Traveller control for sailcraft

A traveller assembly for use on sailcraft, said traveller assembly comprising a track way, a traveller car adapted to move to and fro along said track way, the traveller car provided with an engaging element; and a stop member secured to said track way, the stop member provided with an element for receiving and locking said engaging element thereby providing a convenient arrangement for remotely controlling the positioning of the traveller car and concomitantly an efficient system for tacking a sailcraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to travellers for sailcraft and more particularly to 
an improved traveller assembly for positioning a sail on a sailcraft. 
Many sailcraft, such as sailboats, ice boats and the like, are fitted with 
a traveller across the deck after the mast. With such a device, the trim 
of the mainsail on each tack is controlled. Numerous varieties of 
traveller devices are known. The simplest forms of travellers consist of a 
ring or sheave that slides along a rod or rope fastened to the deck of the 
sailcraft. More sophisticated travellers, in which class the traveller 
assembly of the present invention is included, consist of a track fastened 
generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis on the deck or other 
portion of the sailcraft and a traveller car which slides along the track. 
The main sheet pulley is mounted on the traveller car thereby movable from 
side to side of the craft away from the centerline. Stops may be used to 
limit the movement to either side. 
In order to move the traveller car and position it in the right place for 
any particular wind or sailing condition, control ropes are provided which 
are operable from each side of the craft. Such control ropes are in the 
majority of cases fastened in cam cleats so that once the traveller is set 
in a desired position it will be held there. 
Sailors are very much aware of the improved performance of the sail, for 
example, main sail, which can be achieved by optionally adjusting the 
traveller car to control the angle of attack of the sail. This optimum 
position, however, varies with changes in the wind velocity as well as 
with each sailcraft design. For example, in light air, going to weather, 
the traveller car must be moved to weather so the boom is close to the 
centerline of the sailcraft. In heavy air, the traveller car may be on the 
centerline or all the way to leeward to help bring the craft to a more 
level position. These adjustments, however, become, so tedious at times 
that the average sailor leaves the traveller car on the centerline so that 
he does not need to adjust the position each time he tacks. 
On the other hand, for the racing sailor, traveller car position is very 
important and most racing sailcraft have a control system on each side of 
the traveller car consisting of a tackle and a jam cleat to pull the 
traveller car to windward and secure it there in the desired position for 
the point of sail and the wind velocity existing at the time. When one 
tacks the boat, a control line must be released from the jam cleat and the 
helmsman or other crew must move to the other side of the boat and secure 
the opposite control line in its jam cleat before the craft passes head to 
wind. 
Numerous traveller devices and assemblies have been devised in an attempt 
to overcome the aforenoted disadvantages. For example, a self-releasing 
traveller and cam cleat is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,121 wherein an 
attachment means is provided on the traveller car for attaching control 
ropes on either side thereof for controlling the position from either side 
of the sailboat. Cleat means are provided on either side of the traveller 
car for fastening the control pages. Cleat releasers are also provided on 
the traveller car, being movable relative to said cleat means, and being 
operable in response to wind pressure on, for example, the main sail to 
release the cleat means on one side of the said traveller car, while 
leaving the cleat means on the other side of the traveller car 
undisturbed. 
Other traveller assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,978,809, 
4,013,031, 3,678,876, 4,144,830, 4,080,919, 3,875,889 and 4,319,537. In 
particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,319,537 discloses a sailcraft traveller car 
and assembly adapted to enable traveller positioning to be controlled from 
a position on the sailcraft remote from the traveller. This device 
comprises a car for a traveller track, the car slotted to ride in the 
traveller track and having a pair of transverse major holes in the middle 
thereof and a transverse minor hole on each end. A sheet for a sail of the 
sailcraft is bent to one of the major holes and reeved via the the sail 
through the major hole. Lines bent to the minor holes permit positioning 
of the car along the track to be controlled from a position on the 
sailcraft remote from the traveller. 
None of these prior art traveller devices, however, overcomes the necessity 
of adjusting the stops or control lines every time tacking is required. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provde an improved 
traveller assembly for sailcraft. 
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved traveller 
assembly to enable traveller positioning to be controlled from a position 
on the sailcraft remote from the traveller. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a traveller control which 
simplifies the tacking operation on a sailcraft. 
A still further object of this invention is to provide a traveller assembly 
which overcomes the necessity of adjusting the stops and/or control lines 
every time tacking is required. 
