The present invention concerns a device for the articulation of the oars on the rowlocks for allowing to row with the face turned towards the stem of the floating means.

It is already known that the conventional oar is handled turning the back to the stem of the floating means, without having a direct view of the advancing of the means.

It is the aim of the present invention to allow to row keeping the front part of the body turned towards the stem of the floating means and to handle the oar in such a way that the propulsive phase of the rowing is the one in which the handle of the oar is pulled by the rower towards himself. In such a way the rower is in the best operative conditions because:

- he has the constant view of his advancing;

- in his effort he engages the musculature of greatest mass, power and energetic continuity.

This can not occur with the use of the conventional oar: infact, when the latter is used with the rower's face turned towards the stem , it engages only the muscles of small mass which develop a low power and offer a small energetic continuity while, if said oar is handled so that the great mass muscles are engaged, the rower is

forced to turn his back to the stem and has no direct view of his advancing.

At present, only one kind of row is known that requests the use of the rowlocks and, as it is well known, consists of a rigid wood - or other appropriate material - rod, of different length; one of the two ends is the handle while the other one has an increased surface in the shape of a blade. The muscular force applied to the handle of the oar is transmitted to the floating means by means of the rowlock to which the oar is linked in slack manner for allowing the oar the necessary and specific movements of rowing.

From the principles of elemental-)' physics it is known that the oar acts like a lever of second kind, where the blade is the fulcrum, the handle the power application point and the rowlock the point of application of the resistence (consisting of the floating means).

The rower can row with his face turned to the stem (position A) or to the stern ( position B); furthermore, the rower can effect the rowing in drawing manner (way a) where, as already explained, the propulsive phase is the one inwhich the handle of the oar is pulled by the rower to himself, or in pushing manner (way b) , where the propulsive phase is the one in which the handle is pushed forewards by the rower, pushing it away from himself. Consequently, there are four possible combinations of positions A- B and of rowing a-b: Aa - face towards the stem and drawing rowing:

this combination can not be obtained with the conventional means; Ba - face towards the stern and drawing rowing: this is the combination with the conventional oar; Ab - face towards the stem and pushing rowing: this is a combination still with the conventional oar, bu t handled with a combination contrary to the precedent one; it is used, e.g., standing on the 'gondole', on small boats with a flat bottom in channels and small lakes and in historic regattas; Bb - face towards the stern and pushing rowing: this combination is used only in coming alongside and leaving manoeuvres.

The combination Ba is the one usually adopted, even if it forces the rower to continuously turn his head to the sides and to his back for controlling his advancing.

This is due only - as above mentioned - to the dimensional and organic difference of the muscles respectively engaged in the two manners of performing the propulsive phase of the rowing, i.e. in the drawing and in the pushing rowing.

Therefore, it appears to be evident that the ideal oar is the one that realizes the combination Aa, i.e. the one with the rower having his face turned rowards the stem and a drawing propulsive phase.

Such combination can be obtained by means of the device according to the present invention.

In the enclosed figures 1 -2 the functioning of a conventional oar m its active rowing phase will be shown for a theoric confrontation with the device according to the present invention.

Relating to figure 1 , where the position of the floating means at the beginning of the active phase is shown in a scheme, t h e power Po, applied to the handle I, makes rotate of an angle r the rod A onto the fulcrum Fu (consisting of the blade Pa immersed in the water and the latter one considered, for exposition facility, as not giving) . The rod, being linked to the floating means with a wide range of release ( infact, it may rotate within a spherical space the geometrical centre whereof is in point Oa, around which the rowlock S rotates) , moves - in its rotation - the coordinate x in the sense of the power Po and brings it into the position shown in figure 2, in which the theoric position at the end of the active phase is shown in a scheme; therefore, the moving will be equal to the segment O-Ol .

