EP1921003B1

EP1921003B1 - Ship's fender

Info

Publication number: EP1921003B1
Application number: EP07118712A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Johan Erik Nieboer
Original assignee: Bv Scheepswerf Damen Gorinchem
Current assignee: Bv Scheepswerf Damen Gorinchem
Priority date: 2006-10-20
Filing date: 2007-10-17
Publication date: 2009-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 2027-10-17
Also published as: NL2000283C2; ATE452820T1; EP1921003A1; DE602007003934D1

Abstract

The invention relates to a fender for protecting a ship's skin from damage, comprising a rubber profile (17) which is coupled to a metal strip (16), which metal strip is fastened to the ship's skin (7). According to the invention the metal strip (16) comprises a cavity (6) with a longitudinal opening (10), which longitudinal opening is narrower than the cavity (6), and the rubber profile (17) has at least two fastening lips (9) which project through the longitudinal opening into the cavity (6), and where clamping means (12) clamp the rubber profile (17) against the metal strip (16).

Description

The invention relates to a fender according to the preamble of Claim 1. Such fenders are in accordance with prior art. In the fenders according to prior art two metal strips are welded square on the skin of the ship and the rubber profile is placed between these profiles. Holes are drilled through the metal strips and the rubber profile parallel to the skin, through which holes a metal shaft or bolt is inserted in order to retain the rubber profile along the skin. One disadvantage of this design of prior art is that during assembly the holes in the metal strips and the holes in the rubber profile must be in line. This means, for example, that the holes in the metal strips have to be marked off on the rubber profile prior to drilling the holes. This is labour intensive. A further disadvantage is that the metal shaft or bolt may bend under a high load, after which it is difficult to replace the rubber strip.
To avoid this disadvantage the fender is constructed according to the feature in Claim 1, whereby the rubber profile is clamped by simple means in the metal strip.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 2, whereby the load on the fender is transferred over a long length to the metal strip and deformation of the ship's skin is prevented.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 3, whereby loads on the rubber profile are transferred by simple means to the metal strip and/or to the ship's skin.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 4. The rubber profile is firmly clamped in the metal strip by the use of a wedge-shaped metal profile or wedge-shaped metal parts and clamping means.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 5, whereby it is possible to place the wedges or the wedge-shaped profile by simple means through the longitudinal opening in the cavity.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 6, whereby it is possible, by simple means, to place the metal profile or metal parts, with the application of force, between the fastening lips and to bend them outwards and/or press them against the inside of the cavity.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 7. Because of the hollow tube the fender is lighter and more elastic and the fender screens the bolt.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 8, whereby it is ensured that the wedge is not able to rotate with the bolt in the cavity when loosening it.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 9, whereby the cavity in the metal strip is much larger than the longitudinal opening, thus providing space for a wedge or wedge-shaped profile of sufficient size for firm clamping of the rubber profile. By designing at least two outer sides of the metal profile flat and parallel, the metal strip can be bent by simple means in the shape of the ship.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 10, whereby a smooth fastening of the profile can be obtained on the skin of the ship.
According to one embodiment the fender is constructed according to Claim 11, whereby the metal strip can also be mounted by simple means close to a bend in the skin of the ship.
The invention is explained in the following by means of a number of exemplary embodiments with reference to a drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a vessel provided with fenders,
Figure 2 shows a section through a fender according to the prior art,
Figure 3 shows a section through a fender according to the invention during assembly of the fender, and
Figure 4 shows a section through the fender according to the invention after assembly of the fender.

