CA2784135A1 - Apparatus for handling and storing synthetic fibre ropes or lines - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for handling and storing fibre ropes or mooring lines, especially for use in connection with floating offshore installations, wherein the apparatus is adapted for reception at, storage on board and deployment from a ship (2), wherein on the ship's deck (2') there is provided at least one rope storing tank or compartment (3) for the feeding-in, coiling and storage of the rope (1) in successive layers in the tank, and for the feeding-out of the rope (1) from the tank (3). The apparatus is designed optionally to cooperate with at least one winch drum (6; 7) or other pulling device.

Description

Apparatus for handling and storing synthetic fibre ropes or lines The present invention relates to an apparatus for handling and storing synthetic fibre ropes or lines, as disclosed in the preamble of attached claim 1.

The apparatus will preferably, but not necessarily, be used in connection with floating offshore installations, and be adapted for reception at, storage on board and deployment from a ship.

to In connection with, inter alia, the anchoring and mooring of floating offshore installations, offshore windmills, offshore wave power plants or other types of floating offshore installations, particularly in connection with offshore activities and use of support vessels or supply ships such as anchor handling vessels, it has gradually become more common to use synthetic fibre ropes and mooring lines instead of chain or wire of iron or steel. This has to do with the fact that a rope of this kind, both when dry and when wet, weighs far less than metal of the same strength. In water, a fibre rope will be almost weightless. Fibre ropes have a high breaking strength and are easier to handle in air and water than substantially heavier chain or more rigid and heavier wire.

Storage of chain on board the ship normally takes place by using chain lockers or specially constructed chain compartments below deck, the chain being dropped continuously and often uncontrolledly into the locker or compartment and becoming distributed therein in a haphazard manner, whilst storage of fibre ropes and mooring lines on board a ship traditionally takes place by using winch drums either above the ship's deck, on the ship's deck, or in certain cases even below the ship's deck.
Flushing of rope, chain or wire as it is taken up from the sea normally takes place as it passes over the stem of the ship or the stem roller.

3o The use of a winch drum for storing wound-up rope is a costly and space-consuming storage method, in particular when there is a need for simultaneous storage of a large number of ropes on board, where the storage capacity normally is limited because there are physical constraints as regards how many winch drums it is practically possible and cost justifiable to have permanently or temporarily installed on board. When they are 3s located above deck, their weight and the stability of the ship must also be taken into account. This means in reality that the number of rope lengths which can be stored on board simultaneously is thus naturally very limited. Operationally, this sets limitations as regards the number of rope lengths an offshore ship, an anchor handling vessel or a supply ship can deploy or deliver into the sea, or take in or haul up from the sea and at the same time store in a practical, sensible and cost-efficient manner.

There has therefore long been an increasing need to find a simple, yet efficient and inexpensive way of handling such fibre ropes or synthetic ropes as regards storage on board any offshore service ship whatsoever.

According to the invention, the apparatus referred to above is characterised in that on 1 o the ship's deck there is provided at least one rope storing tank or compartment for the feeding-in, coiling and storage of the rope in successive layers in the tank or compartment, and for the feeding-out of the rope from the tank.

Additional embodiments of the apparatus are set forth in attached subsidiary claims 2-23.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings which show non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the apparatus.

Fig. 1 shows the principle of the apparatus according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows part of an offshore vessel, anchor handling vessel or supply ship equipped with an apparatus according to the invention where the rope is being moved from a storage tank to the ship's winches.

Fig. 3 shows part of an offshore ship, anchor handling vessel or supply ship with an exemplified rope storing tank according to the invention that is in cooperation with a shore-based winch drum or winch drum on board another offshore ship for winding up or paying out rope.

Fig. 4 shows part of an offshore ship, anchor handling vessel or supply ship with an apparatus according to the invention located on the ship's deck, where the rope is being moved from the storage tank to the ship's winches.

Figs. 1-4 shows an apparatus for handling mooring line or fibre rope 1 for reception at, storage on board and deployment from an offshore ship, anchor handling vessel or supply ship 2. The apparatus consists of at least one rope storing tank 3 on the ship's deck 2' equipped with a device 4, 5 for the feeding-in and controlled or natural coiling and storage of the rope 1 in successive layers in the tank 3, the rope 1 passing through a feeding-in and feeding-out opening or port 3' which can be opened in the top of the tank. It is also conceivable that the tank 3 is wholly oepn at the top, and that controlling the rope 1 may be conducted by use of a crane 13 with adapted operation equipment 14 or apparatus 14. Alternatively, there may be equipment 5, as part of the said device for controlled feeding-out of the rope 1 from the tank 3. Said device 4, 5 and equipment 5 are, if necessary, designed to cooperate with any winch drum 6 which primarily is located on board the ship. As a supplement, said device and equipment may also io cooperate with a winch drum 7 that is located onshore or on board another ship, as shown in Fig. 4.

The ship-based winch drum 6 is arranged to take in the rope 1 from the sea 8 prior to subsequent storage in the tank 3. Feeding the rope 1 to the tank 3 will as a rule take place from the winch drum 6 or 7. Slack rope 1 can also be fed to the tank 3 directly from the sea. The ship-based winch drum 6 is in addition adapted to take the rope 1 from the tank 3 to the winch drum 6 either directly or via device 5 for tension control prior to subsequent deployment thence from the ship 2, for example, by passing the rope 1 into the sea 8 when the rope is or is not operationally connected to, for example, chain, wire, anchor or other equipment that is to be placed on the seabed, or the rope is to be used for, example, for towing. Other use of the rope is of course possible. The rope 1 may conceivably also be conveyed into the sea 8 directly from the tank 3 by means of device 5.

It is also conceivable that said device 4, 5 and equipment 5' cooperate with the shore-based or other ship mounted winch drum 7 for either feeding the rope 1 thence to the tank 3, or feeding the rope 1 from the tank 3 to the shore-based or other ship mounted winch drum 7. This is especially appropriate for filling a supply ship 2 with or emptying it of a desired number of, for example, new, previously used or repaired rope lengths, or for taking ashore or to another ship rope lengths for intermediate storage, repair or disposal, or for providing space and the possibility for rope lengths of another diameter, specification and/or length to be brought on board the ship.

In another connection, it may be appropriate to allow the ship-based winch drum 6 to be adapted to take in the rope 1 from the sea 8 prior to storage in the tank 3, the feeding of the rope 1 to the tank 3 taking place from the winch drum 6, after which the shore-based or other ship mounted drum 7 is adapted, when the ship 2 lies close to the shore or is offshore, to take the rope 1 from the tank 3 for subsequent storage and handling of the rope ashore or on board another ship.

In another example, the shore-based or other ship mounted winch drum 7 holding wound-up rope 1 may be adapted to cooperate with said device 4, 5 for feeding the rope 1 to the tank 3. In this case, as will also be understood from the above, a winch drum 6 on board the ship will be adapted to take the rope 1 out of the tank 3 for winding onto the ship-based winch drum 6 prior to deployment thence from the ship 2.

1o The tank may be circular, rectangular or have another shape. For such location on the ship's deck, it is conceivable that one or more specially constructed storage tanks or compartments are mounted and stored in place. Both location and height of the tank may in some cases be limited by other installations on the ship on a level with or above its deck.
The tank 3 may advantageously have an internal rope coiling core 9, wherein the core at the bottom 9' may have an almost truncated conical shape which, in its upper, narrowest region 9", may pass into an upright column 9"' with varying requirements for diameter. Upright column 9"' may also extend right down to the bottom of the tank 3 without any conical configuration. Also at the bottom of the tank 3, there is advantageously an outlet 10 for water that runs off the rope 1 when it is coiled in the tank 3 and after it lies in layers in the tank. The water connection 10 may also advantageously be used in the reverse manner to fill the tank 3 with water to wash the tank 3 and/or the rope 1 whilst it is stored in the tank 3.
As indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the core 9 is preferably formed of assembled, spaced-apart upright and transverse ribs. The core 9 may also be formed of a solid tube of varying diameter. At an upper region 9"", the upright column 9"' is advantageously equipped with a rope guide 4 which is manually or mechanically manually/automatically rotatable in a horizontal plane. In the illustrated example, the rope guide 4 is controlled manually by an operator 11 who stands on a secured platform 12. But it is of course fully possible to replace the operator with a mechanically, manually or automatically controlled drive means which causes the rope guide 4 to move in a 360-degree path in order to help guide the rope into the correct laying in each individual layer.
In this connection, it is conceivable that the rope guide 4 is either telescopic, scissor-shaped or may have its angle to the horizontal plane changed, such that the rope is laid in the correct laying radius on each turn. If the tank is open at the top, external equipment like for example the ship's cranes 13 with accompanying apparatus 14 or utilizer equipment 14 may be emploid. Such apparatus 14 may for example be a controlable or moveable rope guide or guiding roller. It is also conceivable that the rope 1 coils itself into or out of the tank 3 directly through the feed opening 3' without any form of mechanical or 5 manual actuation.

