A device at hatch covers
The present invention relates to a device at a mechanism for the operation of displaceably movable hatch covers of ships between a closed and an open position and between an open and a closed position, respectively, and that comprises actuating means connecting with the respective hatch cover. Mechanisms to actuate displaceably movable hatch covers of ships according to the above are shown as examples in WO 2005/025977 Al and WO 02/090175 Al, respectively. Said mechanisms work with mechanical elements, but normally a plurality of hydraulically operated jacks are required, a con- siderable work being needed for the pipe routing from pumping stations to jacks in question and that leakage of oil from the same may occur with the risk of slippery substrate for the staff onboard. Many parts are also required for the mechanism to work satisfactory. By avoiding hydraulic piping the following component and work will not be required:
•Not necessary to understand complex hydraulic equipment. •Cut outs in coaming and bulkheads.
• Pipe foundation. • Hydraulic pipes.
• Couplings .
• Clamp.
• Flushing.
• Much less hydraulic oil. • Reduced costs for paint and paint work preparation.
• Installation work.
•Less transportation and handling of components.
• No maintenance work.
• Not necessary for the crew to understand and carry out service and maintenance to complex hydraulic equipment.
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is primarily to solve said problems in a simple, efficient and economically satisfactory way.
Said object is attained by means of a device according to the present invention that substantially is characterized in that the respective hatch cover is electrically operated directly or indirectly by an electrical motor, and that on either side of the lateral limiting edge of the hatches, there is provided a turnably mounted actuating ele- ment, which is detachably interconnectable with the respective hatch cover, for the operation of the displaceably moveable hatch covers of the ship between a closed and an open position and between an open and a closed position, respectively.
The new simple lift side rolling hatch cover is designed to be a reliable and cost effective hatch cover for bulk carriers. This will apply in all aspects of the hatch cover such as design, purchase, manufacturing, installation and in service maintenance. These aspects influence the cost for all involved parts. In the design work, it has been aimed for a reduction of the numbers of parts and assemblies to be handled. This has been done without any compromises to the well established standard of the equipment.
A hydraulic cylinder lifting mechanism is fitted in the middle of the longitudinal coaming on starboard (SB) and portside (PS) . This mechanism acts on one of the panels and by a fork link mechanism in the other panel. The panels are simultaneously uncleated and lifted into a rolling position. Hydraulic oil is supplied by a local mini pump unit fitted close to the mechanism and connected with two hoses to the hydraulic cylinder. In order to minimize the numbers of components and to avoid electric valves, the rotation of the electric motor is changed when lifting and lowering of the panels take place. Together with the electric motor gear drive, this means an overall electric solution. There are no electric valves incorporated in the hydraulic circuit. The back and fore operations are performed by changing the rotation of the electric motor.
When the panels are lifted into a rolling position, an electric gear motor driven winch/wire arrangement opens both the panels of the hatch cover simultaneously. The wire drive arrangement is fitted aft only. The pulling wires can be between 16 and 24 mm or more and the interconnection wire between the two panels can be 24 mm or more in order to get less wire stretch and keep the distance between the two panels more constant. (An extra interconnection wire may be used on the fore side of the hatch cover) . The panels are lifted 65 mm by the lifting mechanism. A single seals gasket is fitted and the nominal compression is 15 mm.
In order to reduce friction between the coaming and the panels, especially during cleating/uncleating, sup- port pads are incorporated. These pads also ensure long trouble-free service life. The lifting and fork mechanisms are designed to be easy to fit to the coaming.
In order to provide an easy installation, the top of the coaming is in one plane and no cuts out for wheels or cleats will be required. If a lower rail is required by the yard/owner, this is of course possible. Due to weight and size, different sizes of the gear motors and lifting mechanism may be required. To secure the panels to each other in the closed position, manually operated heavy duty pins are fitted in CL. An alternative solution could be to fit over centre links to the lifting mechanism.
The operation time for a complete opening or closing sequence is approximately 5 min. The operation of the hatch covers will be done by a fixed or a portable electric control, which can be connected and used on a preferable location on the coaming. One electric cabinet will be supplied for each hatch. Electric gear motors and brakes protect against penetration of solid objects into the housing and complete the protection from live or moving parts, and also protect against penetration of dust and against penetration of liquids into the housing. Water from heavy seas will not enter the device.
