Wing type air foil assembly

Claim 1

A relatively simple and effective wing type air foil for a vessel that utilizes wind to drive the same, comprising: a wing type air foil assembly including an elongated spar; a tip member secured about a top portion of said spar; a root member secured to a lower portion of said spar and spaced from said tip member; flexible line member means secured to and between said root member and said tip member for supporting and stabilizing said spar, said flexible line member means including opposite and counteracting forward and rear runs with said forward run being spaced forwardly of said spar and the rear run spaced rearwardly of said spar and wherein said forward and rear runs extend between said tip and root member and cooperate to structurally support and stabilize said spar such that opposite and counteracting forces provided by the forward and rear runs relative to the spar maintains the spar erect and prevents the spar from significantly bending or from developing and "S" curve shape; a skin covering operatively interconnected between said spar and said rear run of said flexible line member means and including first and second opposite sides that effectively form a variable camber wing air foil with leading and trailing edges; a slat disposed externally of and adjacent to the leading edge of said variable camber wing air foil and movably mounted on the forward run of said flexible line member means, said slat having a trailing edge normally spaced from said spar for defining slot means therebetween for effectively increasing the lift and consequently the thrust of said wing type air foil assembly, said slot means functioning to direct a relatively high speed flow of air through said slot means for meeting and joining a system of air passing over the upper surface of the variable camber wing air foil for effectively increasing the speed of the flow of air passing over the upper surface of said variable camber wing air foil resulting in the air flow passing across the upper surface of the variable camber wing air foil remaining in contact therewith over a greater portion of the upper surface of the variable camber wing air foil whereby by delaying the time that the passing air separates from contact with the upper surface of said variable camber wing air foil results in the wing type air foil assembly experiencing greater lift and thrust; mounting means for movably mounting said spar and the wing type air foil assembly to said vessel; and control means operatively connected to said wing type air foil assembly for enabling the same to be moved relative to said vessel for enabling the wing type air foil assembly to be selectively oriented with respect to the directions of the wind.