Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for automatically coupling and decoupling the luff of a battened mainsail and stackable luff holders as the connecting link between the sail luff and mast guiding slides, thereby allowing the now free sail luff to be reefed up by means of an in-boom furling boom and allowing the battened mainsail to be hoisted and reefed by means of mast guiding slides.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an automated coupling and decoupling method between the luff of a sail and mast guiding slides when hoisting and furling a battened mainsail, and a device for performing this method. 
     In-boom roller furling systems of greatly varying constructions wind the foot of a sail over an approximately horizontally rotatable winding mandrel for reefing in the case of strong wind and thus reduce the sail area to an amount supportable by the ship or roll it away entirely for furling. 
     The advantage of boom roller furling systems in relation to other systems is that through-battened mainsails having advantageous leech presentation may be used having almost equally good position and performance as in the case of sails having a traditional jiffy reef. 
     In the case of regatta participants, where performance is important, typically only sails having jiffy reef come into consideration at all, whose approximately horizontal continuous sail battens may be hoisted and/or furled using smooth-running running slides guided on the rear edge of the mast. For reefing, the lower part of the sail is pulled down in folds and bound to the boom using chords, which are typically attached to the sail, by a strong regatta crew. For a small crew, who wants to sail safely and efficiently, only an in-boom furling system comes into consideration because of the better sail position, in spite of its flaws, properties, and known problems. 
     The main problem is the luff of the sail and its connection to the mast. It is to let the sail run up and down in a smooth-running manner and the luff is to be able to be wound over the winding mandrel jointly with the sail. 
     Currently, a luff tape made of fabric plastic having correspondingly smaller terminal diameter, in order to be windable, is selected, which is longitudinally displaceable within a special small mast groove, but cannot slip through it. 
     The winding diameter of the coiled luff tape cannot significantly exceed the diameter of the sailcloth bale, including profile reinforcements, when reefing and furling, because both must be wound on the same mandrel as free of wrinkles as possible. So as not to be entirely filigree in construction, the luff tape is often sewn along its length of the sail in a slightly wavy form, so that the luff winding occurs not only one on top of another, but rather more widely one next to another, with the disadvantage of greater friction in the mast groove, which runs linearly and accordingly warps the sail. 
     In order to connect the advantageous sail guiding along a tall mast to smooth-running running slides of a battened mainsail as for a jiffy reef, for example, and the operating advantages of an in-boom furling system, the following solution is proposed according to the invention. 
     Patents which represent the prior art:
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,182 A (PATTISON) 20 Aug. 1974 (20.08.1974)   U.S. Pat. No. 1,798,772 A (WOOD) 31 Mar. 1931 (31.03.1931)   U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,037 B1 (COOK ET AL) 16 Apr. 2002 (16.04.2002)   

     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The goal of the invention was to provide an automatic coupling and decoupling system of the sail luff, which allows a preferred battened mainsail in suitable shape and quality, which is hardly restricted in height, having continuous sail battens parallel to the foot in a suitable number, on the one hand, to be hoisted or reefed along the mast in a typical way using smooth-running mast guiding slides behind a mast in a suitable running track and, on the other hand, to advantageously hoist and furl the sail through a coupling method according to the invention via a device using the luff, which is then released, advantageously using an easily operable roller furling boom. 
     Because setting and furling sail always occurs in the direction against the wind, the roller furling boom always occupies the location behind the mast, so that this position is decisive for the overall function. 
     In the mast-side attachment of the sail, a luff holder implemented according to the invention, made of hard aluminum and/or stainless steel, is preferably located in front of each sail batten, which is in turn mounted so it is horizontally pivotable on a suitable mast guiding slide (mast roller), so that pivoting outward of the sail to both sides is provided. The luff holder allows a disconnection of the luff of the battened mainsail from the components of the mast-side guiding path just before it is wound onto the winding mandrel of the roller furling boom. The sail can thus be rolled up in its entirety unobstructed, while in contrast the guide path elements, i.e., luff holders and mast guiding slides, remain stacked closely on one another at the end of the mast guiding path. The luff holders are concealed in a stacking magazine for protection against contact, which is fastened on the roller furling boom on the mast side and in which all switching functions of the coupling and decoupling occur in mutual cooperation. The energy required for this purpose is taken from the upward and downward movement of the sail. 
     Upon further hoisting of the sail, each sail batten which was wound up picks up its associated mast guiding slide again using the luff holder according to the invention and thus again produces an inseparable connection along the mast. If needed, in a similar way, an additional luff holder having mast guiding slides can be placed between the battens. 
     The coupling and decoupling of the sail/mast guiding slide connection occurs according to the invention through a forced function of the luff holder, which does not permit any incorrect switching in the functional sequences due to its mechanical construction and thus operates reliably. 