The operating equipment is designed for a max trim of 3°, and in the basic design, the two panels are operated simultaneously. The default location of the operating equipment is on the PS. The flanged wheels on the panels and the guide rails on the coaming are fitted aft. Wheels without flanges are fitted fore. The steel structures of the panels, coaming and ramps are not a part of this project. These items have been investigated in another study.
The invention is described below in the form of a number of preferred embodiment examples, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of ship's hatches in pairs in a closed position,
Fig. IA shows also a schematic plan view of ship's hatches in pairs in an open position,
Figs. 2-6 show side views of the ship's hatches actuated by a mechanism according to the invention and brought into different displacement positions,
Figs. 7-8 show edge views of ship's hatches, Figs. 9-10 show functional diagrams of the actuation of the ship's hatches by the mechanism according to the invention in a closed position and an opening position, respectively,
Fig. 11 shows actuating elements, included in the mechanism, in different actuating positions and the cooperation with the respective hatch,
Figs. 12-13 show a loop-shapedly drawn and driven pulling rope included in the mechanism as seen from the side and from above, respectively, Figs. 14-16 and Figs. 17-19, respectively, show examples in pairs of different lifting and actuation members for the hatches,
Fig. 20 shows an integrated driving and rope- supporting roll assembly for the pulling-rope loop, as seen from the side, and
Fig. 21 shows an alternative embodiment example of the operation of hatch covers.
Below, a schematic description of the invention by means of the drawings follows, where a device 1 at a mechanism according to the invention for the operation of the displaceably movable hatch covers 3, 4 of a ship 2 between a closed position I and an open position II and between an open position II and a closed position I, respectively, and that comprises actuating means connecting with the respective hatch cover 3, 4, is shown in the drawings in Fig. 1 and Fig. IA. According to the invention, the respective hatch cover 3, 4 is connected to a loop-shapedly running, driven pulling rope 6. Such a pulling rope may be composed of a wire, of metal or plastic, a strip, a chain or a combination of said pulling members. Such a pulling rope may be provided on at least one side A of the appurtenant closable opening 7 of the two hatches 3, 4. For instance, a driven pulling rope may be provided on one side of the hatches 3, 4, while a pulling rope that only runs freely is provided on the other side of the hatches 3, 4. Such an additional slave rope provided on the opposite side of the hatch allows to obtain non-even running of the drive and the movement actuation of the hatches. However, on either side A, B of the lateral limiting edge of the hatches 8, 9 and 10, 11, respectively, there is provided a turnably mounted actuating element 12 and 13, respectively, which is detachably intercon- nectable with the respective hatch cover 3, 4 at desired occa- sions.
Said pulling rope 6 is driven by an electrical motor 14 that is arranged to actuate the pulling rope 6 via a rope drum 15 to open the two hatch covers simultaneously in directions 16, 17 opposite each other and shut the two hatch cov- ers simultaneously in directions 18, 19 opposite each other, respectively.
Alternatively, the hatches may be run by means of a rack-and-pinion drive that consists of a rack placed along the side and hatch half of one hatch, and of a pinion that is driven by an electric motor and a gear that are placed in the coaming, as well as of a slave wire that is attached to the
rack-and-pinion driven hatch half and that runs as a loop to the slave part.
Coupling members 20, 21, which are provided in order to detachably be able to connect actuating elements 12, 13 with the respective hatch cover 3, 4, are positioned on different levels 22, 23 and are connected to the respective hatch cover 3, 4. Said coupling members 20, 21 are preferably formed of individual laterally 24, 25 projecting rigid uprights in the form of pins or the like. The respective actuating element 12, 13 is formed of an arm turnably mounted around a bearing mounting 28 at a distance from the respective ends 26, 27 thereof, which arm at the respective ends 26, 27 thereof is provided with a recess 29, 30 fitted to receive a coupling member 20, 21 di- rectly or indirectly connected with the respective hatch cover 3, 4. Said respective actuating element 12, 13 is arranged to be turned compulsorily into a reception-ready position III, see Fig. 11 illustration E, fitted to be able to receive a coupling member 20, 21 connected with the respective hatch cover 3, 4. In said position III, said receipt can take place, e.g., by the fact that the respective actuating element 12, 13 is spring- force actuated or is unbalanced in the form of a weight in one end thereof to aim at being turned automatically into an intended coupling-ready position III. Preferably, the respective actuating element
12, 13 has a slot-shaped elongate recess 29, 30 at the respective end 26, 27 thereof, arm ends 26, 27 opposite each other having shorter 26A, 27A and longer arm-end portions 26B, 27B, respectively, in order to allow a more efficient guiding-in and receipt, respectively, of a coupling member 20, 21 in the respective recess 29, 30.
