Roller traveler assembly

A traveler assembly for a boat includes a rigid track defining a pair of spaced-apart channels on opposite sides of the track. A car with side wheels rides on the track with its wheels engaging in the channels. The car wheels have rounded peripheral cross sections which ride on conforming upper and lower rails formed by the channels to provide maximum surface engagement and minimum parts wear as the car rolls back and forth along the track. Resultantly, the car travels readily and quietly even when subjected to high vertical and lateral loads.

This invention relates to marine hardware and, in particular, to a roller 
traveler assembly. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A traveler assembly is employed on a sailboat to provide a movable 
anchoring point for a block, cleat or other marine hardware item. For 
example, a traveler assembly is often mounted transversely near the stern 
of the boat to anchor a block controlling the main sheet. Such a traveler 
assembly may also be used to control the leech and foot tension of a genoa 
when the genoa is set and drawing under load. 
The usual traveler assembly includes a track or slide that is secured to 
the boat structure and a car that rides on the track. The block or other 
marine fixture is secured to the top of the car. On smaller sailboats, the 
car component of the assembly may simply be a key or slider which slides 
in a keyway or slide defining the track. However, on larger boats, 
particularly cruisers and racing craft whose traveler assemblies are 
subjected to very high vertical and lateral loads, a larger, much more 
rugged, mechanically complex assembly is utilized. 
In the latter type of traveler assembly of interest here, the track is in 
the form of an extruded member having a cross-sectional shape which makes 
it quite rigid and which defines flat rails on which the car can ride. The 
cross sections of some tracks are X-shaped and some are I-shaped. The 
traveler car is fitted with wheels having flat peripheries and which roll 
along the rails defined by the track. For example, in the traveler 
assembly incorporating an I-shaped track, the car straddles the track and 
its wheels engage the upper and lower arms of the I at opposite sides of 
the track. The car associated with the X-shaped traveler track also 
straddles the track and is fitted with wheels which engage under rails 
defined by the upper arms of the track. 
There also exists an assembly with a modified X-shaped track whose lower 
arms splay out sideways beyond the upper arms, thereby defining a pair of 
lower rails which are also engaged by the car wheels. When the car is 
subjected to compression loads, the car wheels roll along the lower rails 
and, when the car is placed under tension, the wheels roll along the upper 
rails defined by the track. 
In many traveler assemblies, the tracks are bent horizontally or vertically 
to some extent either intentionally to conform to the structures to which 
they are anchored or due to distortion caused by the heavy loads applied 
to them. Therefore, the cars must fit relatively loosely on such tracks to 
ensure that they can travel from end to end despite such bends. Some prior 
assemblies are disadvantaged because, when they are subjected to 
relatively high side loads, their cars, being loosely fitted to the track 
as aforesaid, cock to such an extent that they scrape or chafe against 
their tracks as they move along the tracks. This causes noise and 
excessive parts wear. Also, of course, such scraping inhibits the motion 
of the car along the tracks. 
Furthermore, the rail and the wheel surfaces in the prior assemblies 
usually achieve point contact. Consequently, when a car cocks due to a 
side load, the peripheries of its wheels are no longer flush with the rail 
surfaces and the entire side load is transmitted to the rails at the edges 
of the wheels. Therefore, after only a relatively short time, the wheel 
edges tend to wear grooves in the rails or become worn themselves thereby 
loosening the fit between the car and the track. That, in turn, promotes 
even more chafing, parts wear and interferes generally with the proper 
operation of the traveler assembly. 
The traveler assembly described above employing the modified X-track is 
able to handle side loads applied at angles of up to 180.degree.. However, 
in order to do this, it has an unusually wide cross section so that it 
takes up a relatively large amount of space on the boat and requires a 
proportionately wider bridge if it is mounted on such a bridge extending 
over a companionway, for example. Furthermore, the track in that 
particular prior assembly cannot be bent either in the vertical or the 
horizontal direction. Therefore, it has to be mounted on a perfectly 
straight flat surface if it is to operate properly. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide an improved traveler 
assembly for a sailboat. 
Another object of the invention is to provide a traveler assembly which is 
rugged and operates reliably even after a prolonged period of use. 
A further object of the invention is to provide an assembly of this type 
which is able to operate properly under the very high side loads 
encountered on large sailing craft. 
