System and Method of Sail Propulsion for Sailing Vessels and Tugboats

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method of sail propulsion for sailing vessels and tugboats, consisting of one or more rows of sails secured at their upper vertices or corners by means of the ends of masts, and cables or ropes located between the upper ends of the masts, or the ends of the radial arms of said masts, with masts provided in the bow and others in the stern. The sails are secured at their lower vertices or corners to rings fixed to the deck, to ropes or cables, the ends of which are attached to the deck, to small posts, to the lower region of the main masts, to the ends of radial arms fixed in the lower region of the masts, or to pulleys on which the cables are wound using motors. The rows of sails, aligned from bow to stern, include a mast at the end sails. Cables or ropes form the upper ends of the intermediate sails.

1 .- 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A system for propulsion of a vessel having a length and a width, comprising:
 a plurality of sails having a vertice or upper edge and a base or lower edge,   each sail supported at the vertices or upper edges by a first cable, said first cable extending between one or more masts, said masts extending from said vessel generally along the longitudinal axis of said vessel,   the base of each sail extending across said vessel, a first portion of said base of each sail attached to a second cable, said second cable extending along a first edge of said vessel, a second portion of said base of each sail attached to a second edge of said vessel,   said second cable movable along the length of said vessel, to move the first portions of said base of said sails forward toward the bow of said vessel or rearward toward the stern of said vessel.   
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein said masts have radial arms, said radial arms for rotation about the vertical axis of said masts, a motor connected to said masts for rotating said arms and for simultaneously adjusting all the sails in the same manner. 
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the masts are tilted with an inclination towards the stern between 10° and 30° with respect to the vertical. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein at least two or more sails are aligned from bow to stern, between at least two masts, one said mast at the bow and a second said mast at the stern of said vessel, and intermediate sails between said masts are supported by said first cable between said masts. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein said sails are in approximate parallel planes. 
     
     
         35 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the sails are triangular or rectangular. 
     
     
         36 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the sails are trapezoid shape and the masts have their upper ends inclined towards the outside of said vessel. 
     
     
         37 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the sails are triangle rectangular and are held from the masts supported on their upper vertex by a cable disposed longitudinally at points and the lower vertices of the sails are joined on one side, rectangular vertex, fixed to shackles on the vessel deck or to the lower ends of the masts, and on the other to the points of the cables arranged between the pulleys or between the ends of the radial arms driven by motors to adjust the inclination of the sails. 
     
     
         38 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the masts are telescoping and are tilted or fully collapsed articulating them in their lower zone, with hydraulic rams or motors and gear reducers. 
     
     
         39 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the surface of the sails is reduced by lowering their top vertex attached to a closed circuit cable and driven by an electric motor. 
     
     
         40 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the sails are triangle rectangular and are held from the masts supported on their upper vertex by a cable disposed longitudinally at points, and the lower vertices of the sails are joined on one side, rectangular vertex, fixed to shackles on the vessel deck or to the lower ends of the masts, and on the other to the points of the cables arranged between the pulleys or between the ends of the radial arms driven by motors ( 16   d ) to adjust the inclination of the sails. 
     
     
         41 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the sails carry rings at their apexes which slide around said first cable between masts and the second cable fixed to the ground at their ends by means of a shackle, and a motor is used, driving pulleys moving a cable in a closed circuit and thus the sails, being that of one end, attached to said circuit, the corners of the sails are connected to each other with the adjacent ones with cords so that once extended they maintain identical distances between them. 
     
     
         42 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the sails are triangular and their lower vertices are connected to points of cables placed between pulleys on both sides of said vessel and driven with motors adjust the inclination of the sails. 
     
     
         43 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the sails are triangular and the ends of both cables supporting their lower vertices are joined together by forming a closed circuit between four pulleys, driving said pulleys and tilting the sails with motors. 
     
     
         44 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein the sails are rectangular or of trapezoid shape and are attached to and secured to four ropes or cables, two upper and two lower, arranged along or parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vessel or tugboat and are supported between two pairs of masts or a mast with four radial arms in the trapezoid shape, each pair has a mast in the bow and another in the stern. 
     
     
         45 . The system according to  claim 30 , wherein a microprocessor receives signals from the ship's course, the route to be followed, GPS, direction and intensity of wind and wave, control knobs, manual actuation of the sails and total or partial retraction of the sails, sending signals to the servo systems whose hydraulic rams or motors direct or retract the sails according to the applied data. 
     
     
         46 . The system according to  claim 30 , further having a propeller system of paragliding kites supported by an upper helium chamber, for pulling the vessel, said paragliding kites held with cords and cables or cords directed with the resultant of the forces applied with the wind, the upper end carries a helium chamber and the assembly is wound on a roller-pulley with an electric motor. 
     
     
         47 . The system according to  claim 30 , characterized by a multi-parachute propulsion system in series, which pulls the vessel or tugboat when inflated, traversed with a cable or rope by its axis of symmetry, to which are also attached cords, the upper end carries a helium chamber and the assembly is wound onto a roller-pulley driven by an electric motor. 
     
     
         48 . The system according to  claim 30 , multiple vessels are hinged to each other, with multiple rectangular or trapezoid shaped sails supported by four cables on the multiple vessels, two upper ones attached to the ends of the masts and two lower ones attached to a pulley where they are rolled up or unrolled with motors. 
     
     
         49 . A method of sail propulsion for sailing vessels and tugboats comprising:
 using one or more sails or rows of sails applied to a vessel and tugboats, having said sails attached to their vertices or upper edges by the ends of one or more masts and/or cables or ropes placed between the upper ends of masts or radial arms thereof, masts at the bow and others at the stern, said sails being held by their lower vertices or edges to rings fastened to the cover or to ropes or cables, whose ends are attached to the deck, to a few small posts, to the lower area of the main masts, to the ends of radial arms fixed in the lower area of the masts, or to pulleys and rolled with motors, and moving said sails from one position to another position to catch the wind and propel said vessel.