EP0516511B1 - Towing and handling device of wing-shaped submarine bodies - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for reduced overall height in towing and handling of wing-shaped underwater equipment, such as certain sonars used for the detection of submarines.

To tow and store on board underwater wing-shaped equipment pulled by a cable, there are devices provided at the rear of ships which use a winch and a mobile gantry fitted with a cable guide pulley. 'attaches to underwater equipment. In these devices, the pulley guide pulley, placed directly above the underwater equipment allows, during handling operations, the lifting of the underwater equipment by simply winching the attached. This arrangement of the pulley relative to the towed body occupies a total height greater than that available between the intermediate decks of a ship and obliges to install the device on the upper deck of the building, thus prohibiting its use as a flight deck.

Such a device installed on the upper deck of a ship is described in patent CA 1 093 061. It comprises an arm with at its end a die around which pivots a cable guide support. This cable guide support is provided with a shaft on which are fixed a guide pulley and a saddle supporting the underwater equipment. Cylinders are used to tilt the saddle around the cable guide support shaft.

The underwater equipment is fixed to the ship by a faired attachment cable passing respectively through the arm, the die, the cable guide support and the saddle and passing over the guide pulley.

Thus, when the saddle is put thanks to the jacks in the high position in the extension of the axis of rotation defined by the die, the means arranged in this way allow the underwater equipment to move and to be towed without damaging the attachment cable, the support saddle or another structure in the event of sudden or violent pulls or changes of direction, especially lateral, thanks to the rotation of the cable guide support around the die.

These means are therefore in no way intended and cannot be used arranged in this way, for the implementation of a towing and handling device, in particular of underwater wing-shaped equipment, of bulk. reduced in height, which would allow its installation between two decks of a ship.

The present invention aims to provide a towing and handling device particularly suitable for underwater wing-shaped equipment, of reduced height, which can be installed between two decks of a ship and therefore allowing keep the flight deck.

The object is achieved by a device for towing and handling underwater wing-shaped equipment, reduced in height and intended to be installed on a ship, of the type comprising a winch and a tilting gantry arm. fitted with a guide pulley for the cable for attaching to the underwater equipment, characterized in that the gantry arm, of the device installed between two decks of a ship, has the guide pulley between its frames and is provided at its tilting end with a frame pivoting about the axis defined by the extension at this end of the gantry arm and against which the underwater equipment is blocked during handling operations, which underwater equipment is then subjected simultaneously to the tensile force of the tether cable and to the reaction of the chassis.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the winch and the gantry arm can be mounted on a mobile carriage moving on rails placed on the bridge.

The pivoting frame can advantageously have the form of a fork in which engages and locks underwater equipment subjected to the tension of the tether cable.

When the device is mounted between two decks of a ship, there may be provided at the rear of the upper deck a removable winch for handling the underwater equipment.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique partielle de l'arrière d'un navire équipé d'un dispositif conforme au mode de réalisation décrit, faisant apparaître le dispositif en position de poste à la mer,
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus du dispositif dans la position de poste à la mer de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une vue analogue à la figure 1, montrant le dispositif en position sortie, l'équipement sous-marin étant en position horizontale,
• la figure 4 est une vue analogue à la figure 3, l'équipement sous-marin étant en position verticale,
• la figure 5 est une vue analogue à la figure 1, montrant le dispositif en position de mise à l'eau, reprise et remorquage,
• la figure 6 illustre une variante de réalisation du dispositif utilisant un treuil auxiliaire amovible monté à l'arrière du pont supérieur,
• la figure 7 est une coupe partielle montrant la liaison entre le bras de portique 3 et le chassis 6 selon les repères A-A′ de la figure 1,
• la figure 8 est une coupe partielle montrant la liaison entre le bras de portique 3 et le chassis 6 selon les repères A-A′ de la figure 3.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the description, not limited to, of an embodiment of the invention. Reference will be made to the attached drawing in which:

• FIG. 1 is a partial schematic view of the rear of a ship fitted with a device in accordance with the embodiment described, showing the device in the position of a sea position,
• FIG. 2 is a top view of the device in the position of the seagoing position in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the device in the extended position, the underwater equipment being in the horizontal position,
• FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, the underwater equipment being in the vertical position,
• FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing the device in the launching, recovery and towing position,
• FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the device using a removable auxiliary winch mounted at the rear of the upper deck,
• FIG. 7 is a partial section showing the connection between the gantry arm 3 and the chassis 6 according to the references AA ′ in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 8 is a partial section showing the connection between the gantry arm 3 and the chassis 6 according to the references AA ′ in FIG. 3.

