Vanguard Corporation

Harken, Incorporated

Peter O Harken

Robert A Whitehouse

Gregory W Hartlmeier

Kenneth Edward Lange

Dane M Blackburn

William E Lawson

Eugene J Cramer

Christine G Kronich

David J Swandt

Goran Rutgerson

Greg W Hartlmeier

Kenneth E Lange

A sailboat winch used for trimming lines of alternate sails, such as a jib and a spinnaker, has a drum with upper and lower drum portions of different diameters separated by a continuous radially projecting lip. The upper drum portion has a first diameter and is used for trimming the jib at maximum power. The lower drum portion has a diameter greater than the first diameter and is used for trimming the spinnaker lines. The radial extent of the lip is sufficient to prevent a line, when wrapped on the lower drum, from slipping upwardly and becoming disengaged from the lower drum.

Winch having drum of two diameters for alternative engagement by a line

A snatch block which may be opened to receive a line has a sheave assembly and a pair of sideplates on the sides of the sheave assembly, as well as a head connecting the sideplates. One of the sideplates and sheave is hinged from the head and can pivot toward and away from the other sideplate. A spring loaded plunger is carried by the sheave and engages an aperture in the other sideplate to lock the assembly. The plunger is pushed by a lever in the other direction to open the block.

Snatch block

A bearing block having an inner and outer race is provided with an enlarged axial opening through the unloaded portion of the inner race and is selectively reinforced in the region carrying the load, in order to provide an improved strength to weight ratio.

Bearing block having high strength to weight ratio

A traveler track is provided for supporting the sail of a sailboat, and is itself supported by a plurality of lugs which are received in a rearwardly facing groove in the mast, which would normally receive the boltrope of the sail. The lugs are slidable in the groove during installation, and are loosely secured by threaded fasteners at spaced locations to the track sections. Successive sections are installed by pushing up previous sections loosely installed in the groove. After all sections have been installed, the threaded fasteners are tightened to place tension between the track and the portion of the lug engaged in the groove.

Mast track system for sailing vessel

Pulley-type bearing block or similar article

Marine block or similar article

An adjustable system is described for control of a genoa sheet on a sailboat. The sheet is passed through a pulley or lead block carried by a car which is slidably mounted on a track. The block and car have complementary interfitting parts to enable the block to be removed from one car and secured to another car on a second track.

Sailboat traveler car assembly with removable block

A resilient support is provided for maintaining a pivotally mounted yacht fitting in an upright position. The support is in the form of a conical section made from a resilient polymeric material.

Resilient support for yacht fitting

A cam cleat includes a pair of spring loaded cams or pawls rotatably mounted on a base. The cams have specially formed teeth and open and close in opposite rotary directions to releasably grip a line therebetween. The cams or pawls are rotatably mounted on a shaft and the case by a plurality of rotatable bearings to substantially reduce the effort required in opening and closing the cams and to reduce the spring force maintained on the cams, resulting in substantial advantages in performance. An alternate single cam version is also disclosed.

Cam cleat

A sailboat swivel base for supporting a block and a rotatable arm includes a central rotatable post for supporting the block and a separate annular bearing system, located axially outwardly of the post, for rotatably supporting the arm against bending movements that would otherwise cause distortion, undue wear, and sloppiness in the base. The separate bearing system comprises annular sets of rotary bearings in the base that confine and support opposite sides of the end of the arm, the bearing sets being carried in annular recesses between the arm and the base.

Swivel base

A plurality of adjacent sheaves are disposed around a common shaft. Each sheave carries a plurality of ball bearings engaged between an inner race of the sheave and the shaft. The ball bearings in one sheave are exposed on one side and bear against an adjacent sheave around the shaft such that friction between a sheave and the shaft and between adjacent sheaves is minimized.

Growing community of inventors

Pewaukee, WI, United States of America

Peter O Harken