     The luff of the battened mainsail does not have a sewn-in round luff cord as is typical, but rather a high-strength thin luff belt according to the invention, in which button rivets formed for docking the luff holder are each preferably riveted in fixedly in front of the sail battens, which produce a positive permanent connection on all sides enclosed by the lever closure of the luff holder. 
     Each luff holder according to the invention comprises a molded base plate having a fixed jaw protruding approximately perpendicularly, which has a corresponding conical recess to receive the button rivets of the belt as the sail luff. A molded closure jaw is located parallel to the fixed jaw and spaced apart from the luff belt to be clamped, whose opening rotational axis is received in a bearing bush, which is fixedly connected to the base plate. 
     The opening geometry of the closure jaw in the form of a higher point of rotation allows a free passage of the luff belt from top to bottom when reefing. Vice versa, the easy-closing spring-loaded jaw capture an unrolled incoming button rivet using their leading detent arms, center it, and enclose it in the fixing depressions, so that upon hoisting of the sail, the connection closure (luff holder) is carried upward along the mast together with its coupled mast guiding slide. 
     Before each coupled luff holder leaves the stacking magazine, mechanical forced locking of the two clamping jaws is performed by lever contact, so that all slides going up the mast are inseparably coupled to the sail. This coupling is first disengaged when the first luff holder arrives at the base of the stacking magazine upon furling or when a further luff holder is placed in the final position on the prior one. I. e., the coupling and decoupling procedures occur exclusively within the stacking magazine immediately before and after the sail is wound up. However high the sail is hoisted, it is always attached fixedly and non-positively. 
     The components of the luff holder are implemented in order to be closely stackable so that they spatially interlock vertically in one another using their functional elements and may thus acquire their multifunction. Thus, upon furling of the sail, the luff holder running into the prior luff holder from above opens its forced locking of the closure jaws in each case, which then releases the fixed luff holder of the sail for rolling up. Simultaneously, however, a spacer finger protruding downward from the upper base plate is pushed into the lower luff holder, which entirely raises and disengages the already unlocked, slightly spring-loaded closure jaws there against the spring force. 
     All of the other luff holders located underneath in the case of furled, i.e., rolled-up sail, thus each have an entirely raised closure jaw in the stacking magazine, which are each raised by the upper spacer finger and covered thereby in such a manner that they all remain in the stack outside the range of the button rivets of the luff holder and these rivets may pass freely during the up or down movement. 
     The closure jaw of the particular uppermost luff holder, in contrast, is not raised because the next one located above is missing, and therefore presses against the luff belt with light spring force. If the luff belt is unrolled and drawn upward when shaking out the sail and when setting sail, each arriving button rivet only takes along the particular uppermost luff holder, locks it upon exit from the stacking magazine to form a fixed connection using an eccentric lever of the forced locking unit pivoted beyond dead center and runs up the mast guided by the mast guiding slide. When furling the sail, the individual functional steps run in reverse, up to the unlocking moment of the forced locking unit, which occurs in each case entirely at the path end before running into the stack height in the stacking magazine. 
     All luff holders run into the stacking magazine conducted by the guiding slides. The first, which has arrived lowermost on the magazine floor here, opens the closure jaw by pivoting the protruding control lever of the forced locking unit by running into the stop of the stacking magazine, so that the now released sail can be rolled away and the next incoming luff holder runs into the first. Through the mutual running into the particular one below, firstly the closure jaw therein is disengaged by the spacer finger and the forced locking unit of the oncoming luff holder is opened by adapted lever contact with the lower slightly later in the same stroke, whereby the luff is finally released as a whole and the sail as a whole can be rolled up until the headboard of the sail has been drawn to the stacking magazine. 
     The above description outlines the more important features of the present disclosure rather broadly, so that the more detailed description which follows contains additional features of the disclosure and is thus better understandable. 
     The embodiments of the disclosure are not restricted to the details of the design situated in the following description and in the detail drawings. Other embodiments may be practiced in the scope of the invention and implemented in various ways. In addition, it is obvious that the phraseology and terminology used is only employed for description and not as a restriction. 
     Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail hereafter on the basis of the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a battened mainsail guided by roller slides having roller furling boom on a ship; 
         FIG. 2  is the view of a luff holder  16  according to the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is the side view of the luff holder  16 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows the top view of the luff holder  16 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows the cross-section of a button rivet  19 ; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows a ship  13 , on which a mast  5  stands, on which a roller furling boom  8  is mounted so it is pivotable to all sides using a gooseneck  9  and is held in position in a typical manner using a boom support  10  and a main sheet  11 . 
     Furthermore, a battened mainsail  1  is shown, which has been raised and/or hoisted entirely on the mast  5  using a main halyard  7  on a headboard  6 . 
     The battened mainsail  1  is uncoiled for this purpose from a winding mandrel  12  (shown by dot-dash lines as a center line) of a roller furling boom  8 . The sail battens  2  are all situated in a suitable number parallel to the winding mandrel  12  and are thus windable over it. 
