EP0065921A1 - Floating assembly composed of single pontoons coupled together, and assembly keys therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A floating assembly formed of pontoons fitted together and jointing keys, which pontoons (1) comprise a framework, a plate planking and jointing fasteners to be joined together by means of the keys, characterized in that the framework is a rigid construction made of longitudinal (5) and transversal beams (4) which support the buoyancy planking (13, 14, 15, 16), the ends of the longitudinal (5) and transversal beams (4) bearing vertical half-channel members (18) which contain the jointing fasterners (20, 21) and cooperate with the half-channel members of the adjoining pontoon (2) to form channel members enclosing the keys (22, 23, 24).

Description

The subject of the invention is a floating assembly consisting of assemblable pontoons and assembly keys, the pontoons of which include a frame, a sheet metal planking and assembly clips, capable of being joined by the keys.

Many floating sets of this kind are already used, to form jetties, floating docks or any other platform for all uses, whether in ports or in the open sea.

The advantage of these sets is obvious, but their drawbacks are well known. Their cost price is high, because each pontoon must be able to withstand significant stresses due inter alia to the state of the sea or to the loads they support, which leads to the construction of pontoons of which all the elements are oversized.

In addition, the operations of assembling and disassembling the pontoons together are often long and delicate, if not dangerous. Maintaining the assemblies in the initial state requires permanent surveillance and often long maneuvers. Finally, the assemblies produced often withstand strong swell and are not usable in all weathers.

The invention aims to remedy these drawbacks, and to do this it relates to a floating assembly of the above-mentioned type which is characterized in that the frame of the pontoons has a rigid structure formed of side members and cross members which supports the planking of buoyancy, the ends of the side members and the crosspieces carrying vertical half-trunking which contain the assembly fasteners and which cooperate with the half-trunking of a neighboring pontoon to constitute trunking containing the keys.

Advantageously, the side members and the cross members support the pushers. trellises for the stiffening of the sides of the planking, the bottom and the deck.

It is understood that thanks to this arrangement it is no longer the hulls of the pontoons which mainly or partially support the longitudinal or transverse torsional forces exerted by each pontoon on the others because of the pitch or roll of each pontoon, but directly the side members and the ties rigidly linked together and from pontoon to pontoon via the half-trunking.

The floating assembly finally sees other words its rigidity assured by all the backbone of all pontoons, c ^t is to say by a continuous mesh and rigid made by all the rails and sleepers. The cladding of the pontoons constituting the hull is in fact only used for buoyancy and can therefore be made of relatively light sheets.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fasteners are horizontal rods, while the keys are anchors the arms of which engage by their inner faces in clearance with two horizontal rods of two neighboring pontoons in order to bring them together under the request of means capable of sliding the anchor in the chute.

Preferably, each half-chute contains two cooperating superimposed horizontal rods, as well as the two rods of the neighboring half-chute, with a double anchor whose arms are mounted head to tail on a common rod secured to the lower arm and crossing the arm. upper by its end which carries the means capable of sliding the two anchors in the chute to bring them closer.

Naturally, one could conceive of an embodiment in which several horizontal rods would cooperate with independent or linked anchors, but operating in the same direction. For example, one could very well consider providing two anchors ensuring the assembly by sliding up or down used alone or in combination with one or more anchors operating in opposite directions.

The tests carried out by the applicants have, however, revealed that the use of two anchors mounted head to tail ensures with remarkable efficiency the rigid assembly of the pontoons under particularly easy conditions allowing a quick and safe safe maneuver.

The sliding means can then be constituted simply by a nut engaged with the threaded end of the rod.

According to another improvement coming within the framework of the invention, it is provided with closure plugs for the chutes each consisting of a sheet metal cover, which is supported by cutouts on two horizontal rods of two neighboring pontoons.

This arrangement ensures complete flatness and continuity of the bridge, even at the level of the troughs, while allowing inspection and possible maintenance without any difficulty.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en élévation partielle d'un ensemble flottant conforme à l'invention ;
• - les figures 2, 3 et 4 représentent en vues de côté, de face et de dessus l'ossature d'un ponton ;
• - la figure 5 est une vue en coupe à plus grande échelle selon la ligne V-V de la figure 1 d'une goulotte contenant les attaches et les clés en position d'assemblage ; et
• - la figure 6 est une vue en coupe de cette même goulotte selon la ligne VI-VI de la figure 5.

An embodiment of the invention will be described below by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• - Figure 1 is a partial elevational view of a floating assembly according to the invention;
• - Figures 2, 3 and 4 show in side, front and top views the frame of a pontoon;
• - Figure 5 is a sectional view on a larger scale along the line VV of Figure 1 of a chute containing the fasteners and the keys in the assembly position; and
• FIG. 6 is a sectional view of this same chute along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

As seen in Figure 1, the floating assembly is constituted by a pontoon 1 connected by its port side, if we decide that the front is right according to the figure, to a second identical pontoon 2 shown partially. The pontoon 1 is also connected by its rear to a third pontoon 3 which is also partially shown. Naturally, the floating assembly can comprise as many pontoons as necessary, all connected to one another in the same way to constitute either a jetty, or a floating dock, or a platform intended for any other use.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, we see that the frame of each pontoon includes eight crosspieces 4 superimposed two by two, formed here by I-irons and which are welded at the crossing points on four beams 5 also superimposed two by two.

The ends of two superimposed crosspieces 4 are welded to two lateral half-trunks 6 and the ends of two superimposed side rails 5 are welded to two front half-trunking 7, the pontoon shown thus comprising eight lateral half-trunking 6 and four half-trunking front 7, a total of twelve identical half-chutes.

