US 4,044,703 AGranted

Sailboat control apparatus

OwnerJoel Kurtzinventor

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Abstract

A sailboat pivotally carries a pair of weighted complementary shaped keels for independent rotation about a common longitudinally directed medial hinge axis for influencing the roll, moment of inertia and draft of the boat. The keels are independently supported at variable angles with respect to the vertical by lines directed upward along opposite sides of the boat. The upper ends of the lines are attached to a winch mechanism within the boat which includes one rotatable drum for varying the angle between the keels while maintaining the orientation of the angle bisector substantially constant and another rotatable drum for varying the orientation of the angle bisector while maintaining the angle between the keels substantially constant. A bolt carried slideably by the keels selectively locks the keels together for rotation as a unit. The bolt is remotely operated from within the boat via a controlling cable.

Claims8

Dependent claims

In a boat, attitude control apparatus comprising:

first and second weighted keels pivotally mounted to a medial point on the underside of said boat for independent rotation about a common longitudinally directed axis;
first and second flexible line means upwardly directed along opposite external sides of said boat;
the lower ends of said first and second line means being connected respectively to said pair of keels for supporting said keels at variable angles with respect to the vertical;
first and second independently moveable controls within said boat;
and means within said boat coupling each of said first and second controls to the upper ends of each of said first and second line means for selectively taking up or letting out said first and second line means in response to movement of said first and second control means in a manner that movement of only said second control varies the angle between said keels but maintains the orientation of the bisector of said angle substantially constant and that movement of only said first control varies the angular orientation of said bisector while maintaining the angle between said keels substantially constant.

2 more elements

In a boat, attitude control apparatus comprising:

first and second weighted keels pivotally mounted to a medial point on the underside of said boat for independent rotation about a longitudinally directed axis;
first and second flexible line means upwardly directed along opposite external sides of said boat;
the lower ends of said first and second line means being connected respectively to said pair of keels for supporting said keels at variable angles with respect to the vertical;
takeup means within said boat coupled to the upper ends of said first and second line means for positioning said keels with a variable angle between keels and a variable orientation of the bisector of said angle with respect to the vertical, the weights of said keels exerting torques about the center of gravity of said boat for influencing both the attitude and moment of inertia of said boat;
means carried by said keels for locking said keels together for rotation as a unit;
and control means within said boat coupled to said locking means for remote operation thereof.

3 more elements

In a boat, attitude control apparatus comprising:

a keel means pivotally suspended from a point on the underside of said boat for rotation about a longitudinally directed axis;
first and second flexible line means upwardly directed along opposite external sides of said boat;
the lower ends of said first and second line means being connected to opposite sides of said keel means for supporting said keel means at a variable angle with respect to the vertical;
a drum means within said boat;
means for selectively rotating said drum means;
a cable means having first and second ends;
said cable means being wound about said drum means at a region of said cable means intermediate its ends;
said cable means being coupled respectively to the upper ends of said first and second line means respectively at first and second spaced apart locations along said cable means on opposite sides of said drum means;
whereby rotation of said drum means transfers said cable means from one side of said boat to the other thereby raising one of said line means and lowering the other of said line means;
and non-linear means about which said cable means is wound for varying the relative rates of raising said one line means and lowering said other of said line means in relation to the instantaneous angular orientation of said keel means for substantially preventing a buildup of opposed forces in said first and second line means.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.