     The luff  14  of the sail  1  must also be windable in such a way that its growing cross-sectional coil diameter always remains equal to that of the sail  1  including its sail battens  2 , which is performed according to the invention using a suitable belt strap as the luff belt  15 . 
     The force transmission from the sail  1  to the mast  5  advantageously occurs in each case in front of the sail battens  2  via a luff holder  16  according to the invention, which is guided on a mast guiding slide  3  along the mast guiding path  4  and allows smooth-running hoisting and furling of even a large sail, above all a tall sail. 
     Dimensionally-rigid connecting links  17  made of suitable material are required between the luff holders  16  and the possibly commercially-available guiding slides  3 , which allow mechanical adaptation to dimensional differences and ensure a parallel guide along the guide rail  4  and allow linked horizontal pivoting of the luff holders  16  to both sides, as required by the use of the sail  1 . The pivot rotation points  35  of the luff holders  16  must lie above that of the gooseneck  9  for this purpose in the longitudinal direction of the mast. 
     The reefing and furling of the sail  1  is performed by rolling it up on the winding mandrel  12  of the roller furling boom  8 , the luff holder  16  located at least in front of each sail batten  2  arriving in the stacking magazine  18 , which is located above the gooseneck  9 , fastened on the roller furling boom  8 . 
     Coming to the base of the stacking magazine  18 , the first luff holder  16  mechanically unlocks using its forced locking unit  26  (in  FIG. 2 ) and releases the luff belt  15  to be rolled up, the unlocked luff holder  16  remaining in the stacking magazine  18 . The connection link  17 , which is attached so it is horizontally pivotable, and which represents the mechanical connection to the mast guiding slide  3 , remains attached to the mast guiding path  4  on the mast side. 
     All luff holders  16  are stackable in their structure and partially perform their coupling function with the aid of stops of the stacking magazine  18 , all switching functions occurring within the protection and the guide of this magazine body. 
     The view of a luff holder  16  according to the invention is shown in  FIG. 2 , coupled to a luff belt  15  according to the invention of a sail  1  having a riveted-in button rivet  19  (in  FIGS. 3 and 5 ) in front of a sail batten  2  (shown by dot-dash lines). 
     A possible mast guiding path  4  having a smooth-running mast guiding slide  3 , from which a dimensionally-rigid connection link  17  extends to the laterally pivotable base plate  20  in an adapted manner, is shown by dot-dash lines. The contour of the fixed jaw  21  can be seen, in the foreground the closure jaw  22  having the leading detent arms  27  having their bearing bush  23  and the spacer finger  25  protruding downward from the base plate  20 , furthermore the rotational axis of the forced locking unit  26  running approximately parallel to the bearing bush  23 , which keeps the closure jaw  22  permanently locked in the closed state outside the stacking magazine  18  (in  FIG. 1 ). 
       FIG. 3  is the side view of  FIG. 2  of the luff holder  16  from the side of the sail  1  according to the invention. The mechanical structure can be seen, comprising a base plate  20  having a fixed jaw  21  protruding approximately perpendicularly and a molded closure jaw  22 , which is linked in relation to the fixed jaw  21  in such a manner that the opening of the two occurs with the movement of the luff belt  15  running downward and the release of the button rivets  19  occurs by the free pivoting out over the lateral and higher-lying bearing bush  23 , which runs in the horizontal approximately parallel to the luff belt  15  and is fastened on the base plate  20 . 
     Both the fixed jaw  21  and also the closure jaw  22  have an exposed conical recess  24  provided in the clamping jaws in the closed state with appropriate clamping pressure on the luff belt  15 , the recess enclosing the incoming button rivets  19  positively therein and thus an unshakable coupling resulting. 
     Furthermore, the mechanism and function of the forced locking unit  26  in the closed locked position can be seen, which comprises an eccentric axis  29  running in a bearing bush  28 , which is pivoted using the attached switching lever  30  (in  FIG. 2 ) into the locked position  30   a  and, using the attached contact pressure cog  31  (in  FIG. 2 ) on the eccentric arm, pivots the eccentric axis  29  via its dead center into the locked position  31   a , and locks the closure jaw  22  to clamp the luff belt  15 . In order to be able to set the pressure on the luff belt  15  to various makes of the luff belt, the forced locking unit  26  is linked as a complete component via the fastening bolts having nuts  32  (in  FIGS. 2 and 4 ) and can be moved toward the closure jaw  22  using the adjustment screw  33 , which can be countered, and is thus re-adjustable. 
     The unlocking of the closure jaw  22  can only be performed when a luff holder  16  runs into the one located underneath in the stacking magazine  18  (in  FIG. 1 ), so that upon the approach, the switching lever  30  (in  FIG. 2 ) located in the locked position  30   a  receives contact with the switching link  36  located underneath and the unlocking procedure is completed shortly before reaching the stack height and the unlocked position  30   b  of the switching lever  30  (in  FIG. 2 ) and the contact pressure cog  31  (in  FIG. 2 ) is in the unlocked position  31   b.    
     Furthermore, the spacer finger  25  protruding downward is shown, as it engages in a luff holder  16  (shown by dot-dash lines) located underneath in the stack and entirely raises the previously unlocked closure jaw  22 , so that a button rivet  19  incoming from below or protruding downward does not find an engagement point and can pass freely, as well as in the case of all luff holders  16  located underneath in the stack. 
     Every button rivet  19  coming upward upon unrolling thus passes all luff holders  16  located in the stacking magazine  18  (in  FIG. 1 ) unobstructed and catches in the leading centering detent arms  27  of the easy-closing spring-loaded closure jaw  22  of the particular uppermost luff holder  16 , whose contact pressure cog  31  (in  FIG. 2 ) is in the unlocked position  31   b  and takes it along on its route up the mast  5  (in  FIG. 1 ). 
       FIG. 4  shows the top view of a luff holder  16  according to the invention in the closed state having coupled sail  1  (shown by dot-dash lines) behind a typical mast  5  having a mast guiding path  4 , a mast guiding slide  3 , and a connection link  17  (shown by dot-dash lines) adapted to the mutual connection dimensions. 
     Possible shaping of the base plate  20 , the pivot rotation point  35 , around which the luff holder  16  is mounted so it is pivotable horizontally on both sides, which is positioned aligned with the sail  1  and as close as possible to its luff  14 , are shown. The closure jaw  22 , which closes approximately parallel to the fixed jaw  21 , having its bearing bush  23 , which also runs parallel, and which is fastened on the base plate  20 , are shown. Furthermore, the switching link  36  can be seen as the external contour of the base plate  20 , on which the forced locking unit  26  of a luff holder  16  running into it from above unlocks. 
     The forced locking unit  26  (partially shown by dot-dash lines) is located below the base plate  20 , whose bearing bush  28  (in  FIG. 3 ), which also runs approximately parallel, is fixed by the fastening bolts having nuts  32 , which can be guided toward the closure jaw  22  using the adjustment screw  33 , which can be countered and is offset laterally and by 90°, in order to set the closing pressure of the contact pressure cog  31  (in  FIG. 2 ) in the locked position  31   a.    
     The opening moment of the forced locking  26  is determined by the shape and position of the switching lever  30  (in  FIG. 2 ), which, shortly before the upper luff holder  16  runs into the lower, pivots the eccentric axis  29  by contact with the switching link  36  of the lower enough that the contact pressure cog  31  (in  FIG. 2 ), which is brought into the unlocked position  31   b  (in  FIG. 3 ) via the dead center, opens the closure jaw  22  enough that the enclosed button rivet  19  of the luff belt  15  can slide out of the exposed conical recess  24  (in  FIG. 2 ) of the jaws  21  and  22  and releases the sail  1  to be rolled in. 
     The moment of the locking of the fixed jaw  21  using the closure jaw  22 , which is pressed against it by light spring force, when setting the sail  1  occurs exclusively upon exiting of the luff holders  16 , which are acquired by the button rivets  19  and raised, from the stacking magazine  18  (in  FIG. 1 ) through an exit baffle  37  on its upper end, which pivots the switching lever  30  (in  FIG. 2 ) from the unlocked position  30   b  (in  FIG. 3 ) of the forced locking  26  downward into the locked position  31   a  and thus moves the contact pressure cog  31  (in  FIG. 2 ) of the eccentric axis  29  from the unlocked position  31   b  (in  FIG. 3 ) in front of the dead center into the locked position  31   a  via the dead center and thus positively confines all button rivets  19  (in  FIG. 3 ) of the sail  1  between the jaws  21  and  22  in their exposed conical recess  24  (in  FIG. 3 ). 
       FIG. 5  shows the cross-section of a lathed button rivet  19  riveted into the luff belt  15  of the sail  1  (in  FIG. 1 ), preferably made of aluminum or stainless steel, which has a conical outer contour  38  like a truncated cone adapted to its exposed recess in the area of the fixed jaw  21 , which can be positively fixed in the conical recess  24  (in  FIG. 3 ) in the case of sustained clamping pressure, but can slide out of it without clamping pressure. 
     An approximately mirror-inverted conical lathed area  39  is provided to transmit the contact pressure in the area of the closure jaw  22 , but toward the outer end it becomes a detent groove having a rounded outer shoulder  40 , using which the button rivet  19  can slide from the closure jaw  22  lightly pressing against it upon hoisting into its conical recess  24  (in  FIG. 3 ) and can be securely captured. 
     As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. It should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.