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EP0096329A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Sail support and control system

Assignee: WIND SHIP DEVELOPMENT Corp
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Filing: 1983-05-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-05-30
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Abstract

Abstract This invention provides an improved system for causing swinging of a boom of a sail support system as described in the above identified application, in which the boom support, which is rotatable about the mast or mast support is driven in rotation by hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders suitably arranged to rotate the boom about 90° to either side of the fore and aft position. In one embodiment of the invention two cylinders are symmetrically positioned in relation to the boom support so as to enable rotation of the boom 90° to port or starboard without interference of the cylinder rods with the boom support, and so that the rotating force can be applied to the boom support is never less than the force that is available from one cylinder acting at the maximum radius. Means is also provided to prevent the boom from swinging at an excessive rate, such as when it is being swung out to catch the wind, by controlling the flow of fluid out of the cylinders. Means is also provided for holding the boom in a desired position. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the boom support and the cylinders are mounted on a support frame on an upper deck of the ship, with means being provided for measuring the force applied by the frame to the ship. Since the cylinders act between the support frame and the boom support, the forces applied by the cylinders are isolated from the propulsion force measuring device.

Inventors

  • 👤 Alexander P. Bates, Jr.
  • 👤 Maurice A. Glucksman

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 23:48
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63H; B63H9/00; B63H9/04; B63H9/08; B63H9/10; B63B; B63B15/00; B63B15/0083; B63H9/1078

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 101 words
A sail support assembly, comprising a mast mounted onto a support, a boom support rotatably mounted on said mast, and at least two fluid actuated cylinders connected between the boom support and the mast support, said cylinders being so arranged that when the boom support is so oriented that the boom is on the centerline of the ship, the rods of the cylinders are partially extended, and when when the boom support has been rotated so that one cylinder is on dead center, the other cylinder is acting at its maximum radius from the center of rotation of the boom support.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 101 words
A sail support assembly, comprising a mast mounted onto a support, a boom support rotatably mounted on said mast, and at least two fluid actuated cylinders connected between the boom support and the mast support, said cylinders being so arranged that when the boom support is so oriented that the boom is on the centerline of the ship, the rods of the cylinders are partially extended, and when when the boom support has been rotated so that one cylinder is on dead center, the other cylinder is acting at its maximum radius from the center of rotation of the boom support.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 61 words
A sail support assembly as set out in claim 1'in which the axis of each cylinder, when the boom is on the centerline of the ship, is disposed at an angle of between about 110° and 160° degrees to a line extending between the connection of the cylinder to the boom support and the center of rotation of the boom support.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 66 words
In a sail support assembly, comprising a mast mounted onto a support and a boom support rotatably mounted about the mast, the improvement comprising fluid pressure actuated cylinders connected between the boom support and the mast support, said cylinders being so arranged that the total torque applied to the boom support by the cylinders is greatest when the boom is on the centerline of the ship.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 66 words
In a sail support assembly, comprising a mast mounted onto a support and a boom support rotatably mounted about the mast, the improvement comprising fluid pressure actuated cylinders connected between the boom support and the mast support, said cylinders being so arranged that the total torque applied to the boom support by the cylinders is greatest when the boom is on the centerline of the ship.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 85 words
In a sail support assembly, comprising a mast mounted onto a support and a boom support rotatably mounted in relation to the mast, the improvement comprising fluid pressure actuated cylinders connected between the boom support and the mast support, and control means for actuating said cylinders by fluid pressure, said control means having means for locking the fluid in said cylinders when they are not actuated to rotate the boom support in relation to the mast for thereby locking the boom into. a stationary position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 85 words
In a sail support assembly, comprising a mast mounted onto a support and a boom support rotatably mounted in relation to the mast, the improvement comprising fluid pressure actuated cylinders connected between the boom support and the mast support, and control means for actuating said cylinders by fluid pressure, said control means having means for locking the fluid in said cylinders when they are not actuated to rotate the boom support in relation to the mast for thereby locking the boom into. a stationary position.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 61 words
A mounting structure for a ships.mast, comprising a platform, a mast mounted on said platform, means mounting said platform on the ships structure in a manner such that the platform is capable of a limited amount of forward movement when a force having a forward component is applied to the mast, and means for measuring the amount of said forward movement.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 61 words
A mounting structure for a ships.mast, comprising a platform, a mast mounted on said platform, means mounting said platform on the ships structure in a manner such that the platform is capable of a limited amount of forward movement when a force having a forward component is applied to the mast, and means for measuring the amount of said forward movement.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 75 words
A structure as set out in claim 5 in which a rotatable boom support is mounted for rotation in relation to the mast, and means for rotating the boom support in relation to the mast, said means acting between the platform and the boom support whereby forces necessary to cause rotation of the boom or to maintain the boom in a desired position do not cause movement of the platform in relation to the ship.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 27 words
A structure as set out in claim 6 in which said means for rotating the boom comprises hydraulic cylinders connected between the boom support and the platform.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 39 words
A structure as set out in claim 7 in which said cylinders are so oriented that the total torque applied by the cylinders to the boom support is greatest when the boom is in the fore and aft position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 132 words
A mounting structure for a ships mast, comprising a platform carrying a mast, said platform having support portions extending laterally on each side of the mast and another support portion extending in a fore and aft direction in relation to the mast, said laterally extending portions being secured to the ship by pylons which are sufficiently flexible to allow a small amount of forward movement of said platform in relation to the ship when a force'having a forward component is applied to the mast, said other support portion having a retaining pin disposed in an aperture in a retaining plate attached to the ship so as to permit only fore and aft movement of the support, and means measuring the amount of forward movement of said platform in relation to the ship.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 132 words
A mounting structure for a ships mast, comprising a platform carrying a mast, said platform having support portions extending laterally on each side of the mast and another support portion extending in a fore and aft direction in relation to the mast, said laterally extending portions being secured to the ship by pylons which are sufficiently flexible to allow a small amount of forward movement of said platform in relation to the ship when a force'having a forward component is applied to the mast, said other support portion having a retaining pin disposed in an aperture in a retaining plate attached to the ship so as to permit only fore and aft movement of the support, and means measuring the amount of forward movement of said platform in relation to the ship.

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