US006341571B1

(12) United States Patent (10) Patent N0.: US 6,341,571 B1

Russell et al. (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 29, 2002

(54) WIND-POWERED AIR/WATER INTERFACE 5,168,824 A 12/1992 Ketterman

CRAFT HAVING VARIOUS WING ANGLES 5,197,401 A 3/1993 Finley
AND CONFIGURATIONS OTHER PUBLICATIONS

(76) Inventors: Diana Russell, 313 Centre Island Rd., McIntyre, M., The Sailplane, Yachting, Feb. 1934, pp. 67,68.
Oyster Bay, NY (US) 11771; Peter K. Vincent, R.E., BewareIJow Flying boats, Yachting World,
Wallace, 331 E. 88th St. Apt. 1D, New May 1972, pp. 98,99.
York, NY (US) 10128 Collins, K., Thrust and Lift, South East Boardsailor, Mar.
1986, pp. 1317.
(*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this Wind Weapon sailors take ?ight in Connecticut, New
patent is extended or adjusted under 35 England Sailboard Journal, Dec. 1986Jan. 1987, p. 12.
U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. Mike OBrien, Designer White draws on Multihull experi
ence, Trade Inside, May 1987, pp. B10, B11 and B14.
(21) Appl. No.: 09/479,872 Palmquist, M.J., Multihulls on EXpermental Craft, Multi
hulls, Mar./Apr. 1988, pp. 4749.
(22) Filed: Jan. 10, 2000 Crowell, Robert L., The Aerostar, Ideal Design, Inc.
Related US. Application Data * cited by examiner
Primary ExaminerEd Swinehart
(60) Continuation-in-part of application No. 09/357,130, ?led on
(74) Attorney, Agent, or FirmPillsbury Winthrop LLP
Jul. 20, 1999, now Pat. No. 6,216,621, which is a division of
application No. 08/944,836, ?led on Oct. 6, 1997, now Pat.
NO. 6,016,759. (57) ABSTRACT
(51) Int. Cl.7 .............................................. .. B63B 35/00 A wind powered air/water interface craft disposed in a
(52) US. Cl. ................................ .. 114/39.21; 114/102.1 mechanically simple con?guration(s) with means for trim
(58) Field of Search ......................... .. 114/39.21, 39.29, ming and/or adjusting the area of the various air and water
114/39.31, 39.32, 102.1, 102.12, 102.16, foil elements either independently or together or both. All of
102.22, 102.29, 108, 109, 111 its structural elements are useful as lifting or-driving sur
faces or buoyant elements thereby minimizing parasitic drag
(56) References Cited and con?icting forces. In some con?gurations, free ?ight is
also possible for brief periods of time or for longer periods
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS in conditions where dynamic soaring is possible. The rig is
2,106,432 A 1/1938 McIntyre able to develop vertical lift before necessarily having for
3,800,724 A 4/1974 Tracy ward motion. Although similar in some con?gurations to a
3,966,143 A 6/1976 Smith windsurfer, its operation is not dependent on the strength of
3,987,982 A 10/1976 Amick the human operator, so that it has the capacity for power and
4,047,493 A * 9/1977 Menegus .................. .. 114/102 payload greater than the strength and weight of the operator.
4,582,011 A 4/1986 Logan The triangle rig con?guration of the invention may develop
4,592,298 A 6/1986 Finot vertical lift, but may in some instances use vertical lift only
4,635,577 A 1/1987 Palmquist to enhance dynamic stability of a displacement craft. Awide
4,653,417 A 3/1987 White
4,682,557 A 7/1987 Magruder et al.
beam single hull ship uses triangle rig sails to augment the
4,934,296 A 6/1990 Smith et al. ships engines.
4,947,775 A 8/1990 Bamford
5,083,520 A * 1/1992 Bonnet ..................... .. 114/102 12 Claims, 23 Drawing Sheets
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 1 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

2
Ll._
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 2 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

FIG. 2

ML0

DWL 128

FIG. 3
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 4 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 5 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

LWLO /
FIG. 9
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 6 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

RELATIVE WIND
DIRECTION

RELATIVE WIND
98 DIRECTION
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 7 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 8 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

104,106
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 9 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

108
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 10 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 11 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

WL

FIG. 21
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 12 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

LWLO

135 DWL

FIG. 22

1/
/
/ CL SHIP

!
LWLO it?
DWL
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 13 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 14 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

FIG. 27
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 15 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 16 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

.wEmm
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 17 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

FIG. 30

FIG. 31
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 18 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

__I._;____________-__

FIG. 32

FIG. 33

FIG. 34
U.S. Patent Jan. 29, 2002 Sheet 19 0f 23 US 6,341,571 B1

FIG. 35

FIG. 36