Sail boat jibe control system
OwnerRobin F. Tieslerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sail boat boom control system provides braking forces for restraining movement of the boom during down wind sailing or sailing with a quartering breeze. The system comprises a boom restrainer loop attached to the boom and resiliently tensioned, pivotally mounted friction device which is adjustable to apply friction forces restraining movement of the boom loop, thereby providing the braking force on the boom. The friction device is adjustably controlled by a control line extending to a position where it is easily operated by the helmsman or other crew. A quick-release device releases the control line when required to allow the friction device to move to a position in which the boom is free from restraint. Deck-mounted and mast-mounted friction control devices are disclosed.
Claims18
A system for controlling swinging movements of the boom of a sail boat, said system comprising:
- a boom restrainer line having end sections attached to and extending from the boom to opposite sides of the sail boat, each said line end section being attached to the boom in spaced relationship to the mast, the line sections being attached to the boom equidistantly from the mast, the line sections being interconnected whereby said boom restrainer forms a loop which moves in response to boom movements;
- means resiliently tensioning the boom restrainer line;
- a friction device having at least one friction member having a first friction surface engagable with said restrainer line for producing a friction force resisting restrainer line movement;
- tension control means acting on said friction device for selectively increasing restrainer line tension, said increase in restrainer line tension increasing the friction force acting on the line, thereby selectively increasing resistance to movement of said line and said boom.
A boom control system for controlling the position of a sail boat boom pivotally mounted for side-to-side movement about the long axis of a sail boat mast, the system comprising:
- a boom restrainer line attached at each end to the sail boat boom and movable upon said side-to-side movement of the boom;
- the attachment locations for the restrainer line being equidistantly spaced from the mast;
- a friction device for application of friction to the restrainer line resisting movement of the restrainer line in response to tension produced by side-to-side movement of the boom about the long axis of the mast, said friction device comprising a pair of spaced apart, non-rotatable friction members having oppositely facing, arcuately-shaped friction surfaces, said friction surfaces being displaced from each other lengthwise of the path of said restrainer line for interengagement therewith;
- resilient means for maintaining a predetermined tension in said restrainer line;
- and
- tension adjusting means for regulating the tension of said restrainer line, the line tension producing forces extending normally of said friction surfaces and thereby producing friction forces on the restrainer line for resisting boom forces tending to move the boom from one side of the boat to the other.
A boom control system for controlling jibing of a sail boat boom, said boom being mounted for pivotal movement on a boat mast projecting upwardly from the boat hull, and supporting with the mast, a sail, said control system comprising:
- a boom restrainer line comprising first and second restrainer line sections;
- means affixing each of the restrainer line sections to the boom at a position remote from the sail boat mast, said first restrainer line section being extended in a first path from said position on said boom towards one side of said boat hull and said second restrainer line section being extended in a second path from said position on said boom towards the opposite side of said boat hull, the restrainer line sections extending from the sides of the boat hull and being interconnected and movable as a unit in response to pivotal movement of the boom about the mast;
- means for frictionally resisting said pivotal movement of the boom including first and second guide members for said restrainer line, said first and second guide members each having a fixed guide surface engagable with the restrainer line for frictionally resisting movement of the restrainer line;
- and
- tension adjusting means interacting with said guide members for adjusting the forces applied against the restrainer line, thereby frictionally resisting movement of the restrainer line along the guide surfaces, thereby resisting movement of the boom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.