Figure 1 shows a ship S which is used as a patrolboat. Such a boat is frequently moored during use along a quay or alongside other ships. An upper fender F1 and a lower fender F2 are fitted to the ship's skin to protect it in the longitudinal direction of the hull. In some cases vertical fenders F3 may be fitted locally.
Figure 2 shows a fender according to the state of the art. In the fender according to the prior art two metal strips 3 are fitted square on a ship's skin 1. A rubber profile 4 is placed between the two metal strips 3, the rubber profile 4 being fastened with bolt connection 2 to the metal strips 3. Bolt connection 2 comprises a bolt and a nut, the bolt being inserted through holes drilled in line in metal strips 3 and through holes in the rubber profile. The distance between the bolt connection is approximately 0.25 to 0.50 m.
Figure 3 shows the fender according to the invention during assembly of the rubber profile, and Figure 4 shows the same fender with the rubber profile when assembled. A metal profile 16 is incorporated in a ship's skin 7. In the embodiment shown metal profile 16 is part of the ship's skin 7 and a deck 5 is also welded onto metal profile 16. In other embodiments metal profile 16 can be welded to the outside of ship's skin 7 or the uninterrupted surface of metal profile 16 lies in the continuation of ship's skin 7. Metal profile 16 is designed as an omega-shaped profile with a cavity 6 and a longitudinal opening 10, which is narrower than cavity 6. Metal profile 16 may possibly be provided with a welded nose (not shown) with the approximate thickness of ship's skin 7. This facilitates the mounting of metal profile 16 at points where ship's skin 7 forms a bend.
For additional elasticity and to save weight a rubber profile 17 is constructed with a tube 14 and rests with a flat side 18 of the outer circumference against metal profile 16. For fastening rubber profile 17 to metal profile 16 fastening lips 9 are fitted on a flat side 18 of the outer circumference of rubber profile 17. These fastening lips 9 are designed so that they can be placed with a small clearance in longitudinal opening 10 and then insert in cavity 6. In the embodiment shown here fastening lips 9 are pressed apart by a wedge 15 and clamped between the inside of hollow 6 and wedge 15. In other embodiments fastening lips 9 can be shaped so that they clamp against the inside of the hollow because of their shape and therefore have to be compressed during insertion in longitudinal opening 10.
Fastening lips 9 are shaped so that rubber profile 17 also remains clamped in metal profile 16 under a load which is not directed vertically towards ship's skin 7. To achieve a further improvement here, rubber profile 17 has support lips 8 which partially enclose metal profile 16 and which possibly bear against ship's skin 7.
For clamping fastening lips 9, wedge 15 is placed between fastening lips 9. Wedge 15 is provided with a screw thread in which a bolt 12 is mounted. In tube 14 bolt 12 rests with its bolt head on a ring 11 and projects through a hole in the flat side 18 of rubber profile 17 positioned against metal profile 16, which hole terminates between fastening lips 9. Ring 11 is wider than longitudinal opening 10, so that the force acting on bolt 12 is transmitted to metal profile 16. In order to be able to screw bolt 12 into wedge 15, tube 14 is provided with a hole 13 through which a screw implement can be placed on the head of bolt 12.
In the exemplary embodiment shown, wedge 15 has a length that is greater than the width of cavity 6, which prevents wedge 15 from rotating with bolt 12. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a wedge 15 is provided for each bolt 12. It is also possible for wedge 15 to be fastened by two or more bolts 15, or for other fastening means to be used instead of bolts 15 with a screw thread. For example, use may be made of a riveted joint or riveted joints which must be destroyed in order to remove rubber profile 17 from the metal profile. Instead of a wedge-shaped profile for pressing fastening lips 9 against the inside of cavity 6 on both sides of longitudinal opening 10, a different profile may be used to produce the desired effect of clamping rubber profile 17 in cavity 6.
The above-mentioned fender preferably projects approximately 0.120 metre from ship's skin 7, and is approximately 0.100 m high. Rubber profile 17 in principal may have an unlimited length. For reasons of weight and assembly the length is in most cases limited to 2 - 3 metres. Because of corrosion metal profile 16 is in most cases produced from the same material as ship's skin 7. In the case of an aluminium vessel, such as patrol boat S shown in Figure 1, metal profile 16 is produced from aluminium. Bolt 12, ring 11 and preferably also wedge 15 are of stainless steel and do not come into metallic contact with the ship's metal.

Claims

A fender for protecting a ship's skin (7) from damage, comprising a rubber profile (17) which is coupled to a metal strip (16), which metal strip is fastened to the ship's skin, characterised in that the metal strip (16) comprises a cavity (6) with a longitudinal opening (10), which longitudinal opening is narrower than the cavity, and in that the rubber profile (16) has at least two fastening lips (9) which project through the longitudinal opening into the cavity, wherein clamping means (12, 15) clamp the rubber profile against the metal strip.
The fender according to Claim 1, wherein the rubber profile (17) comprises a flat side (18) from which the fastening lips (9) project, and which flat side bears against metal strip (16).
The fender according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the rubber profile (17) has support lips (8) which partially enclose the metal strip (16) and which may possibly bear against the ship's skin (7).
The fender according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the clamping means comprise a preferably wedge-shaped metal profile or a number of preferably wedge-shaped metal parts (15) which are drawn by clamping means (12) between the fastening lips (9).
The fender according to Claim 4, wherein the metal parts (15) or the metal profile have a width which is more or less equal or smaller than the width of the longitudinal opening (10).
The fender according to Claim 4 or 5, wherein the clamping means comprise a bolt (12) and a screw thread provided in the metal profile or the metal parts (15).
The fender according to Claim 6, wherein the rubber profile (17) comprises a hollow tube (14) and the bolt (12) is coupled to the metal profile or metal (15) from the hollow tube through a hole in the flat side (18) between the fastening lips (9).
The fender according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a wedge (15) has a length which is greater than the width of the hollow (6).
The fender according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal strip (16) is an omega-shaped profile with preferably two parallel and flat outer sides.
The fender according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the metal strip (16) forms part of the ship's skin (7).
The fender according to Claim 10, wherein the metal Strip (16) comprises an integrated welded nose with the approximate thickness of the ship's skin (7).