Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Peter A. Quigley ·
Assignee(s)	Composite Development Corporation ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Lahive & Cockfield ·
Primary Examiner	Jeff H. Aftergut ·
Application Number	US7907866
Filing date	07/02/1992
Issue date	10/04/1994
Predicted expiration date	07/02/2012
U.S. Classifications	156/180  · 156/242  ·
International Classifications	B63H 908  ·
Kind Code	A
International Classifications	156166;180;245;242;196;221;198 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

A sail batten formed of a fiber reinforced composite material extended longitudinally and varying in transverse cross sectional from an ellipse at one end to a flattened ellipse at the other end. A two step processing for fabrications the batten commences with fabrication of a tube of substantially constant cross section in the thermoplastic condition as a first step. The second step processing heats the tube to a malleable condition and squishes one end of the tube to form a tapered structure with one cross sectional dimension decreased to reduce stiffness in that dimension.

Independent Claims | See all claims (11)

1. 1. A method of manufacture of a sail batten comprising the steps of(a) fabricating an initial batten structure of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material elongated along a first axis, and(b) heating at least one longitudinal portion of said fabricated structure to a plastic condition and flattening said portion in its plastic condition to selectively decrease stiffness in a direction generally transverse to said first axis along said first axis for attaining a selected sail-configuring stiffness,thereby to form said initial structure into a batten having a predetermined variation, along said first axis, in stiffness in said transverse direction.
2. 6. A method of manufacture of a sail batten comprising the steps of(a) fabricating a structure of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material elongated along a first axis, and(b) heating at least one longitudinal portion of said fabricated structure to a plastic condition and flattening said portion in its plastic condition to selectively decrease stiffness in a direction generally transverse to said first axis along said first axis,whereby said batten has a predetermined variation in stiffness in said transverse direction along said first axis, andwherein the variation in stiffness along the first axis is such that under compression the position of maximum deflection of said batten, with respect to the stiffest end of said batten, expressed as a percentage of a length defined as a straight line between the two ends of said batten, is between about 50% and 80%.
3. 8. A method of manufacture of a sail batten comprising the steps of(a) fabricating an initial batten structure of thermoset polymer elongated along a first axis,(b) curing said thermoset polymer to a condition wherein it can be heated to a plastic condition, and(c) thereafter heating a longitudinal portion of said fabricated structure to a plastic condition and flattening said portion in its plastic condition to selectively decrease stiffness in a direction generally transverse to said first axis along said first axis for attaining a selected sail-configuring stiffness,thereby to form said initial batten structure into a batten having a predetermined variation, along said first axis, in stiffness in said transverse direction.
4. 10. A method of manufacture of a sail batten comprising the steps of(a) fabricating a structure of thermoplastic fiber reinforced composite material elongated along a first axis,(b) determining a selected variation, along said first axis, of stiffness of said structure generally transverse to said first axis for allowing a selected sail-configuring deflection of said structure, and(c) heating at least one longitudinal portion of said fabricated structure to a plastic condition and flattening said portion in its plastic condition according to said determined stiffness variation,thereby to form said structure into a sail batten having a predetermined variation, along said first axis, in stiffness in said transverse direction.
5. 11.11. A method of manufacture of a sail batten comprising the steps of(a) fabricating a structure of thermoset polymer elongated along a first axis,(b) curing said thermoset polymer to a condition wherein it can be heated to a plastic condition,(c) determining a selected variation along said first axis, of stiffness of said structure generally transverse to said first axis for allowing a selected sail-configuring deflection of said structure, and(d) heating a longitudinal portion of said fabricated structure to a plastic condition and flattening said portion in its plastic condition according to said determined stiffness variation,thereby to form said structure into a sail batten having a predetermined variation, along said first axis, in stiffness in said transverse direction.