Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
  • B63B35/32—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for for collecting pollution from open water
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
  • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
  • E02F5/006—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes adapted for working ground under water not otherwise provided for
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
  • E02F9/00—Component parts of dredgers or soil-shifting machines, not restricted to one of the kinds covered by groups E02F3/00 - E02F7/00
  • E02F9/06—Floating substructures as supports

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for performing work at sea. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus including a boat part, with a buoyant body coupled thereto and a work implement, and to a method of delivering a load to a container in, or in association with a sea, lake or the like from such an apparatus.
• Background Art It is already known to arrange excavators and other apparatus on pontoons for taking up material or equipment from the lake or sea bed in shallow water. The greatest disadvantage with these apparatus is that stability will be insufficient, unless they are provided with extra buoyant bodies and/or supporting legs.
• One object of the present invention is to remove the disadvantages with the above-mentioned, previously known apparatus and to provide an apparatus intended for work at sea, which is relatively small and simple in its construction, is stable and assumes a substan ⁇ tially horisontal position on the water surface indepen ⁇ dent of whether it carries load or not, can work at relatively large depths or water, can perform different kinds of work and can deliver the load to a container floating in the water or positioned on land.
• Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention according to a first embodiment, floating on the water and not carrying any load
• Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of an apparatus in accordance with the invention according to a second embodiment, floating on the water and carrying a load, and
• Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of a portion of the apparatus in Fig. 1 , carrying and transporting a load to a container floating in the water.
• the apparatus in accordance with the invention includes three main parts, namely a boat part 1, a buoyant body or pontoon 2 in the form of a cylindrical drum coupled ot the boat part to form a unit, and a
• the boat part 1 is, inter alia, provided with a deckhouse 4 and driving means with propellers 5 (of which one is illustrated) as well as motors, steering and operating means etc. for operating the different components of the apparatus, including the work implement 3.
• Arms 6, pivotably mounted one on either side of the boat part 1 connect it to the pontoon 2, which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 7 connecting the arms.
• An actuating means in the form of a piston cylinder device 8 connects each arm 6 to the boat part 1.
• An implement arm 9 is arranged pivotably on each arm 6 on either side of the boat part, to thrust out to the left past the pontoon 2 for carrying a quick-release fastening 10, to which can be coupled some suitable implement.
• the implement is illustrated in Fig. 1 as a hinged bucket for taking up material, and in Fig. 2 in the form of a lime spreading unit, including a con ⁇ tainer 11 for powdered lime and a pump 12 for spreading lime mixed with water through a pipe 13.
• the fastening 10 is pivotably mounted on the arms 9 and can be pivoted in a vertical plane by at least one actuating means such as a piston-cylinder device 14, acting between the arms 9 and the fastening.
• the implement arms 9 are piv ⁇ .table, with the aid of an actuating means in the form of a piston-cylinder device 15 con- necting each arm 6 and its associated implement arm 9, from the substantially horisontal position illustrated in Fig. 1, in which their right-hand portions engage against the undersides of the arms 6, to a substantially vertical position in which the implement is directly under the unit 1, 2.
• a pontoon 16 (only one illustrated) is pivotably connected
• the pontoons 16 can be pivoted by a suitable actuation means, e.g. in the form of a piston-cylinder device indicated at 17, between the up ⁇ wardly lifted position illustrated in Fig. 1 and a position projecting out from the apparatus such that they rest on the water surface and stabilize the apparatus laterally during the execution of work and transport of load.
• a suitable actuation means e.g. in the form of a piston-cylinder device indicated at 17, between the up ⁇ wardly lifted position illustrated in Fig. 1 and a position projecting out from the apparatus such that they rest on the water surface and stabilize the apparatus laterally during the execution of work and transport of load.
• the pontoon 2 is driven for rotation, e.g. by a hydraulic motor mounted inside it and indicated at 18, and is provided on its cylindrical surface with strip-like projections 19, so as better to engage against the ground or a ramp described below.
• the apparatus With the parts of the apparatus assuming the " positions illustrated in Fig. 1 , it is moved with the aid of the propellers 5 to the place in the sea or lake where work is to be performed.
• the piston-cylinder device 17 is then actuated so that the pontoons 16 are moved down to the water surface.
• the piston-cylinder devices 15 are actuated so that the implement arms 9 are turned anti- clockwise until the bucket engages with the sea bed for taking up material from it.
• the piston-cylinder devices 14 are then actuated and the bucket closed, the piston- cylinder devices 15 then being actuated once again for turning the arms 9 clock-wise and lifting the bucket to its upper position above the water surface.
• the piston- cylinder devices 16 are actuated simultaneously as the piston-cylinder devices 15 for turning the arms 6 anti ⁇ clockwise about their mounting points on the boat part 1 , so that the boat part will assume a horisontal posi- tion in the water.
• the size of the turn of the arms 6 depends on the weight of the material in the bucket and is greater the greater is the weight of the material.
• the size of the turn of the arms 6 also depends of course on the displacement of the pontoons 2, the boat part 1 and the distance between them.
• FIG. 2 The above-described, second embodiment of the work implement 3 is illustrated carrying a load in Fig. 2, and it will be perceived from this figure that the boat part 1 has been turned clockwise relative the arms 6, so that it will assume a horisontal position on the water surface, and so that its center of gravity will be moved somewhat further away from the implement, thus increasing the lifting capacity of the implement 3.
• the arms 6 had been rigidly connected to the boat part, the latter would have assumed a sloping position, with the deckhouse 4 lying lower in relation to the water surface, than its right-hand portion, thus causing certain stabili ⁇ zation problems, difficulties for the crew to be on the boat part and problems with equipment falling over in the boat part.
• the apparatus With the apparatus loaded, it is advanced with the aid of the propellers 5 towards the place where the load is to be deposited. If unloading is to take place on land, the propellers are stopped and the motor 18 started when the pontoon 2 engages against the ground, the pontoon being rotated anti-clockwise to move the entire apparatus onto land. Before moving onto land, it is suitable to actuate the piston-cylinder devices 8 to lift the boat part to the left in Fig. 1 upwards, so that its bottom will not come against any ground obstacle. During the advance onto land, a wheel 20, suitably made as a pontoon, and attached to the right-hand bottom portion of the boat part in Fig. 1, engages against the ground.
• the apparatus can once again be returned to the lake or sea by rotating the pontoon 2 clock ⁇ wise. unloading into a container or lighter 21 floating in the water can also take place.
• the apparatus is advanced with the aid of the propellers 5 to a removably attached ramp 22 on the lighter in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, after which the pontoon 2 is rotated anti-clockwise so that the pontoon engages with the ramp, which is suitably provided with strips 23 to prevent sliding between the ramp and the pontoon 2, which is also provided with strips 19.
• the piston-cylinder device 14 is actuated and the bucket opened for delivering the load into the lighter 21. Return of the apparatus to the lake or sea takes place by rotating the pontoon 2 clock-wise.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)

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Family Cites Families (4)

• 1983
  • 1983-06-08 EP EP19830902301 patent/EP0145713A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1983-06-08 WO PCT/SE1983/000236 patent/WO1984004938A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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