GB1386750A - Vessel with a well for cargo barges - Google Patents

Abstract

1386750 Ships &c. FREDERIKSHAVN VAERFT & TORDOK AS 17 July 1973 [16 Aug 1972] 33990/73 Headings B7A and B7S A vessel's hull 1 is formed with a longitudinal stern well 2 for receiving a train of cargo barges 4 floating on their load waterline. Well 2 is provided with first upper 18 and lower 16 vertically adjustable coupling means adapted to engage second upper 15 and lower coupling means on the barges, and securing means 24, 25, 26 adapted to secure the first coupling means 16, 18 to the hull 1. Each of the first coupling means is mounted on a column 9 vertically slidable in a vertical guide 8 provided in the wall of well 2, each column 9 being connected to an actuating mechanism for raising and lowering the column. The lower end of column 9 includes the first lower coupling means 16 which engages the second lower coupling means when the column is raised, and the upper end of the column includes the first upper coupling means 18 which engage the second upper coupling means 15 on the barge 4 to apply a downward force thereto, whereby the barge 4 is urged against the first lower coupling means 16 of the column 9. As shown, a vessel having a catamaran stern is provided in the walls of the well 2, with vertical guides 8 in each of which a column 9 is slidable by means of a cylinder 14 and cable 10. Each column 9 has a pin 16 at its lower end for engaging an opening in the barge and a socket 18 at its upper end for engaging a pin 15 on the barge. Socket 18 is formed on an arm 19 which is pivoted to the column 9 and is attached to another pivoted arm 20 by a link 21 which is acted on by the piston rod 22 of a cylinder 23 to cause the arm 19 to move from the position of Fig. 3, to that of Fig. 4, in which the barge is clamped between socket 18 and pin 16. The upper rear surface of the column 9 is provided with a toothed bar 24 which may be brought into engagement with a toothed bar 25 on the guide 8 by means of a cylinder 26 thus locking column 9 and guide 8 together. A stern barge 5 with an inclined bottom 6, part of which is adjustable, is attached to the end of the barge train to improve the flow lines of the loaded vessel. In operation, a tug pushes a barