Self steering gear with trim tab

Hello,

I had interested by the first "vane gears" with trim tab.

I had some informations about the vane gear of Buttercup, designed by Hasler and Major (1955).

But I have two questions :

1) Is the vane gear of Buttercup the first "vane gear" with trim tab ?

2) The yacht "Stardrift" of Bill Howells had also a vane gear with trim tab (1962 ?), and I research a sketch of this vane gear.

Thank you in advance

Best regards


Jacques

 

Do know...but this is a pretty good discussion of the history of self steering

http://windpilot.com/

 

Thank you very much for the information.

 

Marin-Marie in 1937 crossed the Atlantic alone with the first autopilot windvane.

 

The best historical information I've found is in:

Morwood, John (ed.) "Self Steering." Amateur Yacht Research Society, 1967.

I'm attaching a scan of pg 49, which discusses "Buttercup." The remaining words in the last paragraph are:

"water flow pushes the rudder up to windward, luffing the yacht. Col. Hasler has written to us stating that he did not have any part in designing BUTTERCUP's gear, as stated in one of the articles on the subject."

Cheers,

Earl

 

Hello,

Thank you for your answers.

I agree with Gonzo : the vane gear of Marin Marie is the first windvane on a "true" boat.

But I am some doubts about the system of Buttercup : do you now that there is a english patent dated 1957 (english patent n° 857852)... witch is signed by Major ... and Hasler : this patent explain the transmission between vane and trim tab (the first differential link IMHO), et add that "the main rudder may either be outboat or inboard of the boat."

But I have found another patent of 1928 about a trim tab van gear (american patent n° 1681415 of H A Lee).

On an another hand, you can read in the book of Marin Marie : "My own idea was simply use a windvane. No electric transmission, no flettner, or anything else so complicated." It seems that Marin-Marie knew the principle of the flettner (ou trim tab) in a windvane.

For resume, it seems to me that the invention of trim tab vane-gear is anterior to Buttercup.

At last, the windvane of Stardrift : my idea is that this vanegear was designed by Hasler himself, et is an application of the patent of 1957. But I have no proof of this ...

Good evening


Jacques

 

Hello,

You'll find attached the patent of Hasler and Major.