These and other objects are achieved herein by providing a traveller 
assembly having a track way, a traveller car adapted to move to and fro 
along the track way, attachment means on the traveller car for attaching 
control ropes and stops adapted to be secured to said track way, said 
traveller car provided with engaging means and said stops provided with 
means for receiving said engaging means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates the traveller assembly of the 
present invention installed on a typical sailboat having a hull 10, mast 
12 and boom 14 on which the main sail is rigged and having all of the 
other usual accessories of such a sailboat. A main sail sheet 16 is 
provided, running around one or more blocks 18 and/or 18A attached to the 
boom and further attached to the traveller car 20 in order to control the 
movement of and tension on the boom and permit the boom to be swung out or 
drawn in. 
The traveller assembly and components of the present invention are shown in 
greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. In accordance therewith, the traveller 
assembly comprises a transverse track way 22 usually formed of metal, 
preferably rustproof, and may have a variety of different shapes. The 
track is usually attached to suitable points on the hull at spaced 
intervals therealong and may be supported by a transverse wooden thwart 24 
to which it may be attached to the hull by screws, bolts or the like for 
extra strength. Removable end caps 25 and 25A are secured at the ends of 
track 20 which assist in preventing traveller car stops 29 and 29A from 
sliding off the ends of track 20. A traveller car 20 usually formed of 
metal, preferably rustproof, or a durable plastic is provided to run to 
and fro along the track 22. The traveller car 20 may also be of a variety 
of different designs and may be provided with some form of antifriction 
means, such as bearings or rollers 23, so as to permit the traveller car 
20 to readily run or slide along the track even under substantial load. 
In further accordance with the present invention, and in one embodiment 
thereof as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a symmetrical latch plate 26 having, 
for example, tongue like engageable ends 28 and 28A, is securely mounted 
by any suitable fastening means, such as screws 21, onto the traveller car 
20. Traveller car stops 29 and 29A are provided to slide along the track 
and are adapted to be secured to the track at pre-selected locations. The 
traveller car stops may also be of any variety of designs, may be formed 
of metal or durable plastic and may also be equipped with antifriction 
means 23. Any suitable means to lock the stops in the selected position 
may be employed. For example, the stops may be designed with a plunger 31 
and 31A that engages a hole 33 provided in the track at uniform distances 
from the center line. The cut away section in FIG. 3 shows the pin like 
member of the plunger 31 which engages a hole 33 in the track way. In 
furtherance of the invention herein, the traveller stops 29 and 29A, are 
provided with and have secured thereto (e.g. by suitable fasteners) a 
latching means 30 and 30A, respectively for receiving the respective 
engageable end 28 or 28A of the latch plate 26. The latching means 30 and 
30A have an opening or slot 34 adapted to receive and lock the respective 
tongue like member 28 or 28A of the latch plate 26 therein. Furthermore, 
the latching means 30 and 30A are provided with release means 32 and 32A 
(preferably manual release means) to permit the ready release of the 
respective latch plate engageable end therefrom. Typical latching means 30 
and 30A which may be used herein, include, for example, latching means 
used in seat belt latching assemblies which have push bottom mechanisms or 
other release mechanisms to release the engageable tongue-like end 
therefrom. 
Any suitable attachment means 35 may be provided on the upper side of the 
latch plate 26 for attachment of the main sheet block 18. Attachement 
means 35 is secured to the latch plate 26 by screws 21 which also secure 
latch plates 26 to the traveller car 20. In operation, for example, if one 
is proceeding on starboard tack and the traveller car is held on the 
windward side by the starboard side stop and one decides to tack, one 
simply unlocks the latching means 30 (or 30A) by depressing the respective 
manual release means 32 (or 32A) and proceeds to steer the boat to 
accomplish the tack. The force on the sail causes the traveller car 20 to 
move along the track 22 to leeward and cause the engageable end 28 (or 
28A) to engage the port stop latching mechanism 30 (or 30A) and lock 
therein so that when the boat moves past head to wind and the load on the 
sail is reversed the traveller car will stay in its required position. 
This procedure is reversed when one decides to go back to starboard tack. 
Thus, as is readily apparent from the hereinbefore description, the 
traveller control assembly of the present invention eliminates the 
necessity to have to secure the traveller car in the new tack position and 
moreover insures that the traveller car will be in the exact position of 
the new tack for optimum performance. Furthermore, eliminating the chance 
of the traveller car moving to the leeward position makes for more 
efficient tacking with reduced loss in vessel speed. 
The foregoing is a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention 
which is given by way of example only. The invention is not to be taken as 
limited to any of the specific features as described, but comprehends all 
such variations thereof as encompassed within the scope of the appended 
claims.