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US 4,365,572 AGranted
Working sails and methods for furling them while aloft
OwnerWilliam H. Stevenson, IVinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Working sails are furled remotely while aloft by progressively forming flexible sheet material along the forepart of the sail into a tubular bag containing the sail furled from leech to luff in such fashion that, when furling and bagging of the sail has been completed the lines employed for furling are contained with the sail in the bag.
Claims26
The method for furling a working sail while the sail is aloft on a sailboat having a cockpit, comprising
- providing flexible sheet material along the sail from head to foot;
- positioning a travelling furler at the head and engaged over the leech with the furler having connected thereto furling line means and unfurling line means;
- interconnecting the ends of the furling line means and unfurling line means most distant from the furler;
- pulling the furling line means to cause the travelling furler to move downwardly and progressively furl the sail from leech to luff and form the flexible sheet material into a tubular bag enclosing the furled sail substantially from head to foot;
- and simultaneously causing the unfurling line means and a portion of the furling line means to be pulled into stowed positions in which the line means extend lengthwise of and within the tubular bag.
2 more elements
In a working sail capable of being remotely furled and bagged while aloft on a sailboat having a cockpit, the combination of
- flexible sheet material extending along the leading portion of the sail substantially from head to foot;
- elongated flexible fastener means comprising
- two elongated flexible fastener elements,
- each of the flexible fastener elements being secured to said flexible sheet material along a different linear portion thereof extending substantially from head to foot, and
- runner means operatively associated with the elongated flexible fastener elements to progressively close the fastener means when the runner means is moved from head to foot and progressively open the fastener means when the runner means is moved from foot to head,
- the lateral extent of said flexible sheet material between said different linear portions being adequate to form a tubular bag capable of containing the sail when the sail is furled from leech to luff,
- head end portions of the elongated fastener elements being permanently closed to provide at the head of the sail an initial bag portion;
- means for furling the sail comprising
- a travelling furler engaged over the aft portion of the sail and including a leading portion facing the foot and a trailing portion facing the head,
- said trailing portion extending beneath the elongated fastener elements and into said initial bag portion when, with the sail fully aloft and flying, the furler is in its uppermost position;
- means for operating the furler and fastener means remotely comprising
- furling line means having one end connected to the combination of the furler and the runner means, and
- unfurling line means having one end portion extending within said initial bag portion and connected to said trailing portion of the furler;
- and
- means interconnecting the other ends of the furling line means and the unfurling line means,
- pulling downwardly on the furling line means being effective to move the combination of the furler and runner means downwardly to progressively furl the sail, enclose the furled sail in the tubular bag and close the fastener means to secure the bag against opening,
- at least the unfurling line means being substantially enclosed in the tubular bag when furling is completed,
- pulling downwardly on the unfurling line means after furling being effective to return the furler and runner means to the head to release the sail and return the furling line means and unfurling means to the original positions occupied when the furler was at the head with the sail flying.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.