Did You Know...
...that when IBM conducted a market study of Chester Carlson's invention in 1959, the company concluded that it would take only 5000 units of his new product to saturate the market? IBM therefore declined to be part of the new product introduction. Too bad for IBM. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, and his new product was the beginning of the Xerox Corporation. It is estimated that every day, worldwide, 3,000,000,000 copies are made!!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7565875 | Jib boom A sailboat having a free standing jib boom mounted on a stub shaft, which rotates about an axis coextensive with the jib stay. The boom may extend not only aft of the stub shaft but also forward allowing unique rig configurations. ... | 07/28/2009 |
| 7278366 | Method and apparatus for increasing sail efficiency A method and apparatus for increasing sail efficiency is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a second sail, disposed in a second plane substantially perpendicular to the first plane, wherein the second sail is disposed proximate a periphery of the first sail. ... | 10/09/2007 |
| 6932010 | Sailboat with offset boom A sailboat comprising a hull with a mast has a rotatable strut that supports a continuous boom and holds the boom far enough away from the mast to allow clear air flow over the sail on either tack. The support for the boom at the end of the strut is tubular to allow... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6889623 | Sliding keel sailboat with a hull with reduced rolling A sliding keel sailboat of the type comprises a sailing hull, a mast and a sailing arrangement whereon aero-dynamic forces, apt to be transferred to the hull through the mast, push, the mast being integral with a pivoting structure which can swing around a pivoting ... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6857380 | Sailboat spinnaker bowsprit A retractable bowsprit for a sailboat is suitable for use with an asymmetrical spinnaker. A support element and a bowsprit positioner such as a track mounted within a hull of a sailboat allow the bowsprit to assume either an extended or retracted position. The bowsp... | 02/22/2005 |
| 6575108 | Mast track slide for a sail An arrangement for a sail for sailing boats to connect the sail to a mast (4) on the sailing boat by means of a number of mast track slides (6) distributed along one edge of the sail, which are so arranged as to be connected by means of rolling devices to... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6189471 | Sailboats and methods The invention provides various improved sailboats and methods for their use. In one exemplary embodiment, a sailboat comprises a hull and a deck that is operably attached to the hull. The deck has a longitudinal axis extending along its center. A mast is ... | 02/20/2001 |
| 6085679 | Sail boat jibe control system A sail boat boom control system provides braking forces for restraining movement of the boom during down wind sailing or sailing with a quartering breeze. The system comprises a boom restrainer loop attached to the boom and resiliently tensioned, pivotall... | 07/11/2000 |
| 6050209 | Vangs A vang for producing a desired tension in the mainsail of a yacht employs, in association with a multi-sheave block and tackle system conferring mechanical advantage, a valve releasable, variable length, pressurized gas spring strut. Operation against a s... | 04/18/2000 |
| 5996519 | Sailboats and methods The invention provides various improved sailboats and methods for their use. In one exemplary embodiment, a sailboat comprises a hull and a deck that is operably attached to the hull. The deck has a longitudinal axis extending along its center. A mast is ... | 12/07/1999 |
| 5799601 | Camber inducer for wing-sail A camber inducer for use with a double surfaced wing sail on various sail-driven craft such as sailboats, sailboards, ice boats, land sailors, hang gliders and the like. The camber inducer, in cooperation with battens and the first and second surfaces of ... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5423276 | Camber control sail system An improved sail (20) is attached along its luff portion to a mast (26). A pair of control battens (34) extend across the sail (20). A forward camber control handle (36) attaches to the mast (26) and an aft camber control handle (44) secures to the sail (... | 06/13/1995 |
| 5390617 | Boom brake A boom brake for controlling the swinging motion of the boom of a sailboat includes a housing attached to the boom having two plates between which three bearing surfaces are mounted to engage a line attached to the sides of the sailboat in a serpentine pa... | 02/21/1995 |
| 5333567 | Jibe controller A device which limits the violent motion of a sailboat boom during jibing, comprising a passive resistance means which responds to violent or rapid motion and which is connected between the boom and some fixed point on the vessel, and which may be provide... | 08/02/1994 |
| 5291844 | Clew for a sailboard boom A clew constructed from carbon fiber composite is provided for a sailboard boom, the clew having a pair of cylinders having longitudinal axes and connected together by a trapezoidal central flange having substantially equal non-parallel sides connected to... | 03/08/1994 |
| 5193476 | Lengthwise adjustable wishbone for sailboards For locking the extension spars 3 to the main spars 1, with a lengthwise adjustment of the wishbone of a sailboard selected in correspondence with the size of the sail, the outer sleeves 9, loosely seated on the extension spars 3, are pushed in the direct... | 03/16/1993 |
| 5127351 | Batten end fitting A batten end fitting includes a coupling having slots therein for securely receiving slides mounted for movement in a mast track formed longitudinally in a mast and rollers rotatably mounted thereon for movement along the mast in response to movement of t... | 07/07/1992 |
| 5095838 | Clew fitting for a boom A sailboard boom clew fitting member comprising a pair of members (11 and 12) engagable with the ends of a pair of boom members of the boom. One member (11) having a transversely directed socket. The pawl (13) being snugly engagable in the socket and bein... | 03/17/1992 |
