrosion.

[0007] According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the collar has a transverse, internal, stabilization baffle. This transverse internal baffle ensures the stability of the selected profile of the collar and withstands any stress tending to deform the said collar.

[0008] The transverse internal baffle of the collar may be made of one piece with the collar, particularly from a suitable plastics, or it may be made separately, and may be inserted in said collar.

[0009] Particularly in this latter instance, when between the two sidewalls of the collar a pressure force is exerted, tending to squeeze transversely the said collar, the transverse internal baffle thereof is formed from a substantially rigid material. Whereas, in the instance in which between the two sidewalls of the collar a tensile stress is exerted, tending to transversely enlarge the collar, instead of squeezing it, the transverse internal .baffle thereof may be made even of a flexible material, and, for example, it may consist of a strap of flexible material, such as a textile material, or the like, which by its ends is fastened to the two opposite sidewalls of the collar.

[0010] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the transverse internal baffle of the collar is movable transversely to the mast. Thus, the distance between the internal baffle and the fore wall of the collar can be changed and adapted to masts of a different diameter, and/or to the different diameters of a same conical mast. Moreover, it is possible to obtain a support against the mast both for the fore wall of the collar and the transverse internal baffle, that is to say, the mast can be set into contact, or almost into contact, with the transverse internal baffle of the collar and with the fore wall of said collar.

[0011] The support for the batten in the longitudinal direction against a member which is integral with the collar, may be provided in any suitable manner. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the batten slidably bears with its forward end against the transverse internal baffle of the collar. In this instance, and particularly when the transverse internal baffle is made of a rigid material, this baffle preferably has an arcuate shape, with its concave side being turned aftward, i.e., toward the batten, and with its center of curvature being substantially in line with the rear slot in the collar.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the support for the batten in the longitudinal direction against a member of the collar, the batten bears by means of abutment side projections against the outer edges of the rear slot in the collar. These projections may be made of one piece with the batten.

[0013] In one preferred embodiment permitting to use any conventional batten, the said abutment side projections for the support of the batten against the outer edges of the rear slot in the collar, are provided on a hood that is fitted on the forward end of the batten.

[0014] The member of the sleeve against which bears the batten, may consist also of a flexible strap which is folded upon itself in form of a loop, and by its ends is fastened at both sides of the rear slot in the collar.

[0015] Some embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter in a more detailed manner, by referring to the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view diagrammatically showing a mast ans sail structure according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view in an enlarged scale, showing a collar which is fitted on the mast together with the sail and a batten.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the collar according to Figure 2.

Figures 4 and 5 are a vertical and a horizontal sectional view showing the aft portion of a collar, with a different construction of the support for the batten against the said collar.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the mast and sail structure according to the invention.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view of said structure, taken on line VIII-VIII of Figure 7.

[0016] In the Figures, by numeral 1 there is designated the mast of the mast and sail structure of a boat, for example, of a sail board, or of a Laser-type craft, or of a multi-hull craft, or the like. The mast 1 is made in a conventional manner, that is to say, it presents a circular tubular profile and has a conical shape slightly tapering toward the top end thereof. The sail 2 has a pocket 3 in which the mast 1 is fitted.

[0017] Housed at intervals in the mast pocket 3 of sail 2, are collars 4 that have a wing-like profile, so that they give the leading edge of the sail a corresponding aerodynamic profile. The mast 1 fitted in pocket 3 of sail 2 passes through the collars 4. When the mast 1 is not allowed to rotate, the collars 4 are freely rotatable thereabout. On the other hand, the mast 1 may even be a rotatable mast, and then the collars 4 can be non-rotatably bound to the said mast 1.

[0018] On mast 1 each collar 4 is provided in correspondence of a batten 5 of sail 2. Each batten is housed in a respective pocket 6 of sail 2, and its forward end turned toward the mast is inserted into the respective collar 4 through a slot 7 provided in the rear edge of said collar 4. In Figures 2 and 3 the depth of insertion of batten 5 into the respective collar 4 is limited by a baffle 8 extending at the interior of collar 4 between the two sidewalls thereof, and which is made of one piece with said collar. In the inside of collar 4 the forward end of batten 5 bears against the said baffle 8 that in cross-section preferably has an arcuate shape, with its center of curvature being in line with the rear slot 7.

[0019] In the embodiment according to Figures 4 and 5, abutment projections 9 are instead externally provided on one or, preferably, on both of the sides of batten 5, and bear against the outer edges of the rear slot 7 in collar 4, thus limiting the depth of insertion of the forward end of batten 5 into said collar 4.

[0020] In the modified embodiment according to Figure 6, the abutment side projections 9 that bear against the outer edges of slot 7 in collar 4, are provided on a hood 109 fitted on the forward end of batten 5. Moreover, in the embodiment according to Figure 6, the collar 4 has a squatter profile in cross-section, which is different from the wing-like profile shown in Figures 3 and 7.

[0021] Each batten 5 is inserted into the slot 7 in the respective collar 4 which such a play that a hinge effect is obtained. The internal space 104 in the rear section of collar 4 has such a width that the batten 5 can be angularly moved transversally to the mast, i.e., horizontally, between two end positions that are determined by the stopping of the forward end of batten 5 at the interior of collar 4, against the sides of said collar, as shown by solid lines and by dash-and-dot lines in Figure 3. In this Figure, the batten 5 while performing the said angular movement, always bears with its forward end against the internal arcuate baffle 8, so that the depth of insertion of the batten into the collar 4 does not change. The same effect is obtained also with the external abutment projections 9 according to Figures 4 to 6. In both of the angular end positions of its horizontal pivoting movement, the batten 5 is aerodynamically connected to the respective sides of collar 4, so that it forms a smooth connection between the leading edge and the lee face of the sail is ensured, and the forming of any turbulence in the said connection area is eliminated.