For what concerns the device according to the present invention, shown in a scheme in figures 3-4 where the theoric positions of the floating means respectively at the beginning and at the end of the active phase of the rowing are shown, the latter consists of two hald-rods A and B, linked one to another by means of gearings C 2 and Cl ; said gearings are part of the special rowlock SS. that will be

described more in detail hereinbelow; the latter is linked, with partial release, to the floating means in point Oa.

The geometrical plane onto which the axis XX of the half-rods AB lies, may widely oscillate - independently from the reciprocal angular position of the same - pivoting onto coordinate Yss. Such oscillation is necessary for the immersion and emersion of blade Pa.

The half-rod A, to which power Po is applied, rotates of an angle r; also half-rod B will consequently rotate of an angle r, but in the direction opposite to half-rod A due to interposed gearings C2 and Cl , the first one conductor and the second one led; it means that it will rotate in the same sense of rod A shown in figures 1 -2 and therefore the floating means will move, also in this case, in the direction V along the leg 0-01.

In the two compared systems, the sense of motion impressed to the floating means is the same, but the directio of the applied forces are different from each other.

In figures 5-6 and 7-8 the practical side from what explained hereinbefore is shown, with a scheme of the active phase of the rowing, respectively with the conventional oar and with the device according to the present invention.

Infact, in figures 5-6 the rower turns his back to the stem; in figures 7-8 the rower is turned towards the stem : however, the sense of the m otion is the same ( for drawing facility, the geometrical positions of the figures have not been respected, as has occured with figures 1-2 and 3-4).

The present invention will be shown more in detail hereinbelow according to the enclosed drawings in which a pre ferre d embodiment is shown.

Figure 9 shows a topo view of the gearing sectors of the device, for the transmission of the oscillating motion, on the horizontal plane with centre in Oaa, from hal-rod A to half-rod B.

Figure 10 shows a top view of the device for the transmission of the rotating motion, on its own axis, from hallf-rod A to half-rod B.

Figure 1 1 shows a lateral view of the special rowlock comprising the device according to the present invention.

Relating to figures 1 -2 , concerning a conventional oar, the following details are shown:

- a rod A of the oar,

- a fulcrum Fu (theoric rotation centre of the oar) ,

- a handle I,

- a rotation centre of the rowlock Oa,

- a blade Pa.

- the force Po applied to the oar,

- the theorical angle r of the oar,

- the resistance Re (the same floating means) .

- the rowlock s,

- the floating means Sc.

- the direction V of the floating means,

- an orthogonal - horizontal - transversal coordinate x at th e beginning of the active phase,

- the coordinate XI at the end of the active phase.

- the axis x of the oar,

- the rotation x' of the oar onto its own axis x, in the two senses,

- the centre line orthogonal - horizontal - longitudinal coordinate Y,

- the orthogonal coordinate Yss, parallel to the coordinate Y, onto which the rotation centre Oa is placed,

- the rotation sense y' of the oar, with centre in Fu.

For what concerns the scheme of the functioning principle of the device according to the present invention, shown in figures 3-4, the following details, beyond those already known, are shown:

- half-rods A-B,

- a led gearing sector Cl ,

- a conductor gearing sector C2,

- the rotation centre Oa of the rowlock onto the coordinate Yss,

- the rotation centre Oaa of C2,

- the rotation centre Oab of Cl ,

- the theoric rotation angle r ( oscillation ) of the half-rods.

- the rowlock forming the device SS,

- the orthogonal coordinate Yss, parallel to the coordinate Y and coinciding with the axis of the pin R of the rowlock,

- the rotation sense yl of the half-rod A with centre in Oaa,

- the rotation sense y2 of the half-rod B with centre in Oab,

- the rotation sense y3 of the half-rod B with centre in Fu.

