Appeal No. 97-1439 Page 10
Application No. 08/417,981
termination, there being a radially outwardly extending annular
surface 10 between the outer surface of the cylindrical
intermediate member 8 and the conical end section 9. The radial
width of this annular surface corresponds to the wall thickness
of the main tube 1 and forms a flush abutment for a widened end
11 of this main tube. The outer diameter of the cylindrical
intermediate member 8 corresponds to the inner diameter of the
widened end 11 of the main tube 1. Namur teaches that a readily
handleable transition is formed between the main tube 1 and the
end tube 3, from the radial annular surface 10 via the conical
end section 9 and that this transition is watertight. Namur
further discloses that the O-ring shaped locking member 6
also contributes substantially toward this aim since this locking
member is in firm contact with the inclined transition of the
widened end 11 of the main tube 1 when the sail is rigged. In
the embodiment of the locking ring 7 according to Figure 4, the
same locking ring 7 is again employed as in the embodiment of
Figure 2, but in this case a separate profiled ring 13 of a metal
or a synthetic resin is placed on the end of the main tube 1
which has not been widened. Thus, in the embodiment of Figure 4
there is the possibility of still further reducing the length of
the main tube 1, if desired. Namur teaches that the embodiment
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Last modified: November 3, 2007