GB2382329A

GB2382329A - Sailboard with wheeled chassis

Info

Publication number: GB2382329A
Application number: GB0127928A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edmond Antony Wells
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-21
Filing date: 2001-11-21
Publication date: 2003-05-28
Also published as: GB0127928D0

Abstract

A sailboard 3 with a mast 18 and a sail 19 is provided and can be used to travel on water in a conventional sailboard (windsurfer) manner. A chassis 2 is provided for attachment to a conventional sailboard 3, the chassis comprises a square sectional member 4 and a cross-member 5. Adjustable cradles 6, 7 and 8 have adjustable ratchet operated straps 9, 10 and 11 which are used to strap the sailboard to the chassis 2. A wheel 13 is attached to a trailing, swivel assembly 13, this assembly can rotate around a vertical axis and helps to turn the board. Two further wheels 14, 15 are provided these are attached to the cross member 5 the cradle 8 is attached to the cross member 5 via coil springs which allow the board to lean and aid turning. A further embodiment is provided with a four wheel chassis (fig 4).

Description

SURFING SYSTEM This invention relates to a new type of sailboard system, one chosen name for which, is a Sand Surfer.

Windsurfing is a well-established method for travelling on water with the aid of the wind and waves, and various designs of craft are currently available. Land yachts are, similarly, well established means of transport on land. However, where a person wishes to participate in both types of activity, at present, both types of equipment have to be purchased separately. It will be shown, in the following account, how the combination of conventional windsurfing equipment with a specially designed wheeled chassis, can be used to create a land yacht, which can then be reconverted back to windsurfing equipment by separating the component parts. This process can be repeated an indefinite number of times, so that one combination of parts, effectively has the potential for fulfilling two different functions.

According to the present invention, a land yacht can be readily constructed by combining a sailboard with a wheeled chassis. The land yacht created, thus becomes a hybrid of a wind surfer and a land yacht.

The board, after removal of the sail and mast, could also be sat, or stood, on, to allow use for skate boarding etc.

In order to describe the invention in more detail, reference will now be made to the accompanying diagrams in which: Figure 1 shows, in three-dimensional form, a land yacht, produced by attaching a sailboard to a chassis mounted on three wheels.

Figure 2 shows, in three-dimensional form, an extendable supporting bracket, which allows sailboards of different sizes to be accommodated.

Figure 3 shows, in three-dimensional form, an extendable supporting bracket, which allows sailboards of different sizes to be accommodated.

Figure 4 shows, in three-dimensional form, a view of a land yacht produced by attaching a sailboard to a chassis mounted on four wheels and with its adjustable board mounting brackets, in their extended, open, configuration.

Figure 5 shows, in three-dimensional form, a view of a land yacht produced by attaching a sailboard to a chassis mounted on four wheels and with its adjustable board mounting brackets, in their unextended, closed, configuration.

Figure 6 shows, in three-dimensional form, views of the underneath of a land yacht produced by attaching a sailboard to a chassis mounted on four wheels.

Figure 7 shows, in three-dimensional form, a view of an extendable bracket upon which a sailboard can be mounted Figure 8 shows, in two-dimensional form, a rear elevation of a rear axle configuration which is adjustable in width, allowing the two wheels at the rear of a land yacht to be moved in relation to one another With reference to Figure 1, which represents a three-dimensional view, a land yacht, 1, comprises a chassis, 2, and sailboard, 3. The chassis has a main front-to-back, square sectioned frame member, 4, and square sectioned rear cross-member, 5. Adjustable cradles, 6, front, 7, centre, and 8, rear, respectively, have adjustable ratchet operated straps, 9,10, and 11, respectively, which are used for strapping the sailboard, 3, to the frame of the chassis, 2 The front wheel, 12, is fitted to a trailing/swivel type, assembly, 13, which is free to rotate about a vertical axis, and is fixed to the front end of the main frame member, 4. The rear wheels, 14, left, and 15, right, are attached to the rear cross member, 5. The front and centre cradles, 6, and 7, are fixed directly to main frame member, 4, by means of square sectioned tubing, but the rear cradle, 8, is supported on coil springs, 16, left and 17, right, which are themselves, fixed at their base, to the rear frame member, 4. The rear cradle, 8, is attached, at its lower centre,

to an upper swivel unit, US, and the latter is itself attached, by means of an axle, AX, to a lower swivel unit, LS. This assembly is described in more detail, later, with reference to Figure 8.

The sailboard, 3, has a mast, 18, which supports a sail, 19, and a hand hold, HH, which is commonly referred to as a wishbone, and which can be moved up and down the mast and temporarily clamped in position.

With reference to Figure 2, which represents a three-dimensional view, an adjustable sailboard clamping unit, 20, has a right hand part, 21, which has a curved end, 22, and a left-hand part, 23, which has a curved end, 24; the curved ends serve to prevent sideways movement of the mounted sailboard. A U-shaped bracket, 25, is placed immediately underneath a representation of the main front-to-back, frame support member, 26, which in this example, is constructed from tubing of circular crosssection, and parts 21,23, 25, and 26, are bolted together by means of nuts and bolts Thus, a left hand bolt, 27, passes through a hole, 28, formed in part, 21, then through a slot, 29, formed in part 21, and then finally, through a hole 30, formed in U-shaped bracket, 25. A second and centrally located, bolt, 31, passes through a hole, 32, formed in part, 21, through slot, 29, and then through a hole in frame member, 26, and finally through a hole (not shown) formed in the base of U-shaped bracket, 25. A third bolt, 33, passes a hole, 34, in part, 21, through slot, 29, and then through a hole, 35, formed in part 23. It is to be noted that the nuts, which fit onto bolts, 27, 31, and 33, are not shown in the diagram.

