FI71597B - LYFT- OCH STOEDANORDNINGAR VID EN FLYTPLATTFORM - Google Patents

Description

1 71597

Lifting and supporting device for floating bridge structure

The present invention relates to self-rising floating bridges, also referred to as sea or coastal bridges.

However, the invention relates in particular to improvements in lifting and support devices used in such floating bridges.

A typical floating bridge comprises a pontoon platform with openings for moving support pillars or legs. The height of the support columns can be 100 m or more. With the help of the lifting-10 and support devices, each column can be raised or lowered by moving it in the respective opening. In addition, each support pillar can be attached to its floating bridge.

The floating bridge is towed to its position with the support pillars at the top. At the site, the pillars are then lowered by means of lifting and supporting devices so that they rest on the seabed. When the support pillars touch the bottom, they are lowered even further until they are firmly attached to the bottom or possibly protrude into it. When the support pillars reach the hard bottom, their li-20 ke stops and the pontoon bridge is raised to a certain height above the water surface on the support pillars.

To date, floating bridges equipped with lifting and support devices comprising lifting mechanisms and racks have been commonly used to exploit the natural resources of the continental shelf (see, e.g., U.S. Patent Nos. 2,308,743, 2,924,077, 3,044,269). The lifting mechanisms are located in the openings made in the deck of the bridge. A plurality of toothed rods are attached to each support column along its entire length.

30 However, given the length of the support columns (100 and perhaps more) and the difficulties involved in the manufacture of the racks used therein, as well as the requirements for the rack material, it is clear that there are certain difficulties associated with the use and maintenance of such structures.

In addition, because a significant portion of the length of the racks has to be in seawater, they corrode. The same applies to the 2 71597 gears of the lifting mechanisms associated with the racks of the pillars.

U.S. Patent No. 4,203,576 discloses a lifting and support device for a floating bridge having a pontoon bridge with 5 openings required by the support frame members. In these openings, the support pillars are able to move and are also locked in them. The lifting support device comprises a transverse beam in which the corresponding support column moves and to which it can also be locked. The transverse beam further comprises at least two double-sided racks 10, the upper ends of which are articulated to it. The drive mechanisms mounted on the respective support frame are provided with drive gears connected in pairs to the respective racks.

Each gear rod is disposed between the abutment pin 15 and the support nan interior of the body. In addition, each rack has guide parts made in the form of teeth on one side and arcuate guide parts on the other side. The guide parts are operatively connected to the surface of the column and to the inside of the support frame.

20 Consequently, the rack arranged between the surface of the support column and the inner surface of the support frame acts as a guide part of the support column in the opening in the bridge.

Em. according to the patent, the support columns are raised and lowered separately, whereby the support column is initially free of the Pont-25 tonal bridge. The movable transverse part is attached to the support column. The gears of the drive mechanisms raise or lower the support pillar associated with the transverse portion by joining the racks. Once the support column has moved one "notch", it is attached to the bridge. For example, when the tu-30 pylon is lowered or the bridge is raised above sea level, the transverse portion is released from the support column and the transverse portion is then raised on the rack, then attached to the support column which is in turn released from the bridge and the next bridge lowering operation.

As can be seen from the above, the advantage of the above patent is that 100 m long racks are no longer needed, 3 71 597, but short racks, about 20 m long, are sufficient.

Although the lifting and support device now described is undoubtedly a considerable improvement. structures, but there are some drawbacks.

5 Since the racks are connected to the support columns on one side by their guide parts and the support frames delimit the openings on the pontoon bridge on the other side, the racks will get stuck if the support column is not in line with the bridge. In some cases, a force corresponding to the force of the drive mechanisms under the conditions of use must be used to pass through the racks. Ko. when using bridges, it has been found that 10 mm of the metal layer has become detached from the support column and the bridge when the misaligned column has been pulled off the bottom. Again, this very often results in the transverse part getting stuck and the racks breaking.

Such drawbacks naturally reduce the reliability of the lifting support device and cause difficulties in using the floating bridge.

20 And besides, when the buttresses are lifted above the surface of the water, the algae and mud adhering to them, and the water dripping from them, go to the racks, for these are near the surface of the buttress, and sometimes touch it. These contaminants and water are then also transferred to the gears and drive mechanisms. As a result, racks and hoists become clogged and corroded. When the air temperature is below 0 ° C, ice adheres to the racks and their drive mechanisms. In addition, it has been found that the structures are also subjected to a considerable horizontal load due to the oscillation of the support columns due to wind or waves when the bridge is floating, i.e. when the support columns are in their upper position. The horizontal load is then a moment, the upper force of which acts on the supporting frame delimiting the bridge opening, while the lower force of the moment is opposite and applies to the lower edge of the wall delimiting the said opening.

