Patent pending

[Mama H Chicago]

I think I’ve gotten as close as I can to date RRD. She’s got an elephant ear rudder, mahogany plywood, wooden spars, fully marked as a kit build, but I think most tellingly, her rudder hardware is marked “Patent Pending”, not the usual number. Per the US Patent office, it was 1952 that the old rudder system was applied for, and 1954 when the patent was granted.

Of course, human beings may have packed older parts marked patent pending into kits, but I’m officially calling RRD as a vintage 1952-54 wooden Sailfish

 

[Mama H Chicago]

 

[Wavedancer]

For the historians:
Was this patent ever licensed to another boat builder?
Or, in other words, was this 'rudder releasing mechanism' used on other boats?

 

[Mama H Chicago]

For the historians:
Was this patent ever licensed to another boat builder?
Or, in other words, was this 'rudder releasing mechanism' used on other boats?

Not an official historian here, but I was watching Kent’s Wooden Sunfish Skip’s video and I couldn’t quite see if that rudder mechanism said Patent pending or not. I would suspect it was used on those, but there were several older mechanisms noted in the patent request, and the patent on this one stayed in possession of Alcort inc until it went out of use.

 

[Nicholson58]

That’s the original spring and snap in place detail. I just ditched mine for better working current parts. You can usually find bits of all of the various styles here if you ask. I found the old design tough for children and the not so mechanically inclined.

 

[Mama H Chicago]

Fair point! Im just tickled to be restoring a pretty darn early model

 

[baddoggoodlife]

Any pictures of the framework inside the hull?

 

[Mama H Chicago]

I’m sitting in bright sun right now so not sure if any of these show markings. I’ve got lots and lots of pics…. Where are you located?