Patents by Inventor Michele Cazzaro

Michele Cazzaro has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10793402
    Abstract: A retractable warping winch with a supporting housing, adapted to be stably fixed to a deck of a vessel at an opening thereof, and a bell, including a base and a drum integral to each other. The bell is movably supported by the housing so that it can vertically shift therein between an extracted working position and a retracted rest position. The winch also includes a driving mechanism to rotate the bell, including a motor and a transmission. The driving mechanism includes a drive hub mounted in the housing. The base of the bell is mounted in the drive hub to be rotatably integral therewith and free to axially shift with respect thereto. The drive hub is mounted in the housing to be rotatably free and axially constrained thereto. The motor is mounted on the housing, externally and laterally thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: HARKEN ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventor: Michele Cazzaro
  • Publication number: 20190276282
    Abstract: A retractable warping winch with a supporting housing, adapted to be stably fixed to a deck of a vessel at an opening thereof, and a bell, including a base and a drum integral to each other. The bell is movably supported by the housing so that it can vertically shift therein between an extracted working position and a retracted rest position. The winch also includes a driving mechanism to rotate the bell, including a motor and a transmission. The driving mechanism includes a drive hub mounted in the housing. The base of the bell is mounted in the drive hub to be rotatably integral therewith and free to axially shift with respect thereto. The drive hub is mounted in the housing to be rotatably free and axially constrained thereto. The motor is mounted on the housing, externally and laterally thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventor: Michele CAZZARO
  • Patent number: 10370228
    Abstract: The invention describes a winch for nautical use or for devices for lifting and lowering on a rope, comprising a fixed stator body and a rotor body fixedly connected to the stator body. The rotor body is able to rotate around a longitudinal axis to wind a rope on its outer surface. The winch is provided with a self-tailing device in turn comprising two half-pulleys, a lower half-pulley and an upper half-pulley, mounted opposite one another and coaxial to the rotor body. The two half-pulleys, at the upper portion of the outer surface of the rotor body, define a circumferential throat intended to at least partially house a winding of the rope. One half-pulley is fixed with respect to the rotor body and the other half-pulley is moveable parallel to the longitudinal axis to vary the dimensions of the circumferential throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: HARKEN ITALY S.P.A.
    Inventor: Michele Cazzaro
  • Publication number: 20180186609
    Abstract: The invention describes a winch for nautical use or for devices for lifting and lowering on a rope, comprising a fixed stator body and a rotor body fixedly connected to the stator body. The rotor body is able to rotate around a longitudinal axis to wind a rope on its outer surface. The winch is provided with a self-tailing device in turn comprising two half-pulleys, a lower half-pulley and an upper half-pulley, mounted opposite one another and coaxial to the rotor body. The two half-pulleys, at the upper portion of the outer surface of the rotor body, define a circumferential throat intended to at least partially house a winding of the rope. One half-pulley is fixed with respect to the rotor body and the other half-pulley is moveable parallel to the longitudinal axis to vary the dimensions of the circumferential throat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventor: Michele CAZZARO
  • Patent number: 9938122
    Abstract: The invention describes a winch (1) for nautical use or for devices for lifting and lowering on a rope, comprising a fixed stator body (2) and a rotor body (3) fixedly connected to the stator body. The rotor body is able to rotate around a longitudinal axis(a-1) to wind a rope on its outer surface. The winch is provided with a self-tailing device (6) in turn comprising two half-pulleys (61, 62), a lower half-pulley (61) and an upper half-pulley (62), mounted opposite one another and coaxial to the rotor body. The two half-pulleys, at the upper portion of the outer surface of the rotor body, define a circumferential throat (63) intended to at least partially house a winding of the rope. One half-pulley is fixed with respect to the rotor body and the other half-pulley is moveable parallel to the longitudinal axis to vary the dimensions of the circumferential throat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Harken Italy S.P.A.
    Inventor: Michele Cazzaro
  • Patent number: 9415244
    Abstract: The invention regards to a portable ascender device (1) on a rope (8) comprising an actuation element (2), manual or motor-driven, a nautical winch (5) provided with a self-tailing (52), rotated by the actuation element (2), and at least one first forced passage (9) of the rope (8) in proximity to the winch (5). The first forced passage (9) is arranged upstream of the winch (5) with respect to the rope (8) winding direction. A method for hoisting oneself by means of such device (1) along a vertically stretched rope (8), and two methods for descending along the rope (8) by means of the same device (1), respectively in active mode and in passive mode, are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Harken Italy S.P.A.
    Inventors: Michele Cazzaro, Andrea Merello
  • Publication number: 20140145130
    Abstract: The invention describes a winch (1) for nautical use or for devices for lifting and lowering on a rope, comprising a fixed stator body (2) and a rotor body (3) fixedly connected to the stator body. The rotor body is able to rotate around a longitudinal axis(a-1) to wind a rope on its outer surface. The winch is provided with a self -tailing device (6) in turn comprising two half-pulleys (61, 62), a lower half -pulley (61) and an upper half -pulley (62), mounted opposite one another and coaxial to the rotor body. The two half -pulleys, at the upper portion of the outer surface of the rotor body, define a circumferential throat (63) intended to at least partially house a winding of the rope. One half -pulley is fixed with respect to the rotor body and the other half-pulley is moveable parallel to the longitudinal axis to vary the dimensions of the circumferential throat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Harken Italy S.p.A.
