Patent ID: 7479200

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a sail comprising reinforcing elements and a resin, comprising: forming the reinforcing elements and the resin into strips; positioning the strips on a surface, and wherein the strips are positioned to partially overlap one another; shaping at least a portion of the strips in a three-dimensional shape, by providing a press having an upper chamber with an elastically flexible lower element and a lower chamber with an elastically flexible upper element; transferring the positioned strips from the surface and positioning the strips between, and in contact with, the elastically flexible upper element and the elastically flexible lower element; deforming at least a portion of the flexible upper element and at least a portion of the flexible lower element in a three-dimensional shape, thereby deforming the portion of the strips in contact with the portion of the flexible upper element and the portion of the flexible lower element in a three-dimensional shape; applying pressure and heat to the strips; activating and polymerizing the resin to encase the reinforcing elements, thereby forming the fabric.