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(11) | EP 0 076 878 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
Sail storage and reefing device Vorrichtung zum Lagern und Aufrollen eines Segels Dispositif pour emmagasiner et pour enrouler une voile |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] The present invention relates to a reefing device for reefing and storing a sail by winding the sail inside a mast.
[0002] Conventionally, the main sail of a sailing boat when lowered is furled around the horizontal boom. However, arrangement is untidy and sometimes inconvenient.
[0003] Australian Patent Application AU-A-512,289 discloses a sail furling device wherein the sail is reefed by winding up the sail around a vertical rotational wind-up member held inside the mast. The vertical edge of the sail enters the mast through a longitudinal slot. This arrangement not only allows the sail to be conveniently furled but also facilitates reefing, i.e. reduction in sail area, by drawing into the mast a desired portion of the sail.
[0004] However, this arrangement suffers from a number of disadvantages. Firstly, it employs a two-part swivel, one part of which slides up the slot in the mast. Such swivel is liable to become jammed. Secondly, the wind-up member is itself held in tension by means of a turn-buckle take- up. This leads to wear on the top and bottom swivel mountings of the wind-up member and possible jamming. Also, only a single sail may be attached to the mast.
[0005] US-A-4267790 also discloses a reefing and storage device for sail. The device comprises a hollow mast having an internal cavity and a longitudinal slot through which a sail may be drawn into the cavity for reefing and storage. A longitudinally extending wind-up member or inner mast, is disposed within the internal cavity of the said mast, the wind-up member being rotatably mounted with respect to the mast for enabling the sail to be wound around said wind-up member by rotation thereof. In this way the sail may be drawn through the slot into the cavity. Rotation means in the form of a crank 40 and associated gears, are connected to the wind-up member to enable the wind-up member to be rotated. A halyard is provided, to one end of which the sail may be attached, and a guide is mounted at an upper end of the wind-. up member, the halyard running longitudinally of the wind-up member and around the guide. A first track is provided in the wind-up member and extends longitudinally thereof, the first track being adapted to slidably secure an edge of the sail for slidably connecting the sail to the wind-up member. Thus the sail may be raised by attaching the sail to said one end of the halyard, and by pulling on the other end of the halyard, so as to draw the halyard around the guide and slide the sail along the first track and the wind-up member.
[0006] According to the broadest aspect of this invention there is provided a reefing and storage device for sail, which device comprises a hollow mast having an internal cavity and a longitudinal slot through which said sail may be drawn into said cavity for reefing storage; a longitudinally extending wind-up member disposed within the internal cavity of said mast, the wind-up member being rotatably mounted with respect to the mast for enabling the sail to be wound around said wind-up member by rotation thereof and thereby to be drawn through said slot into said cavity; rotation means connected to said sail wind-up member for rotation thereof; a halyard to one end of which said sail may be attached; a guide mounted to an upper end of the wind-up member, said halyard running longitudinally of the wind-up member and around said guide; a first track being provided to said wind-up member and extending longitudinally thereof, said first track being adapted to slidably secure an edge of said sail for slidably connecting the sail to said wind-up member, whereby said sail may be raised by attaching the sail to said one end of the halyard and pulling on the other end of the halyard so as to draw the halyard around the guide and slide said sail along said first track and up said wind-up member, wherein a tensioned fixed central member is provided on which said wind-up member is rotatably mounted, the central member passing along a longitudinal bore in said wind-up member, and being secured at each end thereof under tension to means functionally integral with said mast.
[0007] The guide is usually a pulley rotatably mounted on the top of the wind-up member, and serves to guide the halyard. However, any conventional guide means may be used such as part-circular channels or tubes.
[0008] Preferably, the wind-up member is rotatable about a tensioned fixed central wire or rod, thereby removing any need to tension the wind-up member itself.
[0009] Preferably, the halyard runs up said first track and down a second track in the wind-up member.
[0010] Generally, the mast will have a cut-out near the gooseneck where the boom is attached to the mast, for use in attaching the sail to the halyard and to the first track, raising the halyard, and also for tensioning the sail.
