Claims
- 1. Hydrofoil marine apparatus comprising:
- a hull, including at least one recess formed in the underside thereof;
- hydrofoil means comprising a plurality of foil assemblies, each assembly including first and second generally planar surface portions, said section portion lying below said first portion when disposed in an operative orientation in the water;
- pivotal mounting means for mounting said hydrofoil onto the hull and defining a pivot axis perpendicular to at least one of said first and second generally planar surface portions; and
- means for selectably and variably determining the dihedral angle between the first and second planar surface portions and comprising:
- selectable displacement means associated with said hydrofoil means and operative to assume a first operative orientation when said hydrofoil means is in a first pivotal orientation and to assume a second operative orientation when said hydrofoil means is in a second pivotal orientation;
- hinge means joining said first and second generally planar surface portions and operative to determine the dihedral angle therebetween; and
- means fixedly coupled to said displacement means and to said hinge means for transferring displacement of said displacement means to operation of said hinge means for desired orientation thereof.
- 2. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said first and second planar surface portions are interconnected in series.
- 3. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and also comprising flaps disposed on at least one of the first and second planar surface portions.
- 4. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said dihedral angle determining means comprises tensioned element displacement transmission means.
- 5. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said dihedral angle determining means is automatically operable in response to predetermined pivotal positioning of said hydrofoil means.
- 6. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said selectable displacement means comprises:
- a first member pivotably mounted onto said hydrofoil means and having mounted thereon said selectable displacement means;
- a lever member fixedly mounted onto the first member;
- spring means for urging said lever member and said first member into said first operative orientation;
- lever position restraining means associated with said hull and operative to define a restricted region and a nonrestricted region, in engagement with said lever for determining the orientation thereof, the restricted region corresponding to positions of said hydrofoil means relative to said hull wherein a first dihedral angle between the first and second portions of said hydrofoil means is required and the unrestricted region corresponding to positions of said hydrofoil means relative to said hull where a second dihedral angle between the first and second portions of said hydrofoil means is permitted.
- 7. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said hydrofoil means comprise a pair of hydrofoils joined by a bevel geared junction.
- 8. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and also comprising manually operable means for determining the orientation of said hydrofoil means.
- 9. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and also comprising ratchet means for selectably retaining said hydrofoil means in a predetermined orientation.
- 10. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 1 and also comprising foot operable means for determining the orientation of said hydrofoil means.
- 11. Hydrofoil marine apparatus comprising:
- a hull, including at least one recess formed in the underside thereof;
- hydrofoil means comprising a plurality of foil assemblies, each assembly including first and second generally planar surface portions, said second portion being arranged to lie below said first portion when disposed in an operative orientation in the water;
- pivotal mounting means for mounting said hydrofoil onto the hull; and
- means for selectably and variably determining the dihedral angle between the first and second planar surface portions and comprising:
- selectable displacement means associated with said hydrofoil means and operative to assume a first operative orientation when said hydrofoil means is in a first pivotal orientation and to assume a second operative orientation when said hydrofoil means is in a second pivotal orientation;
- hinge means joining said first and second generally planar surface portions and operative to determine the dihedral angle therebetween; and
- means fixedly coupled to said displacement means and to said hinge means for transferring displacement of said displacement means to operation of said hinge means for desired orientation thereof.
- 12. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 11 and wherein said first and second planar surface portions are interconnected in series.
- 13. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 11 and also comprising flaps disposed on at least one of the first and second planar surface portions.
- 14. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 11 and wherein said dihedral angle determining means comprises tensioned element displacement transmission means.
- 15. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 11 and wherein said dihedral angle determining means in automatically operable in response to predetermined pivotal positioning of said hydrofoil means.
- 16. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 11 and wherein said selectable displacement means comprises:
- a first member pivotably mounted onto said hydrofoil means and having mounted thereon said selectable displacement means;
- a lever member fixedlymounted onto the first member;
- spring means for urging said lever member and said first member into said first operative orientation;
- lever position restraining means associated with said hull and operative to define a restricted region and a nonrestricted region, in engagement with said lever for determining the orientation thereof, the restricted region corresponding to positions of said hydrofoil means relative to said hull wherein a first dihedral angle between the first and second portions of said hydrofoil means is required and the unrestricted region corresponding to positions of said hydrofoil means relative to said hull where a second dihedral angle between the first and second portions of said hydrofoil means is permitted.
- 17. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 11 and wherein said hydrofoil means comprise a pair of hydrofoils joined by a bevel geared junction.
- 18. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 11 and also comprising ratchet means for selectably retaining said hydrofoil means in a predetermined orientation.
- 19. Hydrofoil marine apparatus according to claim 11 and also comprising foot operable means for determining the orientation of said hydrofoil means.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 690,978, filed 1/11/85, now abandoned.
The present invention relates to marine devices, such as windsurfing craft and sailboats, and more particularly to marine devices employing retractable hydrofoils.
A great variety of hydrofoil marine craft exists and is described in the patent literature. Retractable hydrofoils appear in a number of contexts. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,789, there is described a hydrofoil sailing craft including an outrig onto which are pivotably mounted hydrofoils whose dihedral angle to the horizontal may be adjusted during operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,267 describes a pivotably mounted uniplanar hydrofoil stabilizer for a boat hull. U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,373 describes steering and stabilization apparatus for watercraft including vane members including two portions angled with respect to each other, which vane members are pivotable about an axis disposed in a horizontal plane.
Adjustably positionable hydrofoil craft are also shown, inter alia, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,168,067; 3,765,356; 4,027,614; and 4,356,786.
The present invention seeks to provide hydrofoil marine device of relatively simple construction which provides significant operational flexibility in use.
There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention hydrofoil marine apparatus comprising a hull, a pair of hydrofoils, each including first and second planar surface portions, pivotal mounting apparatus for mounting the pair of hydrofoils onto the hull, and apparatus for selectably and variably determining the dihedral angle between the first and second planar surface portions.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second planar surface portions are interconnected in series.
Additionally in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, flaps are provided on at least one of the first and second planar surface portions.
Further in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the dihedral angle determining apparatus comprises tensioned band displacement transmission apparatus. Preferably this apparatus is automatically operable in response to predetermined pivotal positioning of the pair of hydrofoils.
US Referenced Citations (7)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 2610790 |
Sep 1977 |
DEX |
| 2731266 |
Feb 1979 |
DEX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
690978 |
Jan 1985 |
|
Patent Grant
4715304
