AN ANCHORAGE DEVICE

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device for variable mast foot anchorage in a sailboard, comprising a box profile (1) recessed into the sailboard and with a longitudinal slot (15) for the mast foot in its upper wall, two mutually facing, longitudinal inner flanges (17, 18) each for their groove (19, 20) on either side of a runner (5) which, on its underside, has a recess (29) for cooperation with one or more projections (6) on a rocker (4) which is pivotally secured in the one side wall of the box and is disposed for cooperation with a pedal (8) which, on actuation for release of the runner (5) from a locking projection (6), pivots the rocker (4), until the projection (6) is free from the recess (29) in the runner (5), whereupon this may be displaced along the flanges (17, 18).

Description: AN ANCHORAGE DEVICE The present invention relates to a device for anchoring a mast foot in a sailboard, a so-called windsurfing board, so that the pos¬ ition of the mast foot along the length of the sailboard is variable during sailing, the device including a profile recessed into the sailboard and along which a sliding piece is shiftabl displaceable and is intended for anchoring the mast foot proper, and means for releasing and locking the sliding piece, the profile being in the form of a box with a longitudinal slot for the mast foot in its up¬ per wall, and with two mutually facing longitudinal inner flanges each for their groove on either side of the sliding piece. Prior art mast foot rails suffer from a number of drawbacks which substantially relate to such matters as seizure on contact with sand, an excessive number of stop positions, a difficulty - if not impossibility - in predetermining the stop positions and their number, as well as relatively high manufacturing costs. Moreover, many of the prior art designs have proved to be very short-lived, because of defective mechanical strength in the component parts in¬ cluded therein, leading to both rapid wear and early failure. The object forming the basis of the present invention is to ob¬ viate or at least substantially reduce the drawbacks inherent in the prior art designs. This task is solved according to the present invention in that the sliding piece has, on its underside, a recess for cooperation with one or more projections on a rocker which is pivotally secured in the one side wall of the box and is disposed for cooperation with a pedal which, on actuation for releasing the sliding piece from a locking projection, pivots the rocker until the projection is free from the recess in the sliding piece, whereupon this may be shifted along the flanges. The rocker is pivotally secured to the box wall by means of a plurality of mutually spaced-apart hinge portions and a through shaft. The rocker is spring-biased for pivoting in a direction towards the sliding piece. On either side of the recess, the sliding piece has an oblique surface for cooperation with the projections on the rocker, which, at the moment of contact, is pivoted so that the projection enters into engagement with the re¬ cess and locks the sliding piece in that position along the rocker where the projection is located. The pedal is T-shaped and its ver¬ tical shank is shiftable in a corresponding hole in one end piece and is provided with a portion for cooperation with the rocker. The cooperating portion is readily removable for removing the pedal. The present invention clearly realises an extremely efficient and reliable device which is simplicity itself to operate and which permits optional placing of the stop positions as well reliable and rapid switching between the preselected stop positions without any imminent risk of seizure because of sand or the like. Furthermore, the anchorage of the rocker is stable and reliable, whereby unin¬ tentional release of the mast foot is prevented. In addition, the pedal is removable so that unintentional release of the mast foot is rendered impossible and transport of the sailboard is facilitated. As a result of the present invention, the device will also incur relatively low manufacturing costs, whereby the overall economical picture will be favourable in the extreme. One embodiment of the device according to the present invention will be described in greater detail below, with reference to the ac¬ companying Drawings. Fig. 1 is an exploded schematic view of one embodiment of a device according to the present invention, ghosted lines giving an intimation of the locations of the parts. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section, of parts of the embodiment of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exploded schematic view similar to Fig. 1 of another embodiment of the device according to the present invention. Fig. 4 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2. The embodiment of a device according to the present invention illustrated in Fig. 1 includes a box 1, a rear end piece 2 and a forward end piece 9, a hinge shaft 3, a rocker 4, a sliding piece 5 (generally known in the art as a runner), projections 6 for anchoring on the rocker 4, the projections 6 being optionally in the form of Allen-screws, for instance M6, a pedal pin 7, a pedal 8, spring 10, locking stud 12, and mast foot end 13. The mast foot end 13 is provided with a threaded hole for a threaded stub shaft 14 on a connector 11 which is flexible and constitutes the transition bet¬ ween the mast foot end 13 and the mast proper (not shown). The flex¬ ible connector 11 may be manufactured of rubber and, in many con¬ texts, is designated a power joint. It will further be readily ap- parent to the skilled reader of this specification that this part may be of many other designs than that shown on the Drawings. In its upper wall, the box 1 has a longitudinal slot 15 in which the upper portion 16 of the runner 5 fits. On the inside of its side walls, the box 1 has two mutually facing flanges 17 and 18 for corresponding grooves 19 and 20 in the runner 5. Thus, the run¬ ner 5 fits in the box 1 and runs with close fit on the flanges 17 and 18 with the upper portion 16 in the slot 15. The fit should be such that grains of sand cannot penetrate. On the same side wall in the box 1 as the flange 18, the box displays a hinge portion or hinge flanges 21 which, in their longitudinal direction, are inter¬ rupted by means of apertures 22, 23, 24 and 25. The rocker 4 displays three hinge portions 26, 27 and 28 which fit in the apertures 22, 24 and 25. After fitting of the rocker 4 in the box 1 and the hinge portions 26-28 in each respective aperture 22, 24 and 25, the hinge shaft 3 is inserted therein for pivotal mounting of the rocker 4 in the box 1. The hinge shaft 3 is also passed through the spring 10, which is located in the aperture 23, by means of which the rocker 4 is urged against the runner 5. One or more of the projections 6 are screwed into the rocker 4, their num¬ ber being dependant upon how many stop positions are desired. In most cases, simply one forward and one rear position are necessary. Fig. 2 illustrates in greater detail the cooperation between one projection 6 on the rocker 4 and a recess 29 in the runner 5. In this Figure, it will further be apparent that the runner is pro¬ vided, on its underside, with a forward oblique surface 30 and a rear oblique surface 31 for facilitating passage of the projection 6 and downward urging of the rocker 4 against the action of the spring 10, until the projection 6 is located in the recess 29. At the forward end, the box 1 is closed by means of a forward end piece 9 and, at the rear, the box 1 is closed by means of a rear end piece 2 which is provided with a hole 32 for cooperation with a shank 33 on the pedal 8. Furthermore, the shank 33 is provided with a transverse hole 33A for the pin or cross piece 7 which serves for engagement with the rocker 4 and pivoting thereof downwardly from the runner 5 in that the foot pedal 8 is depressed into the hole 32. The present invention makes possible such a design of the com¬ ponent parts included in the device that many of them may be manu¬ factured by extrusion and injection moulding in suitable materials. The box 1 and the rocker 4 may suitably be extruded in aluminium, while the rear end piece 2 the pedal 8, the cross piece 7, the run- ner 5 and the forward end piece 9 may be injection moulded in a suitable plastic material. The illustrated anchoring of the mast foot end 13 in the runner 5 is solely by way of example, and many other designs and construc- tions could equally well be employed. In. the present embodiment, the mast foot end 13 is provided with a circumferential groove 34. The mast foot end 13 fits in a hole 35 in the runner 5 and the shanks of the locking stud 12 are inserted in the holes 36 and 37 which dis¬ charge in the hole 35, whereupon the locking stud shanks will extend into the groove 34 for fixedly locking the mast foot end 13 in the hole 35. The embodiment of a device according to the present invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 corresponds essentially to the embodi- ment of Figs. 1 and 2, apart from in certain details, which, how¬ ever, are of major importance. The same parts have been given the same reference numerals. In this embodiment ' , the spring 10 is a leaf spring which is placed beneath the rocker 4, advantageously in the proximity of the rear end piece 2. The leaf spring 10 is designed such that its spring force is at its gre-atest at the beginning of the pivoting of the rocker 4 and at its least in the position for releasing the runner 5 from a projection 6. In the design of the leaf spring 10, account has also been taken of the fact that it may not impede pivoting of the rocker 4, in particular in the release position. The shank 33 on the pedal 8 is hexagonal and the hole 32 is adapted to the shank 33 and is provided with a plurality of re¬ cesses or grooves so as to permit rinsing-off of grains of sand and the like. The forward oblique surface 30 of the runner 5 is less steep than the rear oblique surface 31, whereby leap-frogging of the pro¬ jections 6 on the rocker 4 will be facilitated on movement from a forward position to a rearward position, while engagement of a pro¬ jection 6 in the recess 29 is facilitated on forward movement. A further crucial detail difference between the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2 and that of Figs. 3 and 4 is that the hole for the shaft 3 is turned to face outwardly from the interior of the box 1, whereby the risk of injurious action by sand and salt is reduced to an absolute minimum.