[0011] Usually, each track will be the form of a longitudinal channel in the wind-up member. At least the first channel may have re-entrant edges so as to retain a bolt rope forming part of the sail edge. The first channel may also include a cut-out opposite the mast cut-out to enable the bolt rope to be threaded into the first channel.
[0012] The device may be operated as follows. The top of the sail is passed through the cut-out and attached to one end of the halyard. The sail edge is then attached to the first track and the sail is raised by pulling on the other end of the halyard, for example by drawing in a rope attached to the other end of the halyard. The sail may be furled by rotating the wind-up member using a motor, wind-up handle or other winding mechanism.
[0014] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of a mast embodying the present invention,
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the mast with the sail in its fully extended position,
Figure 3 is the same view as Figure 2 but showing the sail partially retracted into the mast,
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional plan view along lines IV-IV,
Figure 5 is a sectional elevation view of the top of the wind-up member,
Figure 6 is a sectional elevational view of a portion of the bottom of the wind-up member,
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional plan view through the top track casting showing the two pulleys, and
Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view through a central portion of the wind-up member.
[0015] Figure 1 shows an extended mast 1 having therein an intermediate wall 2 dividing the mast into a forward internal cavity 3 and a rearward internal cavity 4. A vertically extending longitudinal wind-up member 27 is rotatably mounted in the rear cavity 4 for winding thereon a main sail 8.
[0016] The mast 1 is provided with a head fitting 38 and the lower end of the mast is attached to the deck or keel of the boat. The rearward side of the cavity 4 is provided with a vertically extending slit 5 having rounded sail supporting edges through which the sail is drawn into the mast by rotation of the wind-up member 27. A cut-out section 34 is provided at the base of the mast to allow the sail to be attached to the wind-up member and for enabling the sail to be hoisted. Around the cut-out 34 is disposed a gooseneck 11 supporting the boom 42 by means of a double swivel 44. The boom has an I beam track 12 along its length and an out haul line 33 running around pulleys is attached to rear corner 31 of the sail. Out haul pulleys 32 are provided to allow correct out and down pressure on the sail. Boom topping lift 40 is attached between the rear end of the boom 42 and head fitting 38. A conventional jib halyard 39 runs through the front cavity 3.
[0017] The wind-up member 27 comprises a centre strut 45 havng therein longitudinal channel- shaped tracks 6, 6' and 7, 7'. Each pair of tracks 6, 6' and 7, 7' is for mounting a respective sail. Thus, two sails may be attached to the wind-up member, as shown in Figure 8. Each sail track 6, 7 has a cut-out 29 at a lower end opposite mast cut-out 34 for threading bolt rope 46 attached to the front edge of the sail into the track. The centre strut 45 also comprises a central longitudinal bore to allow the wind-up member to be rotated around a wire rope 20. The wire rope 20 is secured to the head fitting 38 by means of a suadge eye, and is attached by means of a turnbuckle 36 to a lower casting 37 secured inside rear cavity 4. The wind-up member is rotatable about wire 20 by means of gear 9 bolted to the bottom of strut 45 and co-operating worm drive 10 have attached thereto handle 13. The gear and worm drive may of course be replaced by an electric reversing motor for automatic furling operation.
[0018] In a preferred alternative embodiment, the gear and worm drive are replaced by a remote pulley arrangement operable from the boat cockpit. The pulley is mounted around the strut 45 opposite mast cut-out 34. An endless loop of rope passes around the pulley, through the mast cut-out, and is led via idler pulleys to a winch adjacent the cockpit.
[0019] As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the wind-up member also comprises a top track casting 14 attached by means of bolts 48 to the top of strut 45. Mounted within the top casting 14 are two pulleys 15a and 15b mounted respectively above pairs of tracks 6, 6' and 7, 7' in recesses 17a and 17b respectively. The pulleys or sheaves 15a and 15b are rotatably mounted on shafts 16a and 16b. Halyard 24 passes up sail track 6, around pulley 15a and down halyard track 6'.
[0020] The lower end of the wind-up member 27 is shown in Figures 4 and 6 (in Figure 6, the worm drive and handle are omitted for clarity). The lower end of strut 45 is rotationally attached to lower casting 37 by means of top thrust washer 18 and bottom thrust washer 19 held between track retainer 21 and gear 9. A block and tackle 23 is provided between track retainer 21 and a main sail halyard slide 22 attached to one end of halyard 24.