Figures 9-10-11 show a possible variant of the device for the articulation of the means on the rowlocks for rowing with the face turned towards the stem of the floating means, comprising:

- the half-rods A-B,

- the gearing sectors C1-C2,

- the sleeve bearing supports D1-D2,

- the rotation pins E1-E2 of the gearings,

- the connecting plates between Cl and Dl and between C2 and D2,

- the conical gearings H1-H2 for the transmission of the rotating motion onto its own axis from half-rod A to half-rod B,

- the conical gearings H3-H4 forming a pair with HI and H2, and mechanical united to the cylindrical gearings L1-L2,

- the handle I (force application),

- the blocking nut Id for the pins E,

- the cylindrical gearings L1-L2,

- the base M of the support Sp,

- the half-fixed clamps Mol -Mo2 for uniting the half-rods to the respective axle-shafts QJ.-Q2,

- the hinge elements M ( brackets) linked to the base M of the support Sp,

0

- the intersection centre Oa of coordinates XYZ,

- the intersection centre Oa' of coordinates Yss-Z,

- the hinge elements Q, linked to plate F2,

- the axel-shafts Q1- 2 to the ends of which the clamps Mo 1 -Mo 2 and the conical gearings H1 -H2 are fixed.

- the pin R of the hinge-support Sp.

- the hinge-support Sp,

- the orthogonal - horizontal - vertical coordinate X, intersecting the coordinate z and Oa,

- the axis x of the half-rods, bending in Oaa-Oab,

- the rotion x'-x' of the half-rods onto axis x, in the two senses,

- the orthogonal - horizontal - longitudinal coordinate Y, intersecting the coordinates XZ in point Oa,

- the ortogonal - horizontal - longitudinal coordinate Yss passing through pin R and intersecting the coordinate z in the middle of the latter,

- the oscillation y' conducting the half-rod A onto the horizontal plane,

- the oscillation y" led by the half-rod B, lying on the same oscillating plane of y', the orthogonal - vertical coordinate Z, intersecting the coordinates X and Y in Oa and the coordinate Yss in Oa',

- the oscillation z'-z" on the vertical - transversal plane of the coordinates XZ for the immersion and emersion operations of he blade Pa.

It must be underlined that the coordinate X and the axis x are coincident in the mentioned figures, because the half-rods are aligned one to the other and in theoric horizontal position.

As for the conventional oar, also the blade of the oar of the device according to the present invention must be able to rotate onto its own axis so as to offer a greater or a smaller surface to the water, according to whether it is the pushing or the emersing phase, or the proportioning of the push. The rowlock SS provides these functions, beyond those already mentioned, shown in exemplified manner in figures 9-10, and said rowlock comprises:

- a pair of gearing sectors C for the mechanical connection of the half-rods A and B and the inversion of the rotation sense of the led half-rod B with respect to the rotation sense of the conducting half-rod A. The mechanical union of the half-rods with the respective gearing sectors is obtained by means of the sleeve supports D, within which said half-rods may rotate; the sleeves are linked to the gearings through bridges G;

- the pairs of conical gearings H and the couple of cylindrical gearings L, through which the rotation continuity on their own axis of the half-rods A and B is obtained, in any angular position ma)' be placed, as when the half-rod A and the relative conical gearing H2 are rotated in the sense shown by the arrow in the figure, also gearings H4 and L2 rotate in the same sense, while LI and H3 rotate in the opposite sense; but H I will rotate in the same sense as H2, because it is inserted in a diametral position to H2, and therefore also half-rod B connected to H2,

will rotate in the same sense of half-rod A: and this all . as alread)" said , i ndependentl)' from their reciprocal angular position; - a plurality of union elements: the gearings are hold together by means of pins E and plates F; the lower plate F2 is hinged to the support Sp by means of the pin R; this latter allows the rotation of the device on the vertical plane for the rowing operation, i.e. immersion and emersion of the blade; - a hinge support Sp, consisting of a base M. of brackets Q _. and N hinged one to another by means of pin R; the brackets are out ^' of one piece with the lower plate F2; brackets N are out of one piece with the base M.