US 5,848,574 A · Multi-hull watercraft with self-righting capabilities

Abstract

A multi-hull watercraft, such as a catamaran or trimaran is constructed to facilitate the righting thereof following a capsize. By providing a pivot connection between the hulls and the cross-members, in accordance with one method, it is possible to right the capsized vehicle by piecemeal rotation of the hulls through 180.degree. from an inverted to an upright disposition. Following this maneuver, the mast may be either rotated up and out of the water to an erect disposition or, alternatively, the mast can be jacked vertically through the deck. In accordance with a second method, the multiple hulls are interconnected by articulated, extendable and contractible cross-members and righting is achieved by sequentially reducing the beam of the craft, canting its buoyant mast from vertical so that the watercraft will roll so as to be floating on one hull and on the buoyant mast and then while canting the mast in the opposite direction again extending the cross-member to increase the beam such that a rotational moment about the one hull is created sufficient to raise the mast out of the water to an upright disposition.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A self-righting, multi-hull watercraft, comprising:

(a) first and second elongated hull members each having a fore and an aft axis;
(b) a first cross-member comprising a plurality of parallelogram linkages pivotally coupled to one another in an end-to-end relationship extending between the first and second hull members for providing adjustable parallel spacing between said hull members;
and
(c) pivot means for securing the first and second hull members to opposed ends of the first cross-member such that the first and second hull members are adapted to be individually rotated about an axis parallel to the fore and aft axes through an angle of at least 180 degrees.

1 more element

A multi-hull watercraft comprising:

(a) first and second elongated hulls each having a longitudinal axis;
(b) means for holding the first and second hulls in parallel, spaced-apart orientation including first and second articulated cross-beams, each cross-beam including a plurality of linkages connected end-to-end by plate members, each linkage being a parallelogram structure:
and actuator means coupled between the plate members and the parallelogram structures for selective elongation and contraction of the first and second cross-beams;
(c) hinge means on the means for holding for permitting the parallelogram structures to fold to reduce the spacing between the first and second hulls;
and
(d) an extendable and retractable buoyant mast affixed to and normally projecting upwardly from the means for holding when the first and second hulls are floating upright.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Multi-hull watercraft with self-righting capabilities

Life of this patent

Multi-hull watercraft with self-righting capabilities

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23