In order to reduce such horizontal forces as far as possible, the so-called force application points, 4 71597 i.e. various support members are attached to the bridge deck and its base.

In the lifting and support device of U.S. Patent 4,203,576, the horizontal load is reduced by relatively high support frame members.

However, when increasing the height of the support frames, more metal has to be used in the structure in question, which is also not advantageous. When using pontoon bridges, it has also been found that in order to increase the vertical load of the support columns, a certain ballast can be used in addition to the own weight of the lifting and support devices. When water is pumped to the pontoon bridge e.g.

10,000 tons and if the bridge weighs 10,000 tons, then the ballast becomes a total of 20,000 tons, i.e. the weight of the bridge 15 doubles.

When the support pillars are attached to the seabed, the pontoon bridge on top of them is periodically lifted upwards by lifting and support devices. With the bridge structure then in a stable position above the water surface, the ballast (water) therein is removed and the bridge is raised to the desired height above the water surface.

Therefore, the use of lifting and supporting devices always takes into account the maximum load capacity, i.e. they must withstand a load of 20,000 tons-25 n according to the above example, even if the bridge is lifted without ballast above the water surface, in this case 10,000 tons. This naturally increases the need for propulsion and the proportion of metal structures in the actuators.

The bridge structure disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,203,576 is provided with a ballast to increase the load on the support columns approximately as described above, making the application of the invention even more difficult.

The present invention seeks to develop a lifting and support device for floating bridges 35 such that the structure is simplified, energy consumption and the proportion of metal structures are reduced, and the entire bridge structure is more reliable during the lifting and floating phase. For this purpose, the tooth structures are arranged in a completely new way. The same applies to the distribution of Iisa ballast forces on the support pillars.

This is achieved by a lifting and supporting device according to the invention for a floating bridge structure with an actual pontoon bridge with vertical openings delimited by support frames and through which movable and lockable support pillars extend, the device comprising 10 transverse beams surrounding the corresponding support column therein and can be locked therein and further comprising double-sided racks articulated to it at their upper ends, and the lifting and support device also being provided with drive mechanisms arranged on a corresponding support frame and having drive gears connected in pairs to the racks. The invention is characterized in that the transverse beam has projections to which the racks are attached so as to be separated from the surface of the respective support pillar, the pontoon bridge further comprising vertical holes for the racks and the inside of the support frames pillar through an opening in the pontoon bridge.

Because the racks are separate from the pin-25 pins of the support pillars, they cannot be accessed by seawater or mud. This, of course, increases the reliability of the device, since the racks cannot corrode or metal particles are released from their surfaces, which could protrude into the gears of the drive mechanisms. The ham-30 masts between the bridge and the support column also do not get stuck, which contributes to the reliability of the structure according to the invention.

In addition, thanks to the above-mentioned guide sleeves associated with the support columns, the circumference of the opening has been made uniform throughout.

It is advantageous to provide the undersides of the cantilevers and the upper parts of the support frames with parts in the fastening device which are operatively connected to one another and to provide guide sleeves for the support column on the inner sides of the putty beam so that the column cannot move horizontally. This makes it possible to significantly increase the transfer possibilities of the bridge structure.

5 The transverse beam should be constructed in such a way that it can be provided with a ballast, in which case the method of lifting the bridge structure according to the invention can be applied.

For this purpose, tanks for ballast water are provided in recesses formed by the projections of the transverse beam. The invention will now be described in more detail by means of an exemplary structure with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of a floating pontoon bridge structure supported on support columns above the water surface, and a sectional view and showing vertical openings for toothed rods and support column guide sleeves, Fig. 3 shows a fastening device locking the tu-20 pylon from its pontoon bridge, line III-III in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view and shows mainly a support pillar, Fig. 5 shows a fastening device, locking the transverse beam supporting column, line VV of Figure 2 along the 25 Figure 6 shows a enlarged view of drive mechanisms, toothed wheels and NII fastening device which belongs to that locks the cross-member to the support frame, the arrow A direction in Figure 2, and Figure 7 is an enlarged detail of the pontoon bridge 30-las and illustrates mainly the support column to which the ballast tanks are attached.

The self-rising pontoon bridge structure 1 shown in Fig. 1 has a lifting and support device 2 and an actual pontoon bridge 3 with vertical openings 4 through which the support pillars 5 pass. The support pillars 5 are dimensioned relative to the vertical openings 4 so that they can move up and down in them. To lock the support pillars 5 in the pontoon bridge 3 of 71597, conventional fastening devices 6 are provided (Figures 2 and 3). Each fastening device 6 comprises horizontally movable pins 7 and openings 8 in the surfaces of the support pillars 5. For the pins 7, sleeves 9 are also provided 5, which are firmly fastened to the bridge 3.

