EP0711373B1 - Device for mooring a craft to a docking point - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a mooring device a boat at a docking point such as a wharf or a other boat.

Known mooring devices consist of usually mooring lines or hawsers which are knotted around one or more posts distributed along the length of the quay.

However, this mooring technique is tedious because it requires one or more people to fix manually these ropes which can be very heavy mooring posts.

In addition, to take account of variations in level of water over time, caused by tides for example, a sufficient length of rope must be left free between the boat and the mooring pole.

Such a mooring device also has the disadvantage of encroaching on traffic areas on docks, especially because of the presence of poles and ropes, which is all the more annoying as the docks are frequently used for loading and unloading boats such as barges or barges.

Document US-A-4,834,437 describes a device for assisting in docking at a fixed position on the quay.

But this device does not, on the one hand, obtain a mooring, that is to say a joining and a maintenance, up to predetermined stress values, from a boat.

On the other hand, it does not make it possible to obtain a mooring to a fixed point of which only two opposite surfaces are free, and therefore which cannot be surrounded on its entire periphery.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages mentioned above and also brings numerous advantages for docking and mooring of boats to docks or other boats that need to be pushed or towed.

The mooring device targeted by the invention allows including quickly and securely mooring boats to a docking point.

According to the invention, this device comprises at least one rail guide fixed vertically to the docking point and clamp forming means integral with the boat and having jaws adapted to pinch the guide rail in a closed position and move along the guide rail, means integral with the boat being adapted moving the jaws between said closed position and an open position in which the jaws are away from the guide rail.

The mooring device according to the invention therefore allows mooring very quickly, by simple pinching, the boat at its docking point.

It is particularly suitable for ships of medium tonnage to perform frequent maneuvers mooring.

In addition, only the gripper means extends between the boat and the guide rail, the latter can be fixed on a vertical wall of the platform or from another boat, which allows you to leave completely free the other's wharf or bridge boat and not obstruct the flow of people or goods at these locations.

In addition, the actuation means being in solidarity with the boat, mooring it can be carried out by an on-board person, without this the latter does not need to leave the boat to fix the mooring device.

The guide rail having a section cross-section invariable in direction longitudinal, the gripper means can pinch the rail in any area along its length, which allows to moor the boat whatever or the water level in relation to the quay.

Likewise, when two boats are returned united thanks to the mooring device according to the invention, the gripper means can move the along the guide rail during heel variations and trim between the two boats.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear further in the description below.

• la figure 1 est une vue en coupe de dessus du dispositif d'amarrage selon l'invention;
• la figure 2 est une vue en coupe suivant II-II à la figure 1; et
• la figure 3 est une vue en coupe agrandie d'un galet adapté à rouler sur un rail de guidage.

In the appended drawings, given by way of nonlimiting example:

• Figure 1 is a sectional top view of the mooring device according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is a sectional view along II-II in Figure 1; and
• Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a roller adapted to roll on a guide rail.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, we will describe the mooring device according to the invention of a boat 1, such as a barge, at a point docking 2.

The latter can for example be a quay so to load or unload the barge, or another boat to push or pull this one.

Docking point 2 can also be a Duke of Alba.

This mooring device comprises in this exemplary embodiment two parallel guide rails 3 fixed vertically to the docking point 2.

These rails 3 are supported by a frame 5 able to withstand the tensile forces generated by boat 1 on rails 3. These are welded on the frame 5 which allows to reduce the forces at the docking point 2.

This frame 5 is fixed, by screwing for example, on a substantially vertical wall of the point docking 2.

The guide rails 3 have a transverse profile constant as shown in Figure 1.

In this exemplary embodiment adapted to the resumption of initialization efforts of around 100 tonnes, the guide rails 3 have a cross section circular, with a diameter of approximately 300 mm.

Guide rails 3 must be long sufficient to allow mooring of boat 1 at platform 2 regardless of the water level, especially during variations caused by the tides.

Similarly, when these rails 3 are fixed to a other boat, they must allow the mooring of the boat regardless of their level difference one in relation to the other.

On the other hand, means forming a clamp 4, integral with boat 1, have jaws 6 suitable for pinching the rails in a closed position guide 3.