[0021] Lower casing 37 is held in place in the rear cavity 4 by means of screws 43. Worm drive 10 is mounted on lower casing 37 by means of bearings 49.
[0022] In an alternative embodiment, a long threaded rod is attached to the slide 22, passes along the halyard track 6' and through holes in the track retainer 21 and gear 9 (or the pulley of a remote pulley arrangement). A nut and washer are attached to the free end of the rod protruding beyond the gear 9. The halyard tension is adjusted by tightening the nut. In this arrangement the gear and worm drive will be raised so as to be accessible through cut-out 34.
[0023] The bottom front corner 28 of the sail is held in position by an adjustable strop 41. Alternatively, a further adjustable threaded rod arrangement such as the type just described may be used.
[0024] The operation of the reefing device will now be described with particular reference to Figures 1 to 3; In Figure 1, the sail 8 is shown in the hoisted position with the top corner 26 of the sail attached to halyard 24. The halyard 24 extends around pulley 15a and down inside halyard track 6' and terminates in halyard slide 22.
[0025] When the sail is to be furled out, haul line 33 is slackened and the wind-up member rotated by means of the handle 13 or by a winch adjacent the cockpit. Rotation of the wind-up member causes the sail 8 to be wrapped around the centre strut 45, thereby drawing the sail through the slit 5 and reducing its external area. The sail may be unfurled by applying tension to the line 33 and operating handle 13.
[0026] The sail may be lowered by attaching a further removable halyard to slide 22 through cut-out 34, and then releasing slide 22 from block and tackle 23 (or from the tensioning rod). The sail may then be pulled downwards along sail track 6 removed through cut-outs 29 and 34. At the same time, halyard 24 travels around pulley 15a and down sail slide 6 until top corner 26 of the sail comes to the cut-out 34, thereby allowing it to be removed from the halyard.
[0027] When a new sail is to be hoisted, the reverse procedure is adopted. Thus, the top corner of the sail is attached to the free end of halyard 24 through mast cut-out 34. The sail bolt rope is threaded into track 6 via track cut-out 29. The removable halyard is then drawn out so as to pull slide 22 downwardly in halyard track 6', and thereby hoist the sail.
[0028] If necessary, a second sail may be hoisted by means of the second pair of tracks 7, 7'. This facility is useful in that it allows a further sail to be hoisted should the main sail rip in bad weather or jam in the track. The use of wire 20 to mount the wind-up member, helps prevent jamming of the wind-up member and removes the need to tension the member itself. The wind-up member, wire and lower casting 37 may be readily removed through the end of the mast for servicing. The overall arrangement is simple, convenient to use and not susceptible to jamming.
1. A reefing and storage device for a sail, which device comprises a hollow mast (1)
having an internal cavity (4) and a longitudinal slot (5) through which said sail
(8) may be drawn into said cavity for reefing and storage; a longitudinally extending
wind-up member (27) disposed within the internal cavity (4) of said mast, the wind-up
member being rotatably mounted with respect to the mast for enabling the sail to be
wound around said wind-up member by rotation thereof and thereby to be drawn through
. said slot into said cavity; rotation means (9, 10, 13) connected to said wind-up
member for rotation thereof; a halyard (24) to one end of which said sail may be attached;
a guide (15a) mounted to an upper end of the wind-up member, said halyard running
longitudinally of the wind-up member and around said guide; a first track (6) being
provided to said wind-up member and extending longitudinally thereof, said first track
being adapted to slidably secure an edge of said sail for slidably connecting the
sail to said wind-up member, whereby said sail may be raised by attaching the sail
to said one end of the halyard and pulling on the other end of the halyard so as to
draw the halyard around the guide and slide said sail along said first track and up
said wind-up member, characterised in that a tensioned fixed central member (20) is
provided on which said wind-up member is rotatably mounted, the central member passing
along a longitudinal bore in said wind-up member, and being secured at each end thereof
under tension to means functionally integral with said mast.
2. A device according to claim 1, which further comprises a second track (6') provided
on said wind-up member at an opposite side of said guide to said first track, whereby
said halyard may run up said first track and down said second track.