As can be seen from Figure 4, each opening 4 is delimited by a support frame 10. Depending on the application and structure, several support columns 5, i.e. three or more, can be placed on the bridge 1. The profiles of the support pillars 5 can be different. The support pillars 5 described below are triangular truss-beam structures with round tubes 11 at the corners.

The lifting and support device comprises a transverse beam 12 (Figures 1, 2 and 4). It surrounds the corresponding support pillar and moves the moon 15 up and down relative to it. The transverse beam 12 is locked to the support column 5 by a fastening device 13 (Fig. 5) comprising movable pins 14 and openings 15. The guide sleeves 16 of the pins 14 are fixedly connected to the transverse beam 12. The openings 15 associated with the pins 14 are made of round tubes 11 .

The transverse beam 12 has at least three double-sided racks 17 articulated to it at their upper ends.

Each support frame structure 10 (Fig. 6) has drive mechanisms 18 with drive gears 19 and 20. These 25 are connected in pairs to double-sided racks 17.

According to the invention, the transverse beam 12 has projections 21. The racks 17 are fixed to the projections 12 so that they do not touch the surface of the support pillars 5.

The deck of the pontoon bridge 3 has impermeable vertical 30 holes 22 for the racks 17 when the column 5 is lowered and the pontoon bridge is raised. On the inner sides of the support frames 10 and in the lower part of the openings 4, guide sleeves 23 are placed, the profile of which corresponds to the profile of the column 5, i.e. the surface of its circular tube 11.

35 The lifting and support device now described works as follows.

With the self-lifting bridge structure in its initial position, the support pillars 5 are at the top and locked vertically 8 by a fastening device 6 of the pontoon bridge 3. The transverse beam 12 associated with each lifting and support device 2 is at the bottom, i.e. next to the support frame 10 (Figures 1 and 2).

5 When the pontoon bridge is in place, it is raised above sea level. To this end, drive mechanisms 18 are actuated, whereby the gears 19 and 20 engage the toothed rods 17 and raise the corresponding transverse beam 12 (idle movement). When the transverse beam 12 is at the top, it is locked 10 in the column 5. This is done by inserting the pins 14 into the openings 15 in the pipes 11 of the support columns 5.

By means of the fastening device 6 (Fig. 3), each support column is released from the bridge 3.

The direction of movement of the drive mechanisms 18 is then changed, whereby the gears 19 and 20 begin to rotate in the opposite direction and, when engaging the rods 17 (Figs. 1 and 2), move it downwards. The support column 5, which is connected to the racks via the cross member 12, lowers (working movement). When the downward movement of the racks 17 stops-20, the support pillar 5 is locked in a vertical position by a mounting device 6 of its pontoon bridge 3. The transverse beam 12 can now move freely relative to the support pillar 5 because each pin 14 is detached from the hole 15 in the support pillar 5 tube.

The direction of movement of the drive mechanisms is changed, whereby the gears 19 and 20 engage the racks 17 and lift the transverse beam 12 upwards (idle movement).

Each support pillar 5 is lowered in the above-mentioned manner as a separate function.

When the foot plates 24 of the support pillars 5 touch the bottom, the lowering of the pillars is then continued so far that they are really firmly attached to the bottom.

When all the support pillars 5 are firmly attached to the bottom, the bridge 3 is lifted up on the pillars 5.

35 As the bridge 3 begins to move upwards, a ballast of 9 71597 is arranged in it by pumping a quantity of water approximately equal to its weight.

The support columns 5 are now lowered even further, which takes place by means of the lifting and support devices 2 and by the effect of the combined weight of the bridge 5 and the ballast. The pillars then settle to the maximum depth at the bottom.

When the downward movement of the pillars 5 stops, the ballast is removed from the bridge. The drive mechanisms 18 are started to lower the pillars even further, but since the pillars 10 are no longer able to sink deeper into the bottom, the Pont tonic bridge rises above the water surface. Lifting the bridge to a certain height takes place in several lifting stages.

The alternative structure according to the invention has cooperating parts 15 25 and 26 in the fastening device 27 (Fig. 6), which are placed on the lower surfaces of the projections 21 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4) of the transverse beam 12 and on the upper surfaces of the support frames 10. The fastening device 27 comprises vertical conical pins 25 and sleeves 26 with conical openings. The conical pins 25 are fixed vertically to the upper surfaces of the support frames 10 and the sleeves 26 in turn to the lower surfaces of the projections 21 of the transverse beam 12.

According to this structure, guide sleeves 28 are arranged on the inner sides of the transverse beam 12. Their profile corresponds to the profile of a certain surface part of the circular tube 11 of the support column 5. The end of the conical pin 25 does not enter the conical opening of the sleeve 26, i.e. the fastening device 27 does not work. This is because the movement of the transverse beam 12 is shorter than the distance between the end of the conical pin 25 and the opening of the conical sleeve 26 when the transverse beam 12 is in its up position. This can be arranged with 30 conventional automatic controls, e.g. with limit switches (not shown in the figures). They control the fastening devices 6 and 13 which hold the support column 5 in place relative to the pontoon bridge (device 6) and the transverse beam 12 in place relative to the support column 5 (device 13).