For the stiffening of the sides of the cladding, two superimposed beam belts are welded to the lateral wings of the half-trunking which are, in this embodiment, T-bars and which therefore bring together two neighboring half-trunking. These belts are made up of intermediate beams such as 8 and angle beams such as 9 and 10 welded together at 90 °.

Finally, to ensure the stiffening of the bottom and the bridge, longitudinal beams 11 and more precisely five T-beams for the bottom and five T-beams for the bridge were welded to the crosspieces 4.

To perfect the rigidity of the assembly, triangular gussets 12 are provided at the junction of the crosspieces and the side members with the half-chutes.

As will be seen more clearly when examining FIGS. 5 and 6, the pontoon shown is finished, after mounting this frame, by welding the sheets constituting the planking, sheets which may be of reduced thickness, since they do not participate to the rigidity of the assembly but only serve for buoyancy.

The side panels are welded between the half-trunking and in continuation of the outer wings of these half-trunking. Four of them such as 13 and 14 are visible in Figure 6. Of course, some of these sheets are welded at 90 ° to the four corners of the pontoon.

The partially visible bottom plate at 15 in FIG. 5 is welded under the half-trunking and the lower beams 11. The bridge panel, partially visible at 16 in FIG. 5, is welded likewise on the half-trunking and on the upper beams 11.

Conventionally, there is provided in this sheet, between two beams, a manhole shown diagrammatically at 17 in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5 and 6 mainly show that each half-chute consists of a sheet 18 (which can be in two parts welded for manufacturing convenience) and which is folded into a U then folded outwards at 90 ° to form wings 19, which are, as seen above, in the extension of the side panels 13 and 14.

Each half-chute receives two superimposed horizontal rods 20, 21 which, for reasons of solidity, are here welded after passing through holes made in the lateral parts of the half-chutes. These rods 20, 21 and the symmetrical rods of the neighboring half-chute are intended to cooperate for assembly with a double anchor made up of three essential parts, namely a lower arm 22, an upper arm 23 and a rod 24.

The lower arm 22 made here of cut and machined sheet metal has interior faces 25 in slight relief. There are also two holes 26 intended for the passage of a grip strand.

The upper arm 23 is identical, but mounted head to tail. The only difference between the two arms is that the rod 24, after having crossed the lower arm, is welded to the latter at 27 while its threaded upper end 28 passes through the bore 29 of the upper arm to cooperate with a nut 30.

The rod is finally provided with two ears 31 intended for gripping the anchor during the assembly operation and pierced for this purpose.

In the assembly position, the assembly is completed by a plug constituted by a cover 32 made of sheet metal folded in a U, the sides of which are cut at 33 to rest on the two rods 20 so as to come horizontally from the bridge. 16.

When it comes to assembling two pontoons such as 1 and 2, it can be seen that it is sufficient to bring them together by conventional navigation maneuvers at about 20 cm, after having put in place the lower arm 22 and the rod 24. We thread then the upper arm 23, on the rod and finally by simple operation of tightening the nut 30, the sliding rods 20, 21 are obtained on the sides 25 by bringing the pontoons together until they join. We then have the cover 32 and in this way we obtain a set of two perfectly rigid pontoons. Indeed, no displacement is possible for the rods 20, 21 relative to the neighboring rods with. which they are firmly assembled by the two arms 22, 23 duly tightened. However, these rods are integral with the half-chutes which, in turn, are integral with the framework of each of the pontoons. We see that thus gradually the rigidity of the assembly is ensured through the framework and more particularly through the crosspieces, in the case of a type 1, 2 connection and by the side members in the event of type 1, 3 link.

An additional advantage is to be seen in the fact that it is particularly easy to take up any play after a certain time of use, since it suffices to tighten the nuts such as 30 as needed.

Users therefore have a rigid floating assembly, little sensitive to swell, keeping a perfect flatness, particularly easy to assemble, disassemble, transform and maintain.

Claims (7)

1. Floating assembly consisting of assemblable pontoons and assembly keys, the pontoons of which include a frame, sheet metal planking and fasteners capable of being joined by the keys, characterized in that the frame is a structure rigid formed of side members (5) and cross members (4) which supports the buoyancy planking, the ends of the side members (5) and cross members (4) carrying vertical half-troughs (18) which contain the fasteners (2C, 21 ) of assembly and which cooperate with the half-chutes of the neighboring pontoon to constitute chutescontaining the keys. 2. Floating assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the half-chutes carry two lateral wings (19) which extend the planking. 3. Floating assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the side members (5) and the crosspieces (4) support beams (8, 9, 10, 11) for the stiffening of the sides (13, 14) of the planking , the bottom (15) and the bridge (16). 4. Floating assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the assembly fasteners are horizontal rods (20, 21), while the keys are anchors whose arms (22, 23) come engaged by their internal faces (25) in clearance with two horizontal rods of two neighboring pontoons to bring them together under the request of means (28, 30) capable of sliding the anchor in the chute. 5. Floating assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that each half-chute contains two overlapping horizontal rods (20, 21) cooperating, as well as the two rods of the adjacent half-chute, with a double anchor whose arms (22 , 23) are mounted head to tail on a common rod (24) integral with the lower arm (22) and passing through the upper arm (23) by its end which carries the means (28, 30) capable of sliding the two anchors in the chute to bring them closer 6. Floating assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that the sliding means consist of a nut (30) engaged with the threaded end (28) of the rod. 7. An assembly according to any one of claims 4 or 6, characterized by plugs (32) for closing the chutes each consisting of a sheet metal cover which are supported by cutouts 33 on two horizontal rods (20) of two pontoons neighbors.

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