AU636472B2

AU636472B2 - Improvements in or relating to sail furling and raising apparatus

Info

Publication number: AU636472B2
Application number: AU74223/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Donald Bruce Baverstock
Original assignee: Leisure Furl International Ltd
Current assignee: Leisure Furl International Ltd
Priority date: 1990-04-10
Filing date: 1991-04-10
Publication date: 1993-04-29
Anticipated expiration: 2011-04-10
Also published as: AU7422391A; NZ233280A

Description

636472 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 Name of Applicant(s): DONALD BRUCE BAVERSTOCK Address of Applicant(s): 163 Mellons Bay Road Howick, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND Se SO 0 0 see Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: DONALD BRUCE BAVERSTOCK CULLEN COMPANY, Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane, Qld. 4000, Australia.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED: IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SAID FURLING AND RAISING

APPARATUS

The following statement is a full description of the invention including the best method of.performing it known to me: 2 This invention relates to yacht sail furling and raising apparatus and in particular is concerned with a modified form of my invention described in my Australian Letters Patent No. 613630.

An intention of this invention is to provide a mainsail furling and raising apparatus which can be fitted to a yacht with in so doing utilising, inter alia, an existing boom of the yacht. A further intention is provide such an apparatus requiring relatively inexpensive adjunct drive and operation equipment to complete an on board installation.

10 According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided a mainsail furling and raising apparatus comprising a boom adapted at a first end to be articulately mounted to a mast and adapted at a second end to axially support a drum extending longitudinally of the boom with a mast associated end of the drum incorporating means to couple the drum to rotation means via a universal joint, the rotation means comprising a barrel adapted for rotatable mounting on a mast supporting the sail drum with a line affixed to the barrel whereby with unfurling rotation of the sail drum the line is taken up on the barrel and with retraction of the line therefrom the barrel and sail drum counter- Srotate, the drum carrying a mainsail attachment means whereby a foot of a mainsail can be attached to the drum and furled thereabout with the counter rotation of the drum as aforesaid, a cantilevered arm being mounted on one side of the boom substantially set in from the second end thereof to extend partially over the drum in radial spaced relationship thereto.

In further describing the invention reference is made to my Australian Patent 613630 and the drawing accompanying this specification being a fragmented side elevation with I. part of the foreground removed to assist clarity.

99oo 9et In a preferred embodiment an elongate sail storage drum 3 is rotatably mounted longitudinally of a boom 15 Particularly where adapting an existing boom the storage drum 3 is rotatably mounted thereto by way of an end plate (similar to plate 15 depicted in the drawings of 9 Patent 613630) fixed to the end of the boom 5 distal of o9 :i an associated mast 6 to project upwardly therefrom. The storage drum 3 is mounted between the upward extension of the end plate and a universal coupling device 7 rotatably mounted to the associated mast 6 as more particular described hereinafter.

A mainsail 8 is attached to the drum 3 such as in the manner described in my Australian Patent No. 613630 and 4 a luff of a sail disposed to be slidingly captivated in a track 9 fixed to the mast 6.

Rotation means 10 to rotate the drum 3 are mounted on the mast 6 preferably on a forward side thereof in axial alignment with the drum 3. Tn a preferred embodiment a barrel element 11 is mounted to a forward end of a shaft 12 extending from the universal coupling 7 through suitable bearings 13 mounted in the fore and aft wall sections of the mast 6. Preferably the barrel 11 is of a diameter commensurate to that of the sail drum 3.

Preferably the barrel 11 is of a narrow width with flared ends or end plates 14 in the nature of a sheave with a 15 housing 15 extending thereabout save for the forward end plate 14a. The housing 15 is mounted to a forward face section of mast 6 such as by screws 16 extending through a floor of the housing 15 into the mast 6. Preferably gee front plate 14a is adapted to receive a detachable handle 20 22 enabling rotation of barrel 11 and thus sail drum 3 in either direction if required without using either a line on barrel 11 or a halyard 21 as described hereinafter.

C

Preferably the barrel 11 includes a locking device, for example, a pin 17 extending through the barrel 11 in parallel relationship to the axis of rotation of the barrel 11. The pin 17 can be rotractably homed :in Iy appropriately aligned apertures 18 provided iin the floor of housing 15 to prevent rotation of the barrel 11.

Preferably at least two diametrically disposed apertures 18 are provided. A line 20 is anchored by one end to the barrel 11, a line feeder access aperture 19 being provided in housing In operation a mainsail 8 is raised in conventional manner by hauling in the associated halyard 21. In so doing sail drum 3 is rotated as is barrel 11 via coupling 7 and shaft 12 and the barrel 11 takes up the line For furling, the line 20 is hauled out to rotate the barrel 11, shaft 12 and drum 3 in the counter-direction to thus furl in sail 8 about drum 3. To that end line 15 is fed to suitable line haulage means (not depicted) for i example an existing sheet winch.

:Support tension is maintained in the halyard 21 during furling to carry the weight of the sail 8. Reefing or 20 tensioning of the sail 8 can be achieved by hauling out on line 20 to rotated barrel 11 in opposition to a sail raising action on halyard 21. Similarly barrel 11 can be locked by inserting pin 17 into one or other of apertures 18 to thereby also prevent rotation of sail drum 3.

Claims

1. A mainsail furling and raising apparatus comprising a boom adapted at a first end to be articulately mounted to a mast and adapted at a second end to axially support a drum extending longitudinally within the boom with a mast associated end of the drum incorporating means to couple the drum to rotation means via a universal joint, the rotation means comprising a barrel adapted for rotatable mounting on said mast supporting the drum with a line 10 affixed to the barrel whereby with unfurling rotation of the drum the line is taken up on the barrel and with o* withdrawal of the line therefrom the barrel and drum are counter-rotated, the drum carrying a mainsail attachment means whereby a foot of a mainsail can be attached to the 15 drum and furled thereabout with the counter rotation of S: the drum as aforesaid, a cantilevered arm being mounted on one side of the boom substantially set in from the second end thereof to extend partially over the drum in radial spaced relationship thereto.

2. A mainsail furling and raising apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the barrel is of a diameter commensurate to that of the sail drum.

3. A mainsail furling and raising apparatus as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the barrel is in the nature of a sheave with flared ends or end plates and a housing is disposed thereabout save for a forward end thereof and an access aperture for the associated line, the housing being mounted to a forward section ol a mast in axial alignment with the drum.

4. A mainsail furling and raising apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the barrel is mounted to a forward end of a shaft mounted in and extending through the mast between the barrel and the universal coupling.

5. A mainsail furling and raising apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a detachable handle is provided to engag, the barrel enabling rotation 4** thereof in either direction.

6. A mainsail furling and raising apparatus as claimed o in any one of the preceding claims wherein a locking s e device is incorporated in the rotation means to prevent S 5 rotation thereof in either direction.

7. A mainsail furling and raising apparatus as claimed in claim 6 wherein the locking device comprises a pin extending through the barrel in parallel relationship to the axis of rotation thereof, the pin being adapted to be retractably homed in appropriately aligned apertures provided in the housing. 8

8. A mainsail furling and raising apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED this 21st day of May 1991 DONALD BRUCE BAVERSTOCK .By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. 'oo **000 e ?o