US4453484A | 1984-06-12 | |||
US0713830A | 1902-11-18 | |||
DE10134778A1 | 2003-01-23 | |||
US3990384A | 1976-11-09 | |||
US2858788A | 1958-11-04 |
1. | I claim a type of keel that will reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat and reduce the probability of capsizing which is characterized by a main keel, a swing keel hinged to the bottom of the main keel, a bulb or ballast attached to the bottom of the swing keel, a keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, a swing keel gear and a keel rudder gear make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other. |
2. | I claim a type of keel that will reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat and reduce the probability of capsizing which is charactenzed by a main keel, a swing keel hinged to the bottom of the main keel, a bulb or ballast attached to the bottom of the swing keel, a keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, a swing keel gear and a keel rudder gear make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other, with keel wings attached to the main keel limits the angle of the keel rudder to the desired specifications or as restricted by regulators, and dampers of shock absorbers attached to the keel wings to prevent the keel rudder from shattering the keel wings during rough weather. |
3. | I claim a type of keel that will reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat and reduce the probability of capsizing which is characterized by a main keel, a swing keel hinged to the bottom of me main keel, a bulb or ballast attached to the bottom of the swing keel, a keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, cables attached to the opposite ends of the swing keel and the keel rudder that go through pulleys attached to the tips of the keel wings make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other, keel wings attached to the main keel limits the angle Of the keel rudder to the desired specifications or as restricted by regulators, dampers or shock absorbers attached to the keel wings to prevent the keel rudder from shattering the keel wings during rough weather,. |
4. | I claim a type of keel that will reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat and reduce the probability of capsizing which is characterized by a main keel where a keel rudder is hinged to its bottom rear end while its movement is determined and contradictory to the listing movement of the hull so when the hull lists to the portside the keel rudder will swing to me starboard and vice versa. |
5. | I claim a type of keel that will reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat and reduce the probability of capsizing which is characterized by a main keel, a swing keel hinged to the bottom of the main keel, a bulb or ballast attached to the bottom of the swing keel, a keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, a swing keel gear and a keel rudder gear make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other where the length of the main keel, the weight of the bulb or ballast, and the surface area of the keel rudder is determined by the height of the mast and the surface area of the sails. AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 26 january 2004 (26.01. 2004) original claims 15 replaced by new claims 15 (2 pages)] 1. I claim a type of keel that will reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat and reduce the probability of capsizing which is characterized by a main keel, a swing keel hinged to the bottom of the main keel, a bulb or ballast attached to the bottom of the swing keel, a keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, a swing keel gear and a keel rudder gear make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other. |
6. | 2 I claim a type of keel that will reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat and reduce the probability of capsizing which is characterized by a main keel, a swing keel hinged to the bottom of the main keel, a bulb or ballast attached to the bottom of the swing keel, a keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, a swing keel gear and a keel rudder gear make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other, with keel wings attached to me main keel limits the angle of the keel rudder to the desired specifications or as restricted by regulators, and dampers or shock absorbers attached to the keel wings to prevent the keel rudder from shattering the keel wings during rough weather. |
7. | 3 I claim a type of keel that will reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat andreduce the probability of capsizing which is characterized by a main keel, a swing keel hinged to the bottom of the main keel, a bulb or ballast attached to the bottom of the swing keel, a keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, cables attached to the opposite ends of the swing keel and the keel rudder that go through pulleys attached to the tips of the keel wings make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other, keel wings attached to the main keel limits the angle of the keel rudder to the desired specifications or as restricted by regulators, dampers or shock absprbers attached to the keel wings to prevent the keel rudder from shattering the keel wings during rough weather. |
8. | 4 I claim a type of keel whose dimensions (eg. length of keel, surface area offlap/rudder, weight of bulb and its distance from the hinge, as well as gear ratios and positions of pulleys) may be varied to suit a wide array of watercrafts. |
9. | 5 I claim a type of keel reduce the required bulb or ballast weight of sailboat and reduce the probability of capsizing which is characterized by a main keel, a swing keel hinged to the bottom of the main keel, a bulb or ballast attached to the bottom of the swing keet a keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, a swing keel gear and a keel rudder gear make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other where the length of the main keel, the weight of the bulb or ballast, and me surface area of the keel rudder is determined by the height of the mast and the surface area of the sails. |
Background Art The closest semblance of the invention is the canting keel, which is manually, hydraulically or mechanically swung towards the weather side to offset the center of gravity and improve the sailboat's stability.
Another semblance to the inventions is the winged keel, which can improve lift and stability.
Disclosure of the Invention The invention differs from the canting keel because the invention not only makes use of the weight of the bulb or ballast at the bottom of the keel but also makes use of a keel rudder and onrushing water to right the boat or prevent the boat from capsizing which mean a reduction in the dependence on bulb weight translating to lighter and faster sailboats. The invention also differs from the winged keel because the invention makes use of keel wings not only to add stability but also to limit the angle of keel rudder and prevent unnecessary drag.
The invention will enable the sailboat to move on a more upright position when the wind is coming from the portside or starboard or when tacking. When a portside wind forces the sailboat to move forward and list to its starboard, gravity will force the bulb and swing keel to swing in relation to the hull and mast to the starboard and force the keel rudder to swing to the portside where the onrushing water will force the invention to counter the list caused by the wind. The drag caused by the keel rudder will be offset by a lighter bulb and by the sail efficiency of a more upright mast. The lateral force exerted by the onrushing water to the invention
and the weight of the invention should be equal (or greater than for sailboats for novice sailors and pleasure trips) to the expected lateral force the wind will apply to the sails. However, the weight of the bulb should always be greater than the maximum expected lateral force exerted by the onrusbing water to the keel rudder. The height of the mast and the surface area of the mainsail and foresail or headsail will dictate the length of the keel, surface area of the keel rudder and weight of the bulb based on the air and water density ratio. The invention is a function of the sails.
Further, the gear ratios of the swing keel gear and keel rudder gear (or position of pulleys and cable connection points along the swing keel and keel rudder if cables are used instead of gears) will depend on the desired sensitivity of the keel rudder to the swing keel.
Brief Description of Drawings The invention is composed of the main keel, the swing keel hinged to the bottom of the main keel, the bulb attached to the bottom of the swing keel, the keel rudder hinged to the bottom rear end of the main keel, the swing. keel gear and the keel rudder gear make the swing keel and the keel rudder move opposite to each other, the keel wings attached to the main keel limits the angle of the keel rudder to the desired specifications or as restricted by regulators, and dampers or shock absorbers attached to the keel wings to prevent the keel rudder from shattering the keel wings during rough weather. Cables and pulleys may also be used instead of gears.
Industrial Applicability The invention is applicable to the manufacture and design of performance, pleasure and trainer sailboats and may be also applicable to self-propelled vessels.
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