GB2029349A

GB2029349A - Reefing Gear

Info

Publication number: GB2029349A
Application number: GB7836472A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-09-12
Filing date: 1978-09-12
Publication date: 1980-03-19
Also published as: GB2029349B

Abstract

A jib roller reefing gear of the kind having a luff spar 1 for location over a jib forestay 9, the spar having a slit 2 along its length for retaining the luff of the sail, and a winding spool 4 for a jib reefing line non-rotatably assembled on an end of the spar for roller reefing the jib sail onto the spar which rotates around the forestay is characterised by providing top and bottom bearings 7, 8 for the luff spar/winding spool assembly, each bearing being of a form enabling it to be fitted directly onto the forestay and fitted onto its respective end of said assembly. Preferably, each bearing is of plug-like form for fitting into its respective end of the luff spar and may conveniently be provided with a deep slot by which it can be fitted sideways onto the forestay and retained thereon by a retaining means. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Jib Roller Reefing Gear This invention relates to jib roller reefing gear of the kind comprising a luff spar for location over a jib forestay and which provides a slit along its length for retaining the luff of a jib sail, and a winding spool for a jib reefing line non-rotatably assembled on one end of the luff spar, whereby the jib sail can be reefed by rotation around the forestay.

To ensure smooth and efficient functioning of such gear, the spar and winding spool are rotatably mounted on the forestay via bearings.

Preferably, the bearings each provide a bore dimensioned to be a loose sliding fit on the forestay and, due to the terminal eyes normally provided at the ends of a forestay, these bearings cannot be readily fitted onto the latter. Known arrangements of jib roller reefing gear thus present the problem that the forestay has to be cut or altered to attach the gear and, once fitted, the gear cannot be easily removed.

An object of the present invention is to provide jib roller reefing gear which overcomes this problem.

According to this invention there is provided jib roller reefing gear of the kind referred to hereinbefore which is characterised in that top and bottom bearings are provided for the luff spar/winding spool assembly each bearing being of a form enabling it to be fitted directly onto the forestay and fitted onto its respective end of said assembly.

Preferably each bearing is of plug-like form for push fitting into its respective end of the luff spar and may conveniently be provided with a deep slot by which it can be fitted sideways onto the forestay, the bearing being retained by a retaining pin extending across said slot.

In order that the invention may be readily understood and further features made apparent, one embodiment and modifications of jib roller reefing gear in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which: Figure 1 is a sectional exploded view of the gear and forestay.

Figure 2 is a section on line Il-Il of Figure 1, and Figures 3 and 4 are end views of two alternative forms of bearing.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the jib roller reefing gear comprises a luff spar 1 which is provided along its length with a slit 2 for retaining the luff of the jib, the slit being enlarged at its upper and lower ends 2a and 2b respectively. In this embodiment the luff spar comprises upper and lower sections 1 a, 1 b and intermediate sections (not shown), common ends 3 which are of reduced dimensions so that the sections can be fitted together in a plug and socket type joint arrangement to produce a spar of required length.

A winding spool 4 is non-rotatably mounted on the lower end of the spar 1, the spool providing a bore 5 which slidably fits onto said spar and also a lug 6 which engages within the enlarged slit 2b to prevent rotation. In the form shown, the spool comprises two pressings or formings 4a and 4b.

In accordance with the invention, the upper and lower ends of the spar/winding spool assembly are mounted via top and bottom bearings 7 and 8 respectively onto the forestay 9, the bearings being of a form to enable them to be fitted directly onto the forestay 9 which is provided with the normal terminal eyes 9a otherwise preventing the bearings to be slidably fitted via an end of said forestay; after fitting onto the forestay, the bearings are push fitted in their respective ends of the assembly.