In Figure 1, which is a partial schematic view of the rear of a ship equipped with the device according to the invention, there is shown a winch 1 and a gantry arm 3 mounted on a carriage 2 movable on rails 12 fixed on the deck 10. The winch 1 ensures the storage of the towing cable 11, the recovery of the towing efforts and the transmission of the electrical information from the underwater equipment 8 to the edge. The gantry arm 3, the base of which can slide and pivot around a cylindrical crosspiece connecting two lateral uprights of the carriage 2, is provided at its free end with a frame 6 which can pivot around the axis defined by the extension of the arm gantry 3 at its free end. A pulley 4 for guiding the attachment cable is installed in the interval between the frames of the gantry arm 3. The rotation of the winch 1 rotates a cross-threaded screw 9 which rotates between two bearings arranged on the lateral uprights of the carriage 2. A nut engaged on the screw 9 and secured to the gantry arm 3 transforms the rotational movement of the screw 9 into a cutting movement of the gantry arm 3 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of Figure 1, allowing the correct winding of the cable 11 on the winch drum 1. In FIG. 2 we also see an independent motorized winch 13 used to store an antenna cable 14 used with the underwater equipment. A protective ramp 15 of the antenna 14 makes it possible to wind the latter on the winch drum 13 without it deteriorating on contact with the bridge 10. A push chain not shown makes it possible to move the carriage 2 on the rails 12 placed on deck 10 and to lock the latter in extreme positions, of berth and launching. In position of position at sea, the underwater equipment rests on a frame 16 on which it is strapped. Two jacks 5 have at their base a yoke sliding on a cross member of the carriage 2 and at their upper end a yoke articulated on a sole carried by the arm of the gantry 3, which makes it possible to actuate the tilting of the gantry arm 3 during launching, recovery and towing operations, as can be seen in Figure 5. The chassis 6 can pivot around the axis defined by the extension of the gantry arm 3 at its free end so as to place the underwater equipment either in a horizontal position for handling and storage operations, or in a vertical position when the water and recovery operations.
In FIG. 7, which represents a partial section showing the connection between the gantry arm 3 and the chassis 6 according to the references AA ′ in FIG. 1, we see a jack 7 articulated on the chassis 6 and on a yoke integral with the arm gantry 3. This jack 7 rotates the chassis 6, so as to put the underwater equipment in a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 4.

Figure 8 is similar to Figure 7 showing the underwater equipment in a vertical position.

In the embodiment described, the chassis 6 has the shape of a fork in which the wing-shaped underwater equipment 8 engages and locks under the effect of the traction of the cable 11.

In the position of a position at sea or in storage, the underwater equipment rests on a frame 16 on which it is strapped, as shown in FIG. 1. To carry out the launching, the equipment is released under -Sailor 8 of its frame 16, then a push chain is actuated which will move the carriage 2 to an extended position where the gantry arm 3 extends beyond the rear of the building. The underwater equipment 8 is then held firmly against the fork of the chassis 6 under the effect of the tension of the attachment cable 11 as shown in FIG. 3. The operations described were carried out with the underwater equipment 8 maintained in a horizontal position so as to minimize the overall height of the device. Equipment 8 must be launched vertically, as it is used in this position when towing. To do this, actuate the cylinder 7 to rotate the 90 ° chassis 6 and reach the position shown in FIG. 4. Then, the jacks 5 are actuated to tilt the gantry arm 3 towards the surface of the water, as shown in FIG. 5. The unwinding of the attachment cable 11 releases the equipment 8 from the chassis fork 6. The gantry arm 3 maintains this position during the towing phase. The recovery of the towed body 8 is carried out by the same series of operations carried out in the opposite direction.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, it is possible to use a removable winch 17 for taking up the underwater equipment 8, equipped with a pulley and an operating cable. This removable winch 17 is fixed to the upper deck 18 and can be used to refocus the underwater equipment 8 in the fork 6 when returning to the ship, as shown in FIG. 7.

Claims (4)

1. Device for towing and handling submarine equipment in wing form, of reduced height and intended to be installed on a ship, comprising a winch (1), a tilting gantry arm (3) with a guide pulley (4) for the attachment cable (11) for the submarine equipment (8), characterised by the fact that the gantry arm (3) of the device installed between two decks of a ship has the guide pulley (4) between its two sides and is fitted at its tilting extremity with a chassis (6) pivoting around the axis defined by the extension of this end of the gantry arm (3) against which the submarine equipment (8) is locked during handling operations, said submarine equipment then being simultaneously subject to the traction force of the attachment cable (11) and the reaction of the chassis (6).
2. Device in accordance with claim 1, the winch (1) and the gantry arm (3) being mounted on a mobile carriage (2) which can move on rails (12) fitted to the deck (10).
3. A device in accordance with either of claims 1 or 2, the chassis (6) being in the form of a fork in which the submarine equipment (8) is locked.
4. A device in accordance with claim 3 characterised by the fact that a movable winch (17) to assist in handling the submarine equipment (8) is installed at the rear of the upper deck (18).

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