This closed position is represented by one of the two jaws 6 located under the axis of FIG. 1. The jaws 6 thus pinch the two guide rails 3 on faces opposite one another.

These jaws 6 respectively comprise a roller 6a suitable for rolling on the rails 3.

The rollers 6a are mounted in rotation respectively on a support shaft 8 by via a plain bearing 9.

This plain bearing 9, shown in FIG. 3, has a polytetrafluoroethylene coating so to obtain a practically frictionless surface for allow the rotation of the roller 6 around this bearing 9. This bearing can of course be replaced by any other equivalent solution, such as ball or rollers, bronze bushing, etc., or the polytetrafluoroethylene by another material with low coefficient of friction without leaving the part of the invention.

Each roller 6a has a groove 10 adapted to accommodate part of a guide rail 3.

This groove 10 has a transverse profile consisting of two identical adjacent portions 11 of arc of circle of radius of curvature greater than the radius of curvature of the circular cross section of the rail guide 3.

Each portion 11 of an arc of a circle is tangent at a separate point 12, 12 'with the guide rail 3 when the jaws 6 are in the closed position, that is to say in contact with the guide rail 3.

This particular shape of the transverse profile groove 10 of the rollers 6 allows to leave between the bottom of the groove 10 and the guide rail 3, a space 13. This arrangement ensures that the angle formed by the segment joining the center 22 of the section from the rail to the contact joint 12 or 12 ', and the median plane 23 of the roller 6a is close to 45 °. A suitable game between the rollers 6a and the guide rail 3 allows the Roll and Pitch Movements of the Boat 1.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the device mooring comprises actuating means 7 attached to the boat and adapted to move the jaws 6 between the closed position and the position open in which the jaws 6 are separated from the guide rail 3.

In this open position, such as represented above the axis of FIG. 1, boat 1 is not moored to guide rail 3.

These actuating movens 7 include a cylinder 15 adapted to move back and forth a rod 16 connected to each jaw 6 of the gripper means by respectively through a connecting rod 17.

So the back and forth movement of the rod allows the jaws to be moved in rotation thanks to the connecting rod 17.

The jaws 6 are actuated simultaneously in opposite directions of rotation. They move towards each other to come to the closed position, and move away from each other to free the boat 1 from its docking point 2.

When the jaws 6 are moved from their closed position to their open position they are retracted at the end of travel from rod 16 to cylinder 15 of so that it no longer protrudes from boat 1 so not to interfere with docking and moving boat 1.

This cylinder 15, preferably hydraulic, allows thus to move the two jaws 6 so symmetrical about the central axis of the device mooring.

This cylinder 15 can be controlled automatically at for example from orders placed directly in the cockpit of boat 1.

The mooring device can therefore be operated by a person from the boat 1.

The actuating means 7 further comprise a manual control 18 adapted to place the jaws 6 of the gripper means 4 in their open position.

This manual control 18 allows in particular to a person on the boat to release very quickly boat 1 from its berth 2 especially in case of danger or too violent efforts imposed on boat 1 at its mooring point.

To perform this quick manual release, it it suffices for example to provide a manual distributor on the actuator supply circuit 15 for controlling the return of the rod 16 towards the interior of the device start 1.

A rupture device 20 adapted to withstand the tensile force existing between the guide rails 3 and the means forming a clamp 4 in the closed position is also planned. It is suitable for ordering automatically, over a pulling force limit, the actuating means 7 for placing the means forming clamp 4 in the open position.

This rupture device 20, similar to a mechanical fuse, allows, when the forces of traction between the guide rails 3 and the rollers 6a are too important, to automatically open the mooring device and thus detach the boat 1 from its docking point 2.

In the example presented, each device mooring is sized to withstand efforts of the order of 70 T in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device and 35 T in the horizontal direction perpendicular to this axis. The invention can of course be adapted to all other effort values.

Beyond these values, the rupture device 20 is adapted to release boat 1 from its point docking 2.

In a preferred version of the invention, the mooring device according to the invention is fixed to boat 1 via shock absorbers 21 which limit on boat 1 the docking or pushing efforts, and absorbing corresponding energies.