Still another object of the invention is to provide a traveler assembly 
which suffers a minimum amount of parts wear in use. 
Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly of this type 
which operates properly even though its track is curved to some extent. 
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a traveler assembly whose 
car does not chafe or scrape the track even under high side load 
conditions. 
Other objects will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear 
hereinafter. 
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, 
combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified 
in the following detailed description, and the scope of the invention will 
be indicated in the claims. 
Briefly, my traveler assembly comprises a rail-defining track and a wheeled 
car which is mounted on the track with its wheels engaging the rails and 
which can be rolled back and forth along the track as needed when the boat 
is under sail. The assembly track has a cross-sectional shape which is 
aptly characterized as I-shaped. It differs from the I-shaped tracks in 
prior assemblies, however, in that the upper and lower arms of the I 
constitute rails which are specifically contoured to mate with car wheels 
which are themselves rounded. Consequently, a maximum amount of wheel 
surface contacts the rails as the car moves along the track even though 
the car is cocked to some extent under a side load condition. 
The traveler car has the cross-sectional shape of an inverted U whose legs 
are splayed out somewhat. Wheels are rotatively mounted to the opposite 
sides of the car so that the wheels project toward one another in 
positions to engage the opposite contoured track rails. 
The block or other marine fitting carried by the car is anchored to the car 
by threaded fasteners turned down into threaded holes provided in the 
bridging portion of the car. Alternatively, that bridging portion may be 
formed with a lengthwise key or keyway for interlocking with a mating 
element attached to the block. 
Normally, the car wheels roll along the bottom pair of rails defined by the 
track. However, when an upward force is applied to the car, the car is 
lifted up relative to the track so that its wheels engage the upper pair 
of rails defined by the track. On the other hand, when a side load is 
applied to the car, the car is cocked so that the wheels at one side of 
the car engage and roll along the upper rail at that side of the track, 
while the wheels on the opposite side of the car roll along the 
corresponding bottom rail. Therefore, all of the car wheels are always in 
rolling engagement with the rails at opposite sides of the track whatever 
the direction of the load applied to the car. Consequently, the load is 
distributed evenly among all of the wheels. This minimizes parts wear and 
assures that the car will roll freely along the track under all load 
conditions. Moreover, since the wheels and rails are correspondingly 
rounded, they engage one another along an arcuate contact line which is 
longer than the straight contact line of prior wheels. This reduces wheel 
and rail wear and also minimizes noise as the car rolls along the track. 
Also, since the wheels engage both upper and lower track rails when the car 
is subjected to a side load, the cocking or tilting of the car relative to 
the track under a side load is kept to a minimum. Therefore, even though 
there may be only a small clearance between the bridging portion of the 
car and the top of the track, the car does not scrape or chafe against the 
track as it rolls along the track. 
Moreover, even if the car does tilt to some small extent, since the wheels 
and rails are in conforming engagement, line contact with the rails is 
maintained so that no sharp wheel edges are presented to the rails that 
could score the rails. 
The car in the present traveler assembly rolls freely along its track even 
though the track is bent somewhat in the horizontal or vertical direction. 
The motion of the car is quiet and smooth even though the car is subjected 
to the entire range of side loads over a 180.degree. arc. Also the 
assembly is relatively simple and rugged so that it should have a long 
useful life. Yet with all of these advantages, the present assembly is not 
appreciably more expensive to make and install than prior comparable 
marine hardware items of this general type.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a boat D having a mast M and a 
boom B is fitted with a traveler assembly indicated generally at 10 to 
which is attached the block F for the main sheet S. Assembly 10 is secured 
transversely near the stern of the boat and permits the block F to be 
moved transversely to the boat. 
Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, assembly 10 comprises a track shown generally 
at 12 and a car indicated generally at 14 which rolls along the track. 
Track 12 is an elongated extruded member made of anodized or epoxy-coated 
aluminum or other comparable salt water-corrosion-resistant material. The 
track has a cross section which is generally I-shaped. More particularly, 
the track section has a pair of oppositely-extending shoulders 16a and 16b 
which project out laterally on opposite sides of the track. Extending down 
between those shoulders is a relatively narrow waist 18 which divides to 
form a pair of legs 20a and 20b. The legs are splayed or spread apart to 
define a longitudinal groove 22 whose cross section is shaped more or less 
like an inverted letter V. The groove 22 is present to save material and 
to facilitate extrusion of the track. However, it is not essential and in 
some assemblies may be eliminated so that the track is solid. 