The aforementioned device 4, 5 thus consists of the rope guide 4 and said equipment 5 which is in the form of a controllable or movable guiding roller 5 for the rope 1. The guiding roller 5 is driven by a variable speed motor 5', and the guiding roller 5 is io preferably close to or above the feeding-in and feeding-out opening 3' in the tank 3.
The guiding roller 5 may advantageously be configured and arranged such that, if necessary, it can exert a certain clamping effect on the rope 1 as the rope 1 is fed into or out of the tank 3, for the purpose of obtaining a certain tension in the rope 1 towards the winch 6 or 7, the sea 8 or other apparatus.
There is basically no limit to the number of or location of tanks for rope storing, although there is a limitation related to available space on the ship's deck.

Claims (23)

1.
An apparatus for handling and storing synthetic fibre ropes or lines, characterised in - that on the ship's deck there is provided at least one rope storing tank or compartment for the feeding-in, coiling and storage of the rope in successive layers in the tank or compartment, and for the feeding-out of the rope from the tank.

2.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 1, characterised in - that the apparatus is designed to cooperate with a winch drum or other device for moving the rope in and out of the rope storing tank.

3.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 2, characterised in - that said winch drum or device is located on board the same ship.

4.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 2, characterised in - that said winch drum is located onshore or on board another ship or floating unit.

5.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 3, characterised in - that the ship-based winch drum is adapted to take in the rope from the sea prior to storage in the tank, the feeding of the rope to the tank taking place from the winch drum; and - that the ship-based winch drum in addition is adapted to take the rope from the tank to the drum prior to deployment thence from the ship.

6.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 4, characterised in - that the apparatus is equipped for operational cooperation with the shore-based or other ship mounted winch drum for either feeding the rope thence to the tank, or feeding the rope from the tank to the shore-based or other ship mounted winch drum.

7 7.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 1, characterised in - that a ship-based winch drum is adapted to take the rope in from the sea prior to storage in the tank, feeding of the rope to the tank taking place from this drum; and - that a shore-based or other ship-mounted winch drum or other device is adapted to take the rope from the tank for subsequent storage of the rope onshore or on said other ship.

8.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 1, characterised in - that on the tank or on a ship's crane there is mounted equipment adapted to take the rope in from the sea for direct storage in the tank; and - that a shore-based or other ship mounted winch drum or other device is adapted to take the rope from the tank for subsequent storage of the rope onshore or on said other ship.

9.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 1, characterised in - that a first shore-based or other ship mounted winch drum holding wound-up rope is adapted to cooperate with equipment on the tank for feeding the rope to the tank.

10.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 9, characterised in - that a second winch drum on board the ship is adapted to take the rope out of the tank for winding onto the second winch drum prior to deployment thence from the ship.

11.
An apparatus as disclosed in any one of claims 1-10, characterised in - that the apparatus is equipped with a rope guide that is manually or mechanically manually/automatically rotatable along a 360-degree path, and a controllable guiding roller for the rope.

12.
An apparatus as disclosed in any one of claims 1-10, characterised in - that the apparatus is so configured that the rope coils itself naturally into and out of the rope storing tank.

13.
An apparatus as disclosed in any one of claims 1-11, characterised in - that the apparatus has equipment in the form of an adjustable guiding roller for the rope.

14.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 11 or 13, characterised in that the rope guide or guiding roller is/are mounted on a ship's crane.

15.
An apparatus as disclosed in any one of claims 1-14, characterised in - that the tank internally has a rope-coiling core.

16.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 15, characterised in - that the rope coiling core at the bottom has an almost truncated conical shape which at its upper narrowest region passes into an upright column having a diameter as in said region.

17.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 145, characterised in - that the rope coiling core consists of an upright column with an essentially homogeneous cross-section along its height.

18.
A apparatus as disclosed in claim 15, 16 or 17, characterised in - that the core is formed of assembled, spaced-apart upright and transverse ribs or is formed of a solid tube.

19.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 16 or 17, characterised in - that the upright column at an upper region is equipped with a rope guide which is manually or mechanically manually/automatically rotatable in a horizontal plane.

20.
An apparatus as disclosed in any one of claims 1-18, Characterised in - that the tank is open at its top, and that the end of a ship's crane is moveable in 360 degrees acrros this upper, open area of the tank in order to cause a rope guide and/or a guiding roller mounted on the extreme end of the crane to be moveable in a horizontal plane described by the end of the ship's crane.

21.
An apparatus as disclosed in any one of claims 1-20, characterised in - that the tank at the bottom has a connection for outlet of water that runs off from the rope during feeding-in and storage.

22.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 21, characterised in - that said connection at the bottom or inlet placed uppermost in the tank is adapted for admission of water into the tank for wholly or partly filling the tank with water.

23.
An apparatus as disclosed in claim 12, 14 or 20, characterised in - that the guiding roller is adapted to exert a clamping effect on the rope on loading rope into the tank and unloading rope from the tank in order to obtain a definable tension in the rope.