Mainsail furling mast assembly and mast construction therefor
AssigneeMetalmast Marine, Inc.
InventorsNorman A. Rosenfield, Paul M. Rosenfield, Robert H. Jones
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mainsail furling mast assembly utilizes a mast having a cross section providing a C-shaped outer wall and a transverse wall defining a rearwardly opening compartment in which is disposed a furling element about which the mainsail may be furled. The opening in the mast has a width equal to at least 50 percent of the maximum width of the mast to provide facile access to the compartment. The mast has a boom mounting bracket including a reinforcement portion with a section which extends within the compartment and flange sections which extend forwardly about the outer wall.
Claims23
In a mainsail furling mast assembly, the combination comprising:
- A. a mast having a cross section defined by a curvilinear outer wall of generally C-shaped configuration and a transverse wall intermediate the length of said cross section, such transverse wall and outer wall defining a sail receiving compartment with an opening at the rear of said mast extending over substantially its entire length, said opening having a width equal to at least 50 percent of the maximum width of said cross section of said mast;
- B. a sail furling element in said cavity supported at its upper and lower ends in said sail receiving compartment for rotation therewithin, said furling element being substantially smaller in cross section than the width of said compartment opening to permit removal of the associated sail furling element within the sail furled thereabout by movement generally radially outwardly of said compartment through said opening over substantially the entire length of said furling element;
- and
- C. means on said sail furling element within said compartment for rotation of said furling element in either direction of rotation.
In a mainsail furling mast assembly, the combination comprising:
- A. a mast having a cross section defined by a curvilinear outer wall of generally C-shaped configuration and a transverse wall intermediate the length of said cross section, such transverse wall and outer wall defining a sail receiving compartment with an opening at the rear of said mast extending over substantially its entire length, said opening having a width equal to at least 50 percent of the maximum width of said cross section of said mast;
- B. a sail furling element in said cavity supported at its upper and lower ends in said sail receiving compartment for rotation therewithin, said furling element being substantially smaller in cross section than the width of said compartment opening;
- C. means on said sail furling element within said compartment for rotation of said furling element in either direction of rotation;
- D. a boom mounting bracket on said mast;
- E. a boom mounted on said boom mounting bracket;
- F. a mainsail having its foot slidably mounted on said boom and its luff slidably mounted on said furling element, said mainsail being furlable about said furling element in the hoisted position thereof and the assembly of said furled sail and furling element being removable from said compartment by movement generally radially outwardly of said compartment through said compartment opening over substantially the entire length of said furling element;
- and
- G. means for hoisting said mainsail on said sail furling element to adjacent the top of said mast.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.