| 5070802 | Vang assembly for sailboats A vang assembly is provided for manipulating a sailboat boom. The vang assembly includes a mechanical vang in the form of a resiliently flexible elongate column provided with an adjustment means in the form of a soft vang for arcuately flexing the mechani... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5038699 | Sail shaping arrangement for a sailing craft A sail shaping arrangement is disclosed for horizontal edges of a sail including a web formed along one side in a curved shape corresponding to the desired camber of the sail, the web attached to the sail edge to extend normally thereto. A diagonal batten... | 08/13/1991 |
| 5007361 | Boom-mast coupler for windsurfer An improved windsurfer apparatus includes a boom-mast connector having a collar portion which has a concave inner surface for receiving the mast of the windsurfer, an arch portion which is adapted for grasping by an operator, and a pair of projections hav... | 04/16/1991 |
| 5003903 | Fluid foil system An improved fluid foil system which is particularly adapted yet not limited to use in sail craft. When used in e.g. a sailboat, the foil is rotationally supported with respect to a mast and laterally tiltable about a longitudinal axis in either direction ... | 04/02/1991 |
| 5000108 | Wishbone-boom front piece for fastening a wishbone boom to the mast of a surfboard A device for attaching the boom to different diameter masts includes a lever attached to a locking pin, which is received in a number of slots to enable circumferential adjustment.... | 03/19/1991 |
| 4886008 | Frame spar for soft airfoils A sloop comprising a mast in the form of an A-frame with its plane athwartships. The luff of the mainsail is supported by a mainstay which is a thin wire or rod running from the apex of the A-frame vertically to a point on deck between the legs of the A-f... | 12/12/1989 |
| 4878448 | Wishbone boom mounting for sailboards Wishbone boom mounting for sailboards with a wishbone head section of a synthetic resin, integrally molded onto a curved pipe section of aluminum or synthetic resin for attaching the two spars of a wishbone boom, and a jacket section accommodating the cur... | 11/07/1989 |
| 4864949 | Fluid foil system An improved fluid foil system which is particularly adapted yet not limited to use in sail craft. When used in e.g. a sailboat, the foil is rotationally supported with respect to a mast and laterally tiltable about a longitudinal axis in either direction ... | 09/12/1989 |
| 4825793 | Sailboard boom end fitting and sailboard boom system The present invention relates to a sailboard boom front end fitting and a sailboard boom equipped with the subject front end fitting, which fitting comprises a central flexible member flanked by a pair of shoulders, a recess defined by the central member ... | 05/02/1989 |
| 4823720 | Batten attachment A batten receptacle for surrounding and firmly holding a batten and sail. The receptacle is adapted to be connected to a slide member by means of a rigid multiaxis of rotation joint. This unique joint allows for the required rotational movement while at t... | 04/25/1989 |
| 4815407 | Rigging, in particular for a sail board Rigging for nautical or terrestrial craft comprising a sail (1) integral with a mast hinged to the craft. According to the invention, the sail (1) is stretched onto symmetrical uprights (2) which are themselves bent by a cable (7) tensioned by a hoist (10... | 03/28/1989 |
| 4798154 | Coupling element of the boom to the mast of a small sailing craft The invention relates to a coupling element between the mast and the boom of a small sailing craft, comprising rotating supports mounted on the boom to constantly maintain a face thereof against the mast surface in whatever relative position. The boom can... | 01/17/1989 |
| 4782780 | Sailboard booms A mast end boom mounting (10) for a sailing craft comprising a pair of members (11 and 12) hingedly interconnected and shaped to encompass a mast in closely abutting relationship, at least one of the members (11 and 12) being adapted to be mounted to the ... | 11/08/1988 |
| 4753183 | Double boom rigged windsurfer Wind propelled apparatus employing a mast and a sail, in particular a windsurfer for boardsailing is provided with a first boom, rigged in the usual fashion, and also having a second boom of reduced length and span rigged below the first boom, for use by ... | 06/28/1988 |
| 4733624 | Flexible wing rib sail A sail on a cylindrical mast provides an aerodynamically shaped leading edge automatically oriented into relative wind, and a smooth shape behind the mast automatically adjusting for changes in trim of the sail. Flexible rib pairs opposite the mast are cl... | 03/29/1988 |
| 4723498 | Sailboat rigging The invention relates to a novel sailboat rigging, in which two masts placed without shrouds in a common thwartships plane are joined at the masthead and each have a main boom. Both main booms have a carriage that is displaceable in the longitudinal direc... | 02/09/1988 |
| 4704979 | Sail system A sail system for a sailboat having a stayed, non-rotatable mast includes first and second booms, a single sail suspended from said masthead, the sail having a shape such that, with the vertical midline of the sail positioned along the mast, a generally t... | 11/10/1987 |
| 4704980 | Device for fixing the wishbone boom to the mast of a sailboard The front body (2) has holes (3, 4) for receiving the ends of the wishbone boom, and an arched surface (7) intended to be applied against the mast. An arched clamping piece (9) is provided at each end with a metal rod (10, 11), each of which is intended t... | 11/10/1987 |
| 4690086 | Water sailing craft A watercraft comprising a plurality of spaced-apart flotation members a corresponding plurality of elongate spar members, and a main mast. The spar members and the main mast each have opposite proximal and distal ends. A juncture means receives the proxim... | 09/01/1987 |
| 4686921 | Flex wing apparatus A flex wing apparatus comprising a support, a mast coupled to the support and a sail. Battens are carried by the sail, and couplings join the leading edge of the battens to the mast so that the sail and battens can pivot about the mast. The battens can be... | 08/18/1987 |
| 4682557 | Sailing wing A sailboard with a wing-like sail pivoted to the top of a mast for free roll motion but constrained against pitch. The wing may have a leading edge flap. The wing is made from a sail stretched on a space frame which is demountable for compact storage.... | 07/28/1987 |
| 4681052 | Inhaul boom end for sailboard boom assembly An inhaul boom end part for a sailboard boom assembly is molded integrally from plastic. The inhaul boom end part is generally V-shaped and includes a pair of tubular portions for attachment to the booms and a central portion. The central portion includes... | 07/21/1987 |