With reference to Figure 3, which represents a three-dimensional view, this diagram shows a view of the underside of the configuration already referred to with reference to Figure 2, and it is pointed out that the identifying numerals will not be referred to again here, since they have the same function as already described.

With reference to Figure 4, which represents a three-dimensional view, a land yacht, 36, has a sail, 37, mast, 38, and hand hold, 39. The sailboard, 40, rests on a fourwheeled chassis, which comprises main horizontally inclined, tubed frame members

front, 41, and rear, 42, which engage with one another telescopically. Adjustable, direct sailboard supports, front, 43, and rear, 44, respectively, are welded, or otherwise fixed, to the front and rear frame members, 41 and 42, respectively. A further, similar support (not shown in the diagram) is fixed, to frame member, 42, and, due to the need to maintain this support midway between the front and rear supports, it has to be movable and hence, is described in more detail, later, with reference to Figure 6 The front tubed frame member, 41, has lower tubed sections, 41A and 41B, which are welded to it, and section 41A is welded or bolted to a front, spring-loaded support unit, 45. Similarly, rear tubed frame member, 42, has lower tubed sections, 42A and 42B, which are welded or otherwise fixed to it, and section 42B, is welded or bolted to a rear, spring-loaded support unit, 46. Units 45 and 46, respectively, are welded or otherwise fixed, respectively, to front and rear axles, 47, and 48, respectively, which carry wheels, 49,50, and 51,52, respectively. Front, SF and rear, SR, strap, ratchet and buckle, sailboard holders, are shown hanging from the supports.

It is pointed out, with reference to Figure 4, that the rear axle, 48, is extendable in width in order to allow"tuning"of the land yacht for ambient conditions such as wind speed, depth of sand, and the weight of the user.

With reference to Figure 5, which represents a three-dimensional view, land yacht, 36, already described with reference to Figure 4, is shown again, but with its adjustable board supports, 43 and 44, in their closed up configuration, with the straps, SF and SR, ready to be done up. Since this diagram resembles that in Figure 4, it has not been felt necessary to place all of the identifiers on the diagram.

With reference to the three-dimensional view shown in Figure 6, the land yacht, 36, already described with reference to Figures, 4 and 5, is shown again, but in an alternative orientation so that the region underneath the chassis can be seen. The parts shown, have already been identified with reference to the description given for Figures 1,2, 3,4, and 5, and the diagram is intended to assist in understanding how the adjustable, and movable, sailboard support unit, 20, already described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, is located midway between the front and rear support units, 43 and 44

Bolt holes, (not shown) formed in tubed frame, 42, allow this movable support unit, 20, to be located at varying distances from the front end of frame, 42.

It is pointed out, with reference to the foregoing, that variants of the designs described, can have movable versions of the support brackets, 43, and 44, which are shown placed, respectively, at the front and rear of the land yacht, placed at the central location which is utilised by the support system, 20, already described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

It is further pointed out, that the presence, on the sailboard, of the tail fin, FN, necessitates that the adjusted length of the tubed frame combination, be such that the fin clears the rear end of the rear tubed frame, 42 With reference to Figure 7, which represents a three-dimensional view, right and left board support parts, 21 and 23, have curved ends, 22, and 24, respectively and are adjustably secured within a rectangular shaped box unit which is itself mounted on a square sectioned tube part, 53. Part, 53, can be mounted on a piece of square sectioned tubing resembling the front-to-back main frame member, 4, already described with reference to Figure 1. It can thus be readily seen how A hole, 54, in the base on the box unit, 53, can be used to locate a bolt which secures the main frame member in place in the tube.

With reference to the two-dimensional schematic diagram shown in Figure 8, an adjustable rear wheel and axle assembly, 57, has left and right wheels, 51 and 52, respectively, wherein wheel, 51, is attached to left hand sliding shaft member, 48L, by means of left hand extension part, LE, and wherein wheel, 52, is attached to right hand sliding shaft member, 48R, by means of right hand extension part, RE. Each part, 48L and 48R, slides into, and out of, central axle CA and can be locked in place.

Lower swivel unit, LS and upper swivel unit, US, already described with reference to Figure 1, are attached to one another, via axle, AX, and US serves to support a boardsupport cradle (not shown in the diagram) resembling cradle, 8, already described with reference to Figure 1

It is pointed out, with reference to the foregoing, that elasticated material, similar to that utilised for holding luggage on the roof rack of a car, can be used to provide resilient means for restraining the movement of the sailboard when mounted on the chassis. Thus, for instance, a length of such material can be wrapped around the right hand part of the cradle (for example cradle, 8) supporting the board, at a convenient location, and around the right hand part, 48R of the sliding shaft member, similarly, another length can be wrapped around the left hand part of the cradle, and the left hand part, 48L, of the sliding shaft member As the sailboard rolls to the left, the movement of the cradle is restrained by the right hand length of elasticated material, and similarly for the left hand length when the sailboard is rolled to the right

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A vehicular system incorporating combinable, and separable, functional parts.
2. A vehicular system as claimed in claim 1, wherein some of the said functional parts are normally utilised in an aqueous environment, wherein the associated activity is commonly referred to as windsurfing, and wherein some of the said functional parts are normally utilised on land, wherein the associated activity is commonly referred to as land yachting.
3. A vehicular system as claimed in claim 2, wherein conventional windsurfing equipment can be combined with a specially designed wheeled chassis, to produce a land yacht which can subsequently be reconverted back to its original separate components parts to allow windsurfing to take place with one combination of parts and skate boarding and the like, to take place with the remaining parts.