The free edges of the shoulders 16a and 16b extend downward to some extent, 
forming a pair of longitudinal beads 24a and 24b. The legs, on the other 
hand, terminate in a pair of laterally extending feet 26a and 26b which 
also extend the entire length of the track. The undersides of the feet are 
flat so that the track can rest on a flat surface. The upper surfaces of 
the feet protrude upward to some extent forming a pair of longitudinal 
ridges or beads 28a and 28b which are more or less opposite beads 24a and 
24b. 
The opposite sides of the waist 18 and legs 20a and 20b, together with the 
beads 24a, 24b, 28a and 28b, define a pair of mirror-image, generally 
C-shaped channels 32 and 34 at opposite sides of the track. As best seen 
in FIG. 3, the two channels are oriented at a small angle (e.g. 
10.degree.) relative to the vertical, which angle corresponds more or less 
to the splay angle of the track legs 20a and 20b. The upper and lower 
segments of channel 32 just inboard of the beads 24a and 28a respectively 
are arcuate or rounded to define rails 32a and 32b. Likewise, channel 34 
has similarly placed upper and lower arcuate rails 34a and 34b. 
The top surface 38 of the track is generally horizontal and flat. A 
lengthwise series of spaced-apart vertical passages 42 is located on the 
longitudinal centerline of the track. These passages, which are 
countersunk, extend down to the groove 22 at the underside of the track 
and receive fasteners for anchoring the track to a supporting surface of 
boat D. One such fastener is shown in dotted lines at P in FIG. 3. 
Also, the track 12 can be provided with rubber or plastic end caps or plugs 
to exclude water from groove 22. One such cap is shown at 44 in FIG. 2. It 
is generally trapezoidal in shape. It is formed with an interior 
projection 44a shaped to plug into the end of track groove 22. It also has 
an opening 45 in its top wall which registers with opening 42 at the end 
of track 12 so that it can be secured to the track by a fastener P (FIG. 
3). 
Still referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the car 14 which rides along track 12 
comprises an extruded channel-shaped housing 48 having a top wall 48a and 
a pair of depending side walls 48b and 48c. The side walls are splayed, 
being oriented at more or less the same angle as the track channels 32 and 
34, i.e. 10.degree.. Car 14 can be made of the same material as track 12. 
Projecting up from the top wall 48a is a longitudinal key 52 whose cross 
section is T-shaped. The marine fitting associated with the traveler 
assembly is anchored to the car 14 by interlocking with its key 52. For 
example, there is shown in FIG. 3 in dotted lines a block F having a slide 
or keyway F' engaged to key 52. One or more openings 56 are formed through 
the key and top wall 48a at locations spaced along the longitudinal 
centerline of the car for receiving a threaded fastener by which the 
slider F' or other marine fitting can be removably anchored to car 14. One 
such fastener is shown in dotted lines at T in FIG. 3. 
The lower edge margins of the side walls 48b and 48c are thickened to some 
extent to support two or more sets of rotary wheels 62 and 64 respectively 
from those side walls. The sets of wheels 62 and 64 extend toward one 
another below the car top wall 48a and they are set at the same angle as 
the car side walls. Each wheel is made of a tough wear-resistant material 
such as polyurethane and each has a peripheral edge 62a, 64a which is 
rounded to conform generally to the shape of the rounded rails. 
As best seen in FIG. 3, each wheel is formed with an axial counterbored 
passage 66 for receiving a roller pin 68 whose shaft 68a is striated and 
forcefit into an opening 72 in the car side wall 48b or 48c. A pair of 
washers 74 and 76 are positioned around the roller pin at opposite sides 
of the wheel to ensure the free rotation of the wheel. 
When the car 14 is mounted to track 12, its wheels 62 and 64 travel along 
the channels 32 and 34 respectively with the walls of those channels 
closely conforming to the wheel envelopes as shown in FIG. 3. 