    Inventor: Michele Cazzaro
  • Patent number: 8393283
    Abstract: A device (1) for actuating sheets of sailing boats comprises a pulling element (2) for a sheet (200) and an actuator (3) connected to the pulling element (2) for causing the motion thereof. The actuator (3) comprises a screw (4) and a nut (7) engaged with each other, wherein one from the screw (4) and the nut (7) is rotated and the other translates linearly. A boom (300) of a sailing boat (100) provided with the device (1) for actuating sheets of the invention is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: Harken Italy S.p.A.
    Inventor: Michele Cazzaro
  • Publication number: 20130056695
    Abstract: A portable ascender device on a rope comprising an actuation element, manual or motor-driven, a nautical winch provided with a self-tailing arrangement, rotated by the actuation element, and at least one first forced passage of the rope in proximity to the winch. The first forced passage is arranged upstream of the winch with respect to the rope winding direction. A method for hoisting oneself by means of such device along a generally vertically stretched rope, and two methods for descending along the rope by means of the same device, respectively in active mode and in passive mode, are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Inventors: Michele Cazzaro, Andrea Merello
  • Patent number: 7900569
    Abstract: A pedestal (1) for a sailing boat comprises a casing (2) and inside such a casing (2): at least one driving wheel (11a, 11b) associated with a motion input shaft (3), at least one driven wheel (12a, 12b) associated with a motion output shaft (4) and at least one motion transmission element (13a, 13b) from said at least one driving wheel (11a, 11b) to said at least one driven wheel (12a, 12b). The pedestal (1) further comprises, also inside the casing (2), a speed variation system selectively activatable to vary the rotation speed of the motion output shaft (4) with respect to that of the motion input shaft (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Harken Italy, S.p.A.
    Inventors: William C. Ottemann, Mark G. Wiss, Michele Cazzaro
  • Publication number: 20100121506
    Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the surface of at least one sail exposed to the wind in a boat comprising one or more detectors for sensing at least of the direction of the wind, its speed, the degree of the rolling of the boat, the frequency of the oscillations, the rolling, pitching and yawing angles and the accelerations with respect to a reference system; motorized drive means for hoisting and lowering, or else winding and unwinding at least in part the sail; a control unit programmed to automatically control the drive means of the sail in feedback based upon the detected quantity, or else following a command imparted by the skipper. A method for adjusting the surface of the sails in feedback based upon the detected quantity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Inventors: Michele Cazzaro, Pietro Dario Binda, Riccardo Sotgiu
  • Patent number: 7681514
    Abstract: A fixing group of a watercraft appliance for the attachment thereof to an outer side of a deck wall of a boat comprises a base of the watercraft appliance and at least one seat formed in the base and suitable for receiving a respective threaded fastening element, so that said element has a free end projecting from the base for insertion into a respective through hole formed in the deck wall, so as to be accessible from the inner side of such a deck wall for fixing the watercraft appliance to it. The at least one seat comprises an access at a peripheral surface of the base and a retaining portion suitable for cooperating through shape coupling with said threaded fastening element to prevent the rotation and axial sliding thereof with respect to the base. The invention also refers to a method for attaching a watercraft appliance comprising said fixing group to a deck wall of a boat by means of threaded fastening elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Harken Italy S.p.A.
    Inventor: Michele Cazzaro
  • Publication number: 20100032509
    Abstract: A cable collecting winch (1) comprises a collecting drum (2) rotatably actuatable about a respective longitudinal axis (X-X) to wind/unwind a cable (100), and a cable guide device (3) kinematically connected with the collecting drum (2) and adapted to translate along a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis (X-X) upon rotation of the collecting drum (2) to guide the winding/unwinding of the cable (100). The collecting drum (2) and the cable guide device (3) form a nut and screw assembly wherein such components are respectively the screw and the nut of said nut and screw assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2009
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Inventors: Michele Cazzaro, Andrea Merello, Michiel Kruithof
  • Publication number: 20090114134
    Abstract: A pedestal (1) for a sailing boat comprises a casing (2) and inside such a casing (2): at least one driving wheel (11a, 11b) associated with a motion input shaft (3), at least one driven wheel (12a, 12b) associated with a motion output shaft (4) and at least one motion transmission element (13a, 13b) from said at least one driving wheel (11a, 11b) to said at least one driven wheel (12a, 12b). The pedestal (1) further comprises, also inside the casing (2), a speed variation system selectively activatable to vary the rotation speed of the motion output shaft (4) with respect to that of the motion input shaft (3).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: William C. Ottemann, Mark G. Wiss, Michele Cazzaro
  • Publication number: 20090013915
    Abstract: A device (1) for actuating sheets of sailing boats comprises a pulling element (2) for a sheet (200) and an actuator (3) connected to the pulling element (2) for causing the motion thereof. The actuator (3) comprises a screw (4) and a nut (7) engaged with each other, wherein one from the screw (4) and the nut (7) is rotated and the other translates linearly. A boom (300) of a sailing boat (100) provided with the device (1) for actuating sheets of the invention is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: January 15, 2009
    Inventor: Michele Cazzaro
  • Publication number: 20080196654
    Abstract: A fixing group of a watercraft appliance for the attachment thereof to an outer side of a deck wall of a boat comprises a base of the watercraft appliance and at least one seat formed in the base and suitable for receiving a respective threaded fastening element, so that said element has a free end projecting from the base for insertion into a respective through hole formed in the deck wall, so as to be accessible from the inner side of such a deck wall for fixing the watercraft appliance to it. The at least one seat comprises an access at a peripheral surface of the base and a retaining portion suitable for cooperating through shape coupling with said threaded fastening element to prevent the rotation and axial sliding thereof with respect to the base. The invention also refers to a method for attaching a watercraft appliance comprising said fixing group to a deck wall of a boat by means of threaded fastening elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventor: Michele Cazzaro