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 4 January 1990 (04.01.90) original claim 1 amended ; remaining claims unchanged ( 2 pages)] 1. A device for anchoring a mast foot in a sail ord, a so- called windsurfing board, so that the position of the mast foot along the length of the sailboard is variable during sailing, the device including a profile (1) recessed into the sailboard and along which a runner (5) is shiftable and is intended for anchoring the mast foot proper (13), and means for releasing and locking the runner (5), the profile being in the form of a box (1) with a longitudinal slot (15) for the mast foot (13) in its upper wall, and with two mutually facing, longitudinal inner flanges (17, 18) each for their groove (19, 20) on either side of the runner (5), characterised in that the runner (5) has, on its underside, a recess (29) for cooperation with one or more projections (6) on a rocker (4); and that the rocker (4) is pivotally secured in the one longitudinal side wall of the box (1) at several positions along the one longitudinal side wall of the box (1) and is disposed for cooperation with a pedal "(8 which, on actuation for releasing the runner (5) from a loc king projection (6), pivots the. rocker (4), until the pro¬ jection (6) is free from the recess (29) in the runner (5), whereupon this may be displaced along the flanges (17, 18). 2. The device as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the rocker (4) is pivotally secured to the box wall by mean of a plurality of mutually spaced-apart hinge portions (21, 26, 27, 28) and a through shaft (3). 3. The device as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, characterised i that the rocker (4) is spring-biased (10) for pivoting in a direction towards the runner (5). 4. The device as claimed in Claims 1 and 3, characterised i that the runner (5) is provided, on either side of the recess (29), with an oblique surface (30, 31) for coopera¬ tion with the projections (6) on the rocker (4) which, at the moment of contact, is pivoted so that the projection (6 enters into engagement with the recess (29) and locks the runner (5) in that position along the rocker (4) where the projection (6) is located. 5. The device as claimed in Claims 1 and 2, characterised i that the pedal (8) is T-shaped; and that the vertical shank (33) fits in a corresponding hole (32) in the end piece (2) the pedal having a portion (7) for cooperation with the roc ker (4). 6. The device as claimed in Claim 5, characterised in that the cooperation portion (7) is readily removable for remova of the pedal (8) .

Inventors: MELLGREN ERIK OLA, PERSSON PER OLA JOERGEN, ROEMPOETTI LARS WALDEMAR, TROELL KLAS PATRIK, MELLGREN, ERIK, OLA, PERSSON, PER, OLA, JOERGEN, ROEMPOETTI, LARS, WALDEMAR, TROELL, KLAS, PATRIK
Applicants: MELLGREN ERIK OLA, PERSSON PER OLA JOERGEN, ROEMPOETTI LARS WALDEMAR, TROELL KLAS PATRIK, MELLGREN, ERIK, OLA, PERSSON, PER, OLA, JOERGEN, ROEMPOETTI, LARS, WALDEMAR, TROELL, KLAS, PATRIK
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B63B15
IPC codes: B63B35