Consequently, there can be very little lateral, vertical or cocking 
movements of the car relative to the track. If the traveler is under 
compression, the car 14 is pressed downward relative to the track 12 so 
that its wheels 62 and 64 engage the lower rails 32b and 34b respectively. 
On the other hand, if there is an upward force exerted on the car 14, 
those wheels engage the upper rails 32a and 34a respectively. A lateral 
force applied to the car, say to the left as viewed in FIG. 3, tends to 
cock the car so that the wheels 64 engage the upper rail 34a while the 
wheels 62 are pressed down against the lower rail 32b. Of course, a 
lateral force to the right produces the opposite effect. No matter which 
way the force is applied to the car, all of the wheels 62, 64 are always 
engaged with a rail. Therefore, that force is distributed amongst all of 
the wheels for transmission to the track. As a result, the car is able to 
roll easily along the track under all of these different load conditions. 
Also, as best seen in FIG. 3, an appreciable gap G always exists between 
the top of track and the underside of the car. Therefore, lateral forces 
applied up to 90.degree. on each side of the vertical direction will not 
cause the car to chafe and scrape the track as it moves along the track. 
It is important to note also that, when the car 14 is subjected to a side 
load which causes the car to tilt slightly as its wheels 62 and 64 engage 
the upper and lower rails respectively, each wheel still contacts its rail 
along an arcuate line extending around the wheel cross-sectional perimeter 
because the wheels and rails have conforming curvature. This line contact 
distributes the load across the width of each wheel and the wheel has no 
corners that can become worn or tend to inscribe grooves in the track. 
Therefore, the car continues to roll smoothly and quietly along the track 
under load even after prolonged usage. 
Yet there is sufficient clearance between the car wheels and the track 
rails such that the car will roll freely under load even though the track 
is bent somewhat in the vertical or horizontal direction, due either to 
its conforming to the curvature of the supporting surface or to bending of 
the track under stress. 
In some cases, it may be desirable to mount the traveler assembly on a 
bridge extending between opposite sides of the boat. For example, the 
assembly may have to extend over a companionway such as companionway C on 
the FIG. 1 boat. An arrangement such as this is shown generally in dotted 
lines at 75 in FIG. 1 and in greater detail in FIG. 4. In this 
arrangement, the car 14 rides on track 12 as before. The track, however, 
is mounted to or formed as a rigid longitudinal extruded beam 76. In the 
embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the beam has the cross-sectional shape, more 
or less, of an I-beam with a transverse or top wall 76a and a pair of 
spaced-apart depending side walls 76b. This I-shaped cross section gives 
the beam very good rigidity over its entire length. The opposite ends of 
the beam are mounted at opposite sides of companionway C by suitable 
brackets (not shown) which are secured to the beam side walls 76b and to 
the boat superstructure. 
The upper surface of the beam top wall 76a is formed with a dovetail slide 
or keyway 82 which extends its entire length. The slide is dimensioned so 
that the track 12 can be keyed to the slide with its foot beads 28a and 
28b engaging under the side walls 82a of the slide, which walls are curved 
to conform to the tops of the beads. The track is installed on the beam by 
inserting its feet 26a and 26b into the slide 82 and sliding the track 
along the slide. The lengthwise position of the track relative to the beam 
can be maintained by threaded fasteners 84 extending down through one or 
more openings 42 (FIG. 2) in the track and turned down into registering 
threaded holes 88 in the beam wall 76a as shown in FIG. 4. 
Obviously also, instead of forming track 12 and beam 76 separately, they 
may be extruded as one piece having the overall exterior shape of the 
interfitting track and beam depicted in FIG. 4. In other words, that 
single extrusion would be formed without the track groove 22 and screw 
openings 42. 
It can be seen from the foregoing, then, that my improved traveler assembly 
is a very strong and rugged marine hardware item. Even when subjected to 
very high sheet loads exerted vertically or to either side up to angles of 
90.degree., the car 14 is still able to travel readily and quietly along 
its track 12. Moreover, because of the shapes of the car wheels and the 
wheel-conforming rail surfaces, such movements take place with a minimum 
amount of parts wear and noise. Consequently, the traveler assembly should 
have a long useful life as compared with prior comparable fittings of this 
general type. 
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made 
apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and, 
since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without 
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter 
contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing be 
interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover 
all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein 
described.