Seamed sail and method of manufacture

• US 6,382,120 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2001
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fred Aivars Keire
• Original Assignee: Fred Aivars Keire
• Inventors: Keire, Fred Aivars
• Primary Examiner(s): AVILA, STEPHEN P
• Application Number:
  US09/847,690
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 114/102.1, 114/102.29, 114/102.31, 114/102.33, 428/109, 428/110, 428/113, 428/902, 442/2-4
• US Class Current: 114/102.29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/4815 Hot melt adhesives, e.g. thermoplastic adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1248 Interpenetrating groove joints interpenetrating fingered joints B29C66/139
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/43 Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles B29C66/45 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/723 being multi-layered B29C66/7292, B29C66/72941 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/729 Textile or other fibrous material made from plastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3067 Ships
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/067 Sails characterised by their construction or manufacturing process
• CPC Class Codes: B63H 9/0678 Laminated sails

Abstract

A seamed sail made from a full size precursor sail of yarn oriented load path specific type which is thereafter cut and seamed; a method for making the sail and an apparatus for it.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a sail of a plurality of panels, said sail having at least three corners, said method comprised of the steps of:

a. securing on a flat surface a series of substrate panels corresponding to at least a portion of a sail, wherein a substrate seam between each substrate panel extends from a first edge to a second edge of said substrate panel;

b. placing a first strip of a two-sided glue release medium on one side of an anticipated seam, said first strip being placed on one side of said anticipated seam on a substrate panel;

c. laying down with a glue or an adhesive material a plurality of continuous filament yarns on said substrate panels to follow primary and/or secondary load path for said sail when said sail is in use for its intended purpose;

d. overlaying for each panel a second strip of a two-sided release medium near one edge of said first strip of said two-sided release medium and at top of said continuous filament yarns, wherein said second strip is next to said anticipated seam for a precursor panel contiguous to a precursor panel with a first strip thereon;

e. securing adhesively a layer of a second film or a second sheet of reinforcement material on top of said plurality of continuous filament yarns thereby obtaining a plurality of precursor panels for said sail;

f. cutting each of said precursor panels with a broad seam for said precursor panels for said sail along a seam between said first and second strip of said two-sided release medium;

g. removing said first and second strip of said two-sided release medium;

h. gluing and broad seaming overlappingly each of said precursor panels to its next contiguous precursor panel to form a sail of a plurality of panels wherein each panel joins the other with an interior seam having yarn to yarn relationship.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the substrate panel in a. is a polyester polymer film, a polyester polymer film reinforced with a scrim, a polyester polymer material reinforced with an X-Ply material or a woven polyester taffeta.

3. The process as defined in claim 2 wherein the substrate panel is a polyester polymer film reinforced with an aramid polymer scrim.

4. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein between each panel said continuous filament yarns are laid down in a transitory zone whereby interdigitation for each panel is provided for assembly for the making of a finished sail.

5. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the continuous filament yarns are of an aramid polymer, carbon filaments, carbon nanotube fibers or ribbons, polyphenylene benzo bis oxazole polymer, a polyester polymer, or a polyalkylene polymer yarns.

6. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the continuous filament yarns are laid down with a hot melt adhesive.

7. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein said second sheet is a polyester film, a polyester film reinforced with a scrim, a polyester material reinforced with an X-Ply material, a polyester film reinforced with a carbon filaments a polyester film reinforced with a taffeta, or a taffeta.

8. The process as defined in claim 1b wherein said glue or an adhesive material is a heat activatable adhesive.

9. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the gluing in h is with an interleaved layer of an inactive glue and said glue is activated by heat, ultrasound waves, or irradiation.

10. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the continuous filament yarns are laid down with increased density along a leach of said sail and towards the edge of said sail.

11. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein said second film or a second sheet of reinforced material has a pre-coated adhesive material thereon and said film is adhesively attached to said plurality of continuous filament yarns.

12. The process as defined in claim 1 wherein the substrate panels have a pre-coated adhesive on a surface on which said plurality of continuous multi-filament yarns are laid.

13. A sail as manufactured according to claim 1.

14. An apparatus for the manufacture of yarn-defined structural sails, said apparatus comprising:

a table including means for a plurality of communicable vacuum passages on a top surface of said table;

a plurality of continuous conduits in said table for passage of a heating medium therethrough;

gantry means above said table including a removable gantry turret above said top surface of said table for reciprocal two-dimensional movement of said gantry means above said table;

means for laterally adjustably dispensing a plurality of yarns from said gantry means on a substrate secured to the top surface of said table by said vacuum passages, said means for laterally adjustably dispensing a plurality of yarns including a glue bath for said plurality of yarns; and

means for glue attachment of said yarns to said substrate on the top surface of said table.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14 and wherein said gantry means further includes a mountable pressure roller means.