Top down furling system and method
AssigneeNrob, LLC
InventorBrian Joseph Gray
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for furling and unfurling a sail includes a housing with an upper end adapted for connection with an upper end of a sailboat mast and a lower end including a swivel, rotatable relative to the housing upper end and adapted for connection with an upper corner of a sail. Within the housing there is a motor with a clutch attached to it. When the housing upper and lower ends are connected to the top of a mast and sail, respectively, the motor rotates the swivel in a first direction to furl a sail, and when the clutch is released, the swivel is free to rotate in a second direction opposite the first direction to unfurl the sail. The housing can further include a stop mechanism which prevents the housing upper end from rotating when the swivel is rotated.
Claims12
Apparatus for furling and unfurling a sail, comprising:
- (a) a housing having an upper end containing an opening for connection with an upper end of a sailboat mast and a lower end including a swivel rotatable relative to said upper end and containing an opening for connection with an upper corner of a sail;
- (b) a motor arranged within said housing;
- and
- (c) a clutch arranged within said housing and connected with said motor, whereby when said housing upper and lower ends are connected to a top of a mast and sail, respectively, said motor rotates said swivel in a first direction to furl the sail, and when said clutch is released, said swivel is free to rotate in a second direction opposite said first direction to unfurl the sail.
Apparatus as defined in claim 7, and further comprising a battery connected with said motor.
A method for furling and unfurling a sail, comprising the steps of:
- (a) attaching the upper end of a housing containing a motor to the top of a sailboat mast;
- (b) attaching a lower end of said housing to an upper corner of a sail;
- and
- (c) operating said motor to rotate said housing lower end in a first direction to rotate relative to said upper end to furl the sail.
A method as defined in claim 9, wherein said housing contains a clutch connected with said motor and further comprising the step of:
- (d) releasing said clutch to allow said housing lower end to rotate in a second direction opposite said first direction to unfurl the sail.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.