3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said first and second tracks (6, 6') are
each in the form of a longitudinal channel having re-entrant retaining edges.
4. A device according to claim 2 or 3 which comprises one pair of first and second
tracks (6, 6') for a first sail, and a second pair of first and second tracks (7,
7') for slidably securing a second sail to said wind-up member.
5. A device according to any preceding claim which further comprises a cut-out (34)
in said mast, said cut-out being disposed near a gooseneck (11) where a boom (42)
for said sail is attached to said mast, said cut-out enabling access to said cavity
for attaching said sail to the halyard and to said first track.
6. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said rotation means comprises
a gear (9) munted on a lower end of said wind-up member and meshing with a worm drive
(10) having a winding handle (13) attached thereto.
7. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said rotation means comprises
a pulley mounted on a lower end of said wind-up member, a winch mountable in a boat
cockpit, and an endless loop for connecting said pulley to said winch.
1. Einrichtung zum Reffen und Aufbewahren eines Seils, die aufweist einen hohlen Mast
(1) mit einer inneren Höhlung (4) und einem Längsschlitz (5), durch welchen das Seil
(8) gezogen werden kann, in die Höhlung zum Reffen und Aufbewahren; ein längs sich
erstreckendes Aufwickelelement (27), angeordnet in der inneren Höhlung (4) des Mastes,
wobei das Aufwickel-element drehbar in Bezug auf den Mast befestigt ist, um es zu
ermöglichen, daß das Seil um das Aufwickel- element aufgewickelt wird durch dessen
Drehung, und wodurch es durch den Schlitz in die Höhlung gezogen wird; mit Rotationselement
(9, 10, 13), die mit dem Aufwickelelement zur Drehung verbunden sind; einen Ausholer
(24), an dessen einem Ende das Seil angebracht werden kann; eine Führung (15a), die
an einem oberen Ende des Aufwickelelementes befestigt ist, wobei der Ausholer längs
zu dem Aufwickelelement und um die Führung herum läuft; einem ersten Auflager (6),
das an dem Aufwickelelement vorgesehen ist und sich längs dazu erstreckt, wobei das
erste Auflager geeignet ist, eine Ecke für das Seil gleitbar zu sichern, für eine
gleitende Verbindung des Seils zu dem Aufwickeleiement, wodurch das Seil hochgehoben
werden kann durch eine Anbringung des Seils an einem Ende des Ausholers und Ziehen
an dem anderen Ende des Ausholers, um so den Ausholer um die Führung herumzuziehen
und das Seil entlang dem ersten Auflager und das Aufwickelelement heraufzugleiten,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die gespanntes fest angeordnetes Zentralelement (20) vorgesehen
ist, an dem das Aufwickelelement drehbar befestigt ist, daß das Zentralelement entlang
einer Längsbohrung in dem Aufwickelelement geht und an jedem Ende gesichert ist unter
Spannung zu Mitteln, die funktional integral mit dem Mast sind.
2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, welche weiter ein zweites Auflager (6') aufweist,
daß an dem Aufwickelelement an einer entgegengesetzten Seite der Führung zu dem ersten
Auflager vorgesehen ist, wodurch der Ausholer das erste Auflager hinauflaufen Kann
und dann das zweite Auflager hinunter.
3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 2, wobei das erste und zweite Auflager (6, 6') jeweils
in Gestalt eines Längskanals besteht, die jeweils wieder eintretende Rückhalteecken
haben. -
4. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 2 oder 3, welche ein paar von ersten und zweiten Auflagern
(6, 6') für ein erstes Seil aufweist, und ein paar von ersten und zweiten Auflagern
(7, 7') für eine gleitbare Sicherung eines zweiten Seils an dem Aufwickelelement.
5. Vorrichtung nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, welche weiter einen Abschneider
(34) in der ersten Mast aufweist, welcher Abschneider nahe einem Schwanenhals (11)
angeordnet ist, wo ein Auslager (42) für das Seil an dem Mast angebracht ist, welcher
Abschneider einen Zugang zu der Höhlung ermöglicht, um das Seil an dem Ausholer und
dem ersten Auflager anzubringen.