[0022] Preferably, the battens 5 have a certain play also in relation to a vertically directed angular movement within the rear slot 7 in the respective collars 4, so that they can take several inclinations in the vertical direction, as it is evident in Figure 1.

[0023] In the embodiment according to Figures 7 and 8, tha mast 1 is held between the fore wall of collar 4 and the internal baffle 8, so that it bears both against the fore wall of collar 4 and against the internal baffle 8, without such an arrangement necessarily preventing the rotation of collar 4 about the mast 1, when such a rotation is desired. In order to adapt the distance between the fore wall of collar 4 and the internal baffle 8 to the different values of the diameter of mast 1, which varies along the said conical mast 1, and/or to masts of a different diameter, the internal baffle 8 is made in form of an element that is separate from collar 4, and is within certain limits movably guided in said collar, transversely to mast 1. For this purpose, in the shown embodiment parallel guide notches 10 extending transversely to mast 1, are provided in correspondence of the upper and lower edges of collar 4, in the inner side of its opposite sidewalls. In each one of these guide notches 10 a respective lateral projection ot tooth 108 for guiding the movable baffle 8, is slidably engaged. Of course, the bond of the internal movable baffle 8 to collar 4 and the guiding of said baffle in collar 4 may be obtained with any suitable means even substantially different from the shown and described ones, since the idea of the invention generally consists in the limited mobility of the internal baffle 8 transversely to mast 1. The collar 4 may have any suitable profile in horizontal section, especially in its fore portion that may have a semicircular, or circle arc profile, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, or it may have such a profile that it only locally bears in two or more points or zones, against the mast 1. Moreover, the mobility of the internal baffle 8 of collar 4 transversely to mast 1 is applicable also to the embodiments according to Figures 4 to 6, in which through abutment side projections 9 the batten 5 bears against the outer edges of the rear slot 7 in collar 4, since the internal baffle 8 performs the essential function of forming a collar-stiffening crosspiece, so as to ensure the stability of the selected airfoil section of the collar, and as to withstand any stress tending to deform it.

[0024] The number and the length of the batten-guiding collars 4 fitted on a mast 1 in the respective pocket 3 of sail 2 may vary, since it is possible to provide longer collars than those shown, which are each associated with two or more battens. It is even possible to provide only one collar extending in the fashion of a sheath throughout the height of mast 1, with which all the battens of the sail are associated.

Claims

1. A mast (1) and sail (2) structure for boats, provided with battens (5) that are each housed in a relative pocket (6) of sail (2), and that by their forward end are each articulatingly connected, so as to be at least horizontally pivotable, to a collar (4) preferably having an airfoil section, which is fitted on mast (1) and is housed therewith in a respective pocket (3) of sail (2), characterized in that

a) the collar (4) has a rear slot (7);

b) through the said rear slot (7) the batten (5) is fitted in collar (4) with such a play that it is at least horizontally pivotable about an ideal axis substantially coinciding with the said slot (7);

c) the collar (4) has an internal space (104) of such a width that the forward end of batten (5) is free to pivot in the said internal space (104) of the collar;

d) the batten (5) bears against a member which is integral with the collar.

2. The mast and sail structure according to Claim 1, characterized in that the collar (4) is made' of plastics.

3. The mast and sail structure according to any one of Claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the collar (4) has a transverse, internal, stabilization baffle (8).

4. The mast and sail structure according to Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transverse internal baffle (8) is made of one piece with collar (4).

5. The mast and sail structure according to Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transverse internal baffle (8) is made separately and is inserted in said collar (4).

6. The mast and sail structure according to any one of Claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the transverse internal baffle (8) is formed from a substantially rigid material.

7. The mast and sail structure according to any one of Claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the transverse internal baffle is formed from a flexible material.

8. The mast and sail structure according to Claim 7, characterized in that the transverse internal baffle consists of a strap of flexible material, such as, for example, a textile material, or the like, which by its ends is fastened to the two opposite sidewalls of the collar.

9. The mast and sail structure according to any one or more of Claims 3 to 8, characterized in that the transverse internal baffle (8) is movable transversely to mast (1), within such limits that it can bear against masts of different diameters, or against sections with a different diameter of a same conical mast (1).

10. The mast and sail structure according to Claim 9, characterized in that the transverse internal baffle (8) made of a rigid material, particularly plastics, is slidably engaged by means of lateral projections or teeth (108) in respective baffle-guiding parallel grooves or slots (10) provided in the opposite sidewalls of collar (4).

11. The mast and sail structure according to any one or more of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the batten (5) slidably bears with its forward end against the transverse internal baffle (8) of collar (4).

12. The mast and sail structure according to Claim 11, characterized in that the transverse internal baffle (8) made of a rigid material is reinforced, and has its concave side turned toward the batten (5), and its center of curvature in the area of the rear slot (7) in collar (4).

13. The mast and sail structure according to any one or more of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the batten (5) bears by means of abutment side projections (9) against the outer edges of the rear slot (7) in collar (4).

14. The mast and sail structure according to Claim 13, characterized in that the abutment side projections (9) are made of one piece with batten (5).

15. The mast and sail structure according to Claim 13, characterized in that the abutment side projections (9) are provided on a hood (109) fitted on the forward end of batten (5).

16. The mast and sail structure according to any one or more of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the batten bears with its forward end against a flexible strap which is folded upon itself in form of a loop, and by its ends is fastened at both sides of the rear slot in the collar.

Drawing