Patent ID: 6050209
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: B63H

Abstract:
A vang which comprises:(A) a valve releasable, variable length, pressurized gas spring strut;(B) a control valve actuation control mechanism having:(i) a main body part integral with one of the relatively movable parts, piston or cylinder, of the gas pressurized spring device of said strut;(ii) valve actuator member operating means having(a) a first part carried by said main body part and displaceable with respect thereto, being a part displacement of which is constrained such as, in the course of such displacement, to act upon the actuator member of the control valve of the pressurized gas spring device;(b) a second part held captive with limited permitted displacement with respect to said main body part, the arrangement being such that in the course of displacement of said second part with respect to said main body part, said first part is caused to be displaced by said second part, the first part then acting upon said valve actuator member; and,(c) spring preload means serving to bias said second part such that the first part is normally at a position with respect to said body part at which the first part is unable to exert action on said control valve actuator member, the spring preload being such as to permit movement of said operating means with respect to said main body part only in response to a force in excess of a certain magnitude;(C) means adapted to facilitate the coupling at one end of the valve releasable pressurized gas spring strut to the main-boom of a sailing vessel; and,(D) means adapted to facilitate the coupling at the other end of the valve releasable pressurized gas spring strut to a part of the vessel fixed with respect to said main-boom.