An attachment 32 and 33, respectively, projecting in the downward direction 31, of the respective hatch cover 3, 4 is projected from the respective lateral portion 8, 9 and 10, 11, respectively, of the respective hatch cover at the area of the respective closing edge 34, 35 of the hatch covers. A category of attachments consists of L-shaped side
plates 32 having attachments 36, 37 for the fixing of the respective ends 38, 39 of the pulling-rope loop 6 at the angle portion 40 thereof, and the support of a coupling member 20 at the free branch 41 thereof facing the closing edge 34, 35 of the hatch covers. Furthermore, there is a straight upright-like downwardly directed plate 33 intended for the fixing of the ends 42, 43 of the pulling-rope loop meeting each other. Thereby, the coupling member 21 of said hatch cover 4 is supported directly by the same, preferably laterally projecting on a fastening ear 5 in the front edge 4A of the hatch cover. In order to allow manual adjustment of said pulling-rope loop 6, a number of bars 44, 45 coupled in a row may be provided to act between the respective attachment 32, 33 and the ends 39, 46 of the rope loop. An automatic rope-tension device 47 in the form of, for instance, a spring-loaded rope pulley 48 may be provided such that the pulling-rope loop 6 runs over the same with a portion 6A, while an additional portion 6B of the pulling-rope loop 6 is wound on a rope drum 15 by a number of turns for the driving of the same.
The hatch covers 3, 4 are supported by rolling members, such as, for instance, wheels 49, that are arranged to run on a track 50 positioned along the edge sides 8, 9; 10, 11 opposite each other of the closable opening 7 in guestion. Said track 50 has a recess 51 at the area of the closing positions of the hatch covers as well as that the hatch covers 3, 4, at portions facing away from each other, have stoppers 52 in order to co-operate with lifting and ratchet members 53 that are provided at the portions of the opening facing away from each other.
In the drawings in Figs. 14-16 and 17-19, respectively, two variants are shown of kick-off mechanisms having the function shown. According to the first embodiment example, the kick-off mechanism 53 is actuated directly by a hy- draulically operated piston 54 that has the driving thereof arranged from a small pumping station 55 near the kick-off mechanism 53. However, some pipe routing is required thereby for the
hydraulic part. Alternatively, the jack may be electrically operated. See Figs. 14-16 and 7-8.
A variant shown in Figs. 17-19 comprises an over-center mechanism 60 consisting of, e.g., lever arms and that is actuated by a piston 54 and that is driven by a pumping station 55, etc.
The function of the invention should be clear from what has been described above and shown in the drawings. Between the hatches 3, 4 and the circumferential border thereof, there are elastic gaskets 61 that become compressed and seal when the hatches 3, 4 are put in place.
A hatch cover 103 shown in Fig. 21 and arranged to be able to be run by means of rack-and-pinion drive 175 consists of a rack 176 attached to the hatch cover 103 and is placed to extend along one side of said hatch cover 103 and attached thereto. A pinion 177 that is driven by an electric motor 178 via a gear 179 is placed in the coaming. A slave wire, which is attached to said rack-and-pinion driven hatch half 103, runs as a loop around a return wheel at the second hatch cover not shown that, together with the first hatch cover 103, is arranged to cover and be able to expose, respectively, the hatch opening 107 of the ship. Moreover, there is also provided a turnably mounted actuating element, which is detachably interconnectable with the respective hatch cover via coupling members of the kind also indicated above. Driving of the electric motor 178 actuates the pinion 177 to drive the rack 176 in the desired direction and hence also the appurtenant hatch cover 103. Said slave wire actuates the second hatch cover to be driven in the opposite direction by virtue of said slave wire being attached to said second hatch cover. The function of actuating elements in the form of swinging arms is the same according to the previously shown and described embodiment example of the device 1 for the lifting of and the starting of the movement of the hatch covers. Alternatively, one or both of the hatch covers may be driven by separate racks. The opposite side of the hatch
opening 107 may have a slave wire according to the above and the function of which is the same.
Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings. Modifications are feasible, particularly as for the nature of the different parts or by the use of equivalent technique, without deviating from the protection area of the invention, such as this is defined in the claims.