Each bearing (see Figure 2) is in the form of a circular plug which has a deep axial slot 10 extending diametrically beyond its centre axis and at least one bore 11 extending transversely through the walls of the slot for receiving a retaining pin 12. In this embodiment the top bearing 7 has one retaining pin, whilst the bottom bearing 8 has two retaining pins. The bottom bearing 8 is a run fit within the bore of the spool 4 and is attached to a bracket 13 which provides an upright limb 14 for preventing a jib reefing line from falling off the spool 4 and an angled limb 1 5 having an aperture 1 6 which acts as a fairlead for the jib reefing line.

The top section 1 a of the luff spar has a halyard block 1 7 attached thereto via a strap 1 8 fixed across its enlarged slit 2a whilst the bottom section 1 b of said spar has a jib halyard cleat 19 fixed thereto. A further strap 20 is attached to the lower spar section 1 b or (as shown) to the winding spool 4.

In an alternative form of the top and bottom bearings these can preferably be made as plastics extrustions in two halves (see Figure 3) with a suitable mating key/keyway arrangement for locating the halves together. Alternatively, the two halves can be extruded in one operation with a thin web between them (see Figure 4) so that the halves can be folded together around the forestay 9.

For fitting the gear to the jib forestay of a sailing boat the following operations need to be carried out.

i) remove the clevis pin normally provided at 'the lower end of the jib forestay to release the latter, ii) pass forestay through halyard block strap 18 of top section 1 a of luff spar, iii) place top bearing 7 over forestay and insert retaining pin 12 and push fit bearing into the upper end of said spar section 1 a.

iv) pass jib halyard over halyard block 1 7.

v) pull forestay through luff section 1 a and fit together one by one intermediate luff sections (not shown) via their plug and socket type joints pulling forestay through each section as it is fitted.

(vi) fit lower luff section 1 b and non-rotatably fit winding spool 4 onto lower end of this section pulling forestay through lower section and winding spool as each is fitted.

(vii) place lower bearing 8 complete with bracket 13 over forestay and fit retaining pins 12.

(viii) lower fitted assembly to run fit into bore 5 of lower bearing 8 and re-attach lower end of forestay to clevis pin.

The jib sail may then be raised up the forestay by passing either its luff rope or luff slide fittings into the slit 2 of the luff spar via the enlarged slot 2b, the tack of the sail being attached to the strap 20. The jib reefing line is wound onto the spool 4 with a sufficient number of turns for unfurling and is suitably fastened to the spool. The line is then threaded back through the fairlead 1 5/1 6 to the cockpit of the sailing boat.

Claims

1. Jib roller reefing gear of the kind comprising a luff spar for location over a jib forestay and which provides a slit along its length for retaining the luff of a jib sail, and a winding spool for a jib reefing line non-rotatably assembled on one end of the luff spar for rolling the jib sail onto the luff spar by rotation of the latter around the forestay, characterised in that top and bottom bearings are provided for the luff spar/winding spool assembly, each bearing being of a form enabling it to be fitted directly onto the forestay and fitted onto its respective end of said assembly.

2. Jib roller reefing gear according to Claim 1, characterised in that each bearing is of plug-like form for push fittining into a respective end of its luff spar.

3. Jib roller reefing gear according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each bearing has a deep slot by which it can be located sideways directly onto the forestay and retained thereon by a retaining pin inserted through a bore extending transversely through the walls of the slot.

4. Jib roller reefing gear according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each bearing is in two mating halves which can be fitted together over the forestay.

5. Jib roller reefing gear according to Claim 4, characterised in that the two halves are connected by a web so that they can be folded together onto the forestay.

6. Jib roller reefing gear according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the luff spar is in sections which can be push fitted together via plug and socket type joints.

7. Jib roller reefing gear according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lower bearing has a bracket attached thereto providing a fairlead for a jib reefing line and a limb for preventing the jib reefing line from falling off the winding spool.

8. Jib roller reefing gear constructed, arranged and adapted for use substantially'as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

9. Jib roller reefing gear according to Claim 8, having top and bottom bearings as described with reference to Figure 3 or Figure 4.