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US 10,150,543 B2Granted
Method for rigging and controlling a wing sail
OwnerGregory Owen Johnston, Patrick Johnstoninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A rigging comprises a mast controllably about a longitudinal axis; a flexible sail comprising a starboard and port flexible sail portions; a plurality of elongated battens which extend a luff and a leach of sail portions; each batten is pivotally connected to a respective outermost part of the respective side of the mast. Rotation of the mast causes the battens connected to one of the sail portions to be compressed along their length and causes the battens connected of the other sail portions to be tensioned along their length so as to change the shape of an aerofoil formed by the sail.
Claims30
A rigging comprising:
- a mast having a starboard side and a port side, wherein the mast is controllably rotatable in either direction about a longitudinal axis;
- a flexible sail comprising a starboard flexible sail portion and a substantially identical port flexible sail portion, each flexible sail portion having a luff and a leach, wherein the luff of each sail portion is connected to a respective side of the mast;
- a plurality of elongated battens, each of which extends substantially between the luff and the leach of one of the respective sail portions, each of which is in contact with the respective flexible sail portion, and each of which is pivotally connected to a respective outermost part of the starboard or port side of the mast;
- wherein rotation of the mast causes the battens connected to one of the sail portions to be compressed along their length so as to bend one of the sail portions to increase the camber thereof and causes the battens connected to the other sail portions to be tensioned along their length so as to partly straighten the other sail portion which changes the shape of an aerofoil formed by the sail.
1 more element
A rigging comprising:
- a mast having a starboard side and a port side, wherein the mast is controllably rotatable in either direction about a longitudinal axis;
- a flexible sail comprising a starboard flexible sail portion and a substantially identical port flexible sail portion, each flexible sail portion having a luff and a leach, wherein the luff of each sail portion is connected to a respective side of the mast;
- a plurality of elongated battens, each of which extends substantially between the luff and the leach of one of the respective sail portions, each of which is in contact with the respective flexible sail portion;
- wherein the battens connected to one of the sail portions may be compressed along their length so as to bend one of the sail portions to increase the camber thereof and causes the battens connected to the other sail portions to be tensioned along their length so as to partly straighten the other sail portion which changes the shape of an aerofoil formed by the sail;
- wherein the leaches are controllably moveable relative to each other such that compression is applied to the one or more of the battens on a leeward side of the sail by tension in a corresponding one or more of the battens on a windward side of the sail.
2 more elements
A rigging comprising:
- a mast having a starboard side and a port side, wherein the mast is controllably rotatable in either direction about a longitudinal axis;
- a flexible sail comprising a starboard flexible sail portion and a substantially identical port flexible sail portion, each flexible sail portion having a luff and a leach, wherein the luff of each sail portion is connected to a respective outermost side of the mast;
- a plurality of elongated battens, each of which extends substantially between the luff and the leach of one of the respective sail portions, each of which is in contact with the respective flexible sail portion;
- wherein the battens connected to one of the sail portions may be compressed along their length so as to bend one of the sail portions to increase the camber thereof and causes the battens connected to the other sail portions to be tensioned along their length so as to partly straighten the other sail portion which changes the shape of an aerofoil formed by the sail;
- wherein leach end of battens are moveable relative to each other.
2 more elements
A rigging comprising:
- a mast having a starboard side and a port side, wherein the mast is controllably rotatable in either direction about a longitudinal axis;
- a flexible sail comprising a starboard flexible sail portion and a substantially identical port flexible sail portion, each flexible sail portion having a luff and a leach, wherein the luff of each sail portion is connected to a respective outermost side of the mast;
- a plurality of elongated battens, each of which extends substantially between the luff and the leach of one of the respective sail portions, each of which is in contact with the respective flexible sail portion;
- a boom pivotally coupled to the mast at one end and which at another end the sail portions are coupled at a clew, wherein the boom is controllably articulated between its ends;
- wherein articulation of the boom causes the mast to rotate and then causes the battens connected to one of the sail portions to be compressed along their length so as to bend one of the sail portions to increase the camber thereof and causes the battens connected to the other sail portions to be tensioned along their length so as to partly straighten the other sail portion which changes the shape of an aerofoil formed by the sail.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.