35 The bridge structure 1 is made to float by raising the support columns 10 71 597 5 to the upper position and locking them immobile relative to the pontoon bridge 3.

As the bridge structure floats, the downward movement of the transverse beam 12 is greater than the distance between the end of the conical pin 25 and the opening of the sleeve 26 5 (Figure 6).

Therefore, the pins 25 can now be inserted into the conical openings of the sleeves 26 (the sleeves are firmly attached to the support frames 10) when lowering the transverse beam 12 onto the support frame 10.

As a result, the beam 12 and the support frame 10 10 form a supporting contact with each other, which prevents the beam 12 and the support pillar 5 inside it from moving horizontally.

According to a further structure of the invention, a ballast facility is provided for the transverse beam 12.

As shown in Fig. 7, the containers 29 are placed in recesses formed by the projections 21 of the transverse beam 12. Each container 29 is shaped on the side of the transverse beam 12 to correspond to the shape of the respective recess. The outside of the tanks is aligned with the transverse beam 12.

20 To increase the volume of the containers 29, their bodies face downwards. In order to be able to lower the transverse beam without obstruction by means of the containers 29, the respective recesses are provided in the support frames 10.

Before the support columns are ballasted, they are lowered as described above.

When the support pillars are relatively firmly attached to the bottom, the pontoon bridge resting on them rises.

In this case, the weight of the ballast water of the bridge 3 is not equal to the weight of the bridge, but half of it. Namely, the other half of the required ballast water is pumped into tanks 29 located in the transverse beam 12 of each support column 5.

The transverse beams 12 are locked in the upper position, and the bridge 3 comprising the water weight load (one half of the water in operation) is then raised. Since the bridge 3 is now not very heavy 11 71597 due to the fact that part of the ballast has been moved to act on the support columns 5, the capacity required of the drive mechanisms 18 is considerably lower.

The support columns 5, which are subjected to the weight of their own weight-5 cargo and also to the weight of the pontoon bridge 3, protrude into the seabed to the maximum depth.

When the support pillars 5 are firmly attached to the bottom, the ballast of the tanks 29 and the bridge 3 is removed by letting the water out of them.

The following is an example of lifting a floating bridge structure using the method according to the invention.

The floating bridge with three supporting pillars was raised 15 m above sea level.

Specifications for the pontoon bridge and associated lifting and supporting equipment;

The weight of the pontoon bridge with air ballast 10 tons

Liquid volume of the pontoon bridge 5 tonnes Number of tanks per cross-member of the support column 3 20 Liquid volume of the tank 0.5 tonnes Operating mechanisms are needed when lowering one support column, which is subjected to the effect of a ballast bridge and a cross-member 25 with a ballast.

According to previous practice, it has been found that a total of 27 drive mechanisms, i.e. a floating bridge structure with a structure similar to the above-mentioned features, are necessarily required for fixing the support pillars to the seabed.

30 9 mechanisms per one support pillar.

Claims (5)

A support and lifting device on a floating platform, comprising an actual poton platform (3) with vertical slots (4), which are framed by support arms (10) and through which slidable and retractable support columns (5) are directed, which support - and lifting device partly comprises a cross beam (12) arranged to surround the respective support pillars (5), can move along it, read in relation to this support pillar (5) and is arranged to support double-sided rack (17) , the upper ends of which are pivotally attached to the transverse beam (12), and partly also drive mechanisms (18), which are arranged in corresponding supporting arms (10) and provided with driving gears (19, 20), which are provided arranged to cooperate in pairs with the respective rack (17), characterized in that the cross beam (12) is provided with bracket projections (21), to which the rack (17) is suspended so that they are separate from the surface of the respective supporting columns (5). ), and that the pontoon platform (3) is additionally provided with vertical ag (22) for receiving the rack (17), while at the insides of the support arms (10) are arranged guide insert pieces (23), the profile of which corresponds to the profile of the pillar (5) and which are intended to guide the respective pillar (5) through the pontoon platform ( 3) respective gap (4). Support and lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the underside of the bracket projections (21) and the upper sides of the support arms (10) are provided with a cooperating element (25,26) belonging to a reading means (27,26) while the inside of the cross beam (12) is provided with guide insert pieces (23), the profile of which corresponds to the surface profile of the support pillar (5) and which are intended to limit the displacement of the support pillar (5) in a horizontal direction. Support and lifting device according to Claim 2, 35, characterized in that the reading means (27) consist of tapered rods (25) and tapered heels (26), which are arranged on the upper and lower sides of the support frame (10) respectively.