Device for launching and dousing light sails such as spinnakers

Abstract

Device for aiding the launching and dousing of light sails comprising a set of smooth rings encircling the furled sail at intervals along its height enabling it to remain furled while being hoisted, launching the sail by moving the rings upwardly out of encircling engagement with the sail and dousing it by moving the rings downwardly into encircling engagement with the sail.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for launching and dousing a light sail connected to the mast of a sailing vessel comprising a plurality of at least two rings spaced from each other along the length of said sail and encircling said sail in furled condition, each said ring being of a size which, when positioned on the sail in the furled condition, provides upwardly slideable engagement with the sail, the lowermost ring engaging the lower portions of the sail, the uppermost ring engaging the upper portions of the sail and any intermediate ring or rings engaging intermediate portions of the sail when in the furled condition to retain said sail in the furled condition; means for raising the lowermost ring into engagement with the next ring above it to raise said next ring and successively to raise all rings to slide said rings upwardly along said sail to disengage all rings from the sail and thereby launch the sail; and means for lowering the the rings beginning with the lowermost ring in succession into sliding encircling engagement with said sail forcing same into furled condition and positioning said rings in the aforementioned spaced apart positions to retain said sail in furled condition. 
     
     
       2. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for raising said rings to launch the sail is a line attached to the lowermost ring and extending to said mast, each ring above said lowermost ring is provided with guide means for guiding said line adjacent to each said ring when said line is moved upwards and downwards, whereby movement of said line towards said mast raises said rings to disengage them from the sail to launch it. 
     
     
       3. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for lowering said rings to furl the sail is a flexible elongate strip member connected at its upper end to the mast and extending the substantial length of said sail in furled condition, each ring being fixed to the strip member at the spaced apart positions of said rings when the sail is in furled position and said strip member is extended, said strip member being collapsed when said raising means moves the lowermost ring and the lower end of said strip member upwardly to launch the sail and being extended when said lower end thereof is moved downwardly to slide the rings into encircling engagement with the sail to furl it. 
     
     
       4. Device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said lowering means comprises two said elongate strip members fixed to opposite sides of said rings. 
     
     
       5. Device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said strip members comprise ribbons of two ply dacron. 
     
     
       6. Device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said strip member comprises a line. 
     
     
       7. Device as claimed in claim 4 wherein each said strip member is provided with outwardly extending flexible arms formed with an aperture, each said arm being positioned adjacent to a ring and said raising means is a line attached to the lowermost ring and passing upwardly through an eye of each arm to the mast, whereby movement of said line towards said mast raises said rings to disengage them from the sail to launch it. 
     
     
       8. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said ring above the lowermost ring is formed with an eye in its annular portion, said eye of the uppermost ring being larger than the others and the eyes of each lower ring being smaller than the one above it and said raising and lowering means comprise a line formed with different sized stops fixed thereto along its length, each stop being positioned just above the eye of a ring when said rings are in spaced apart position and said line is extended along the sail in full furled condition and being of a size that it will not pass through the eye of the ring next below it but it will pass through the eye of each ring above it. 
     
     
       9. Device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said line passes around a pulley connected to the mast. 
     
     
       10. Device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a strap is attached at one end to the head of the sail and at the other end to the mast, said strap collecting and holding said rings when they are raised and the sail is in full unfurled condition. .Iadd. 11. A device for launching a light sail connected to the mast of a sailing vessel comprising at least two rings spaced from each other along the length of said sail and encircling said sail in furled condition, each said ring being of a size which, when positioned on the sail in the furled condition, provides upwardly slideable engagement with the sail, the lowermost ring engaging the lower portions of the sail, the uppermost ring engaging the upper portions of the sail and any intermediate ring or rings engaging intermediate portions of the sail when in the furled condition to retain said sail in the furled condition and means for raising the lowermost ring into engagement with the next ring above it to raise said next ring and successively to raise all rings to slide said rings upwardly along said sail to disengage all rings from the sail and thereby launch the sail..Iaddend. .Iadd. 12. Device as claimed in claim 11 wherein said rings are provided with means for positioning said rings at spaced apart positions along said sail in furled condition. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 13. A device for dousing a light sail connected to the mast of a sailing vessel comprising at least two rings interconnected by a flexible material permitting said rings to move from close side-by-side positions at the top of the sail in unfurled condition to positions spaced apart from each other along the length of the sail encircling the sail when in furled condition, each said ring being of a size which, when positioned on said sail in furled condition. slideably engages said sail in furled condition to retain said sail in the furled condition, and means for lowering the rings beginning with the lowermost ring in succession into sliding encircling engagement with said sail forcing same into furled condition and positioning said rings in the aforementioned spaced apart positions to retain said sail in furled condition. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 14. Device as claimed in claim 13 wherein said means for lowering said rings to furl the sail is a flexible elongate strip member connected at its upper end to the mast and extending along the length of said sail in furled condition, each ring being fixed to the strip member at the spaced apart positions of said rings when the sail is in furled condition and said strip member is extended. .Iaddend.