6. Vorrichtung nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüuche, wobei die Drehmittel ein Getriebe
(9) auweisen, das an einem uteren Ende des Aufwickelelementes befestigt ist und mit
einem Schneckengewinde Antrieb (10) in Angriff steht, welcher eine Aufwickelhandhabe
(13) besitzt, die daran angebracht ist.
7. Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 5, wobei die Drehelemente eine Riemenscheibe
aufweisen, die an einem unteren Ende des Aufwickelelementes angebracht ist, eine Kurbel,
die in einem Führerstand eines Bootes befestigbar ist und eine Endlosschlaufe, zur
Verbindung der Rolle mit der Kurbel.
1. Dispositif pour rentrer et stocker une voile, lequel dispositif comprend un mât
creux (1) ayant une cavité interne (4) et une fente longitudinale (5) à travers laquelle
ladite voile (8) peut être tirée dans ladite cavité pour la rentrer et la stocker;
un organe d'enroulement (27) s'étendant longitudinalement disposé à l'intérieur de
la cavité interne (4) dudit mât, l'organe d'enroulement étant monté rotatif par rapport
au mât pour permettre à la voile d'être enroulée autour dudit organe d'enroulement
par rotation de celui-ci et, ainsi, dêtre tirée à travers ladite fente dans ladite
cavité; des moyens de rotation (9,10,13) reliés audit organe d'enroulement pour le
faire tourner; une drisse (24) à une extrémité de laquelle ladite voile peut être
fixée; un guide (15a) monté à une extrémité supérieure de l'organe d'enroulement,
ladite drisse s'étendant longitudinalement à l'organe d'enroulement et autour dudit
guide; une première voie (6) étant associée audit organe d'enroulement et s'étendant
longitudinalement à celui-ci, ladite première voie (6) étant adapté pour recevoir
de façon coulissante un bord de ladite voile pour relier de façon coulissante la voile
audit organe d'enroulement, par quoi ladite voile peut être hissée en fixant la voile
à ladite extrémité de la drisse et en tirant sur l'autre extrémité de la drisse de
façon à tirer la drisse autour du guide et à faire coulisser ladite voile le long
de ladite première voie et en haut de l'organe d'enroulement, caractérisé en ce qu'on
prévoit un organe central fixe tendu (20) sur lequel ledit organe d'enroulement est
monté rotatif, l'organe central passant le long d'un trou longitudinal dans ledit
organe d'enroulement, et étant fixé à chaque extrémité de celui-ci sous tension à
des moyens faisant fonctionnellement partie intégrante dudit mât.
2. Dispositif selon la revendication 1, qui comprend de plus une seconde voie (6')
prévue sur ledit organe d'enroulement sur un côté dudit guide opposé à ladite première
voie, par quoi ladite drisse peut monter ladite première voie et descendre ladite
seconde voie.
3. Dispositif selon la revendication 2, dans lequel lesdites première et seconde voies
(6, 6') sont réalisées chacune en forme de canaIIongitu- dinal ayant des bords de
retenue rentrants.
4. Dispositif selon la revendication 2 ou 3, qui comprend une paire de première et
seconde voies (6, 6') pour une première voile, et une seconde paire de première et
seconde voies (7, 7') pour recevoir de façon coulissante une seconde voile sur ledit
organe d'enroulement.
5. Dispositif selon l'une des revendications précédentes, qui comprend de plus une
découpe (34) dans ledit mât, ladite découpe étant prévue près d'une ferrure (11) où
un gui (42) pour ladite voile estfixé audit mât, ladite découpe permettant l'accès
à ladite cavité pour attacher ladite voile à la drisse et à ladite première voie.
6. Dispositif selon l'une des revendications précédentes, dans lequel lesdits moyens
de rotation comprennent une rue dentée (9) montée à une extrémité intérieure dudit
organe d'enroulement et engrenant avec une vis sans fin (10) sur laquelle est montée
une poignée d'enroulement . (13).
7. Dispositif selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 5, dans lequel lesdits
moyens de rotation comprennent une poulie montée à une extrémité inférieure dudit
organe d'enroulement, un treuil pouvant être monté dans le poste de pilotage d'un
bateau et une boucle sans fin pour relier ladite poulie audit treuil.