All the moving parts of the device, that is to say the gripper means 4, the means actuator 7 and the breaking device, is mounted in a frame 24, this being fixed to boat 1 by means of shock absorbers 21 consisting for example of parts made of elastomeric materials.

A system of chains or stops (not shown) can limit in the direction longitudinal and transverse the deflection of shock absorbers 21 and keep the assembly in place shock absorber failure 21.

Boat 1 can have two devices mooring arranged respectively on each of its longitudinal sides, the clamp means 4 making protruding towards the front of the boat, so as to be moored in the back or in front of another boat.

It can also include a device mooring on one of its longitudinal sides and a other mooring device arranged perpendicularly to the first on a transverse side of the boat, so that the clamp means 4 are arranged along a diagonal of boat 1. Such a provision makes it possible to moor boat 1 at a quay forming a right angle at two mooring points.

In addition, each mooring device can be coupled with a mechanical centering device, similar to a "V" shaped profile structure in a horizontal plane, suitable for centering boat 1 on the guide rails 3.

This centering device allows a precise positioning of boat 1 relative to the platform 2 and then facilitates mooring. In a version preferred of the invention, this centering "V" is incorporated in the frame 24 of the mooring device, such so that the frame 24 allows to retract and protect docking shocks the jaws 6 when they are in the open position.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the example described above and many changes can be made to it without depart from the scope of the invention.

Only one guide rail 3 can be fixed at the docking point, the jaws 6 pinching this rail 3 on two opposite faces thereof.

Similarly, the hydraulic cylinder 15 can be replaced by any other suitable means of transport, such as an electro-mechanical screw system or a jack pneumatic.

Similarly, in another version of the invention, can the means 4 forming a clamp be actuated directly by two cylinders, without the intermediary of rods 17.

Claims (13)

1. A device for mooring a craft (1) to a docking point (2), generally extended along a longitudinal axis, characterised in that it comprises at least one guide rail (3) vertically secured to the docking point (2) combined with clamp means (4) integral with the craft (1) and including jaws (6) located at a distance from both sides of the longitudinal axis, moveable towards one another into a closed position to clamp two opposite faces of the guide rail(s) (3) and moveable along the rail guide, actuating means (7) integral with the craft (1) designed to control the movement of the jaws (6) between said closed position and an open position in which the jaws (6) are separated from said guide rail (3).
2. A mooring device according to claim 1, characterised in that it includes two parallel guide rails (3), the jaws (6) of said clamp means (4) being designed to clamp the two guide rails (3) in closed position.
3. A mooring device according to one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that the jaws (6) of said clamp means (4) each comprise a respective roller (6a) designed to roll on said rail (3).
4. A mooring device according to claim 3, characterised in that the rollers (6a) are each pivoted on a respective supporting shaft (8) by means of a friction bearing (9).
5. A mooring device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the actuating means (7) comprise actuators (15) designed to move a rod (16) connected to each jaw (6) of said clamp means (4) back and forth by means of a respective connecting rod (17).
6. A mooring device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the actuating means (7) further include a manual control (18) designed to place the jaws (6) of the clamp means (4) in said open position.
7. A mooring device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that it includes a breaker device (20) designed to withstand the tensile force existing between the guide rails (3) and the clamp means (4) in closed position and to automatically drive the actuating means (7) to place the clamp means (4) in open position when a maximum tensile force is exceeded.
8. A mooring device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the guide rail(s) (3) have a circular cross section.
9. A mooring device according to claim 8, characterised in that each jaw (6) comprises a roller (6a) including a groove (10) whose cross section consists of two adjacent identical circular arc portions (11) with a radius of curvature superior to the radius of curvature of the cross section of the guide rail (3), each circular arc portion (11) being tangential to the guide rail (3) at a distinct point (12, 12') when the jaws (6) are in closed position.
10. A mooring device according to claim 7, characterised in that the mobile gear assembly, comprising the clamp means (4), the actuating means (7) and the breaker device, is mounted in a frame (24), said frame (24) being secured to the craft (1) by means of damping devices (21).
11. A mooring device according to claim 10, characterised in that the damping devices (21) consist of elastomer pieces.
12. A mooring device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that it is associated with a V-type centering device.
13. A mooring device according to claim 12, characterised in that the centering device is incorporated in the mounting frame (24).

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