Abstract: An oblong cantilevered support includes a pair of latitudinally spaced apart oblong resilient members connected by a pair of longitudinally spaced apart blocks. The longitudinal spacing between the blocks can be adjusted. One or both of the members can have a tapered profile causing the stiffness of the member to vary along its length. Adjusting the spacing between the blocks and/or sliding a variable stiffness member longitudinally with respect to the blocks can adjust the stiffness of the overall support. Each member can be made from a unitary piece of fiber composite material such as a carbon fiber infused polymer wherein the orientations of the fibers are varied to provide both bending and torsional strength and stiffness that varies along the length of the member. The tapered geometry can be formed by a pair of parallely spaced apart oblique trapezoidal truncated pyramids interconnected by a webbing strip.

Abstract: An oblong stiffening member such as a sail batten having a tapered geometry formed by a pair of parallelly spaced apart oblique circular cones interconnected by a webbing strip. The member can be made from a unitary piece of fiber composite material such as a carbon fiber infused polymer wherein the orientations of the fibers are varied to provide both bending and torsional strength and stiffness that varies along the length of the member. Such properties can be useful in sail battens due to the rigorous dynamical forces subjected to such structures.

Abstract: Pocket and cup sails formed from flexible materials, especially such sails formed with excess material, have spar like supports attached at their deepest point to maintain the depth of the said sails when the wind fills them so that the sails expand to maximize resistance to the wind coming into the openings of the sails and so that the sails deflate when the wind is coming from the back of the sails to minimize resistance to the wind, the said sails being attached to rotor arms on rotary devices to provide torque, the torque being used to rotate decorative structures including the sails themselves, generate electricity, bring airplane tires up to speed before landing, and/or measure wind speed, and sails optionally having cuffs on the inside to help the sails inflate and/or maintain inflation by minimizing spillage of air.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of a composite part with a multi-part outer layer and with a foam layer bonded on the reverse side to the outer layer, in particular internal cladding of a vehicle, and also to a composite part. The inventive process comprises the following steps: a) arrangement of a first skin and of a second skin with angled-off end regions on the surface of a mold in such a way that the angled-off end regions of the first and second skin have firstly been oriented away from the surface of the mold and secondly are adjacent to one another; b) application of a reduced pressure in the region of the position of the angled-off end regions, in such a way that the angled-off end regions are pressed two-dimensionally against one another; c) reverse-side foaming of the first and second skin with a foam composition. The inventive process permits the simple production of visually attractive composite parts with multi-part outer layer.

Abstract: A sail for a boat, and specifically a triangular sail (1). It comprises three extreme comers, head (10), clew (11) and tack (12), and three edges, a luff edge (15) linking the head point (10) to the tack point (12), a foot edge (13) linking the tack point to the clew point (11), and a leech edge (14) linking the head point (10) to the clew point (11), and furthermore, a regular succession of long battens (22) and short battens (23) parallel to the luff edge (15).

Abstract: In a battened sailboard sail a sail-widget is attached to the leading edge of the sail and the sail-widget is connected to a camber-inducer by a line that is acted on by a batten to evenly distribute the batten tension load between the sail and camber-inducer. The batten is able to move chordwise relative the camber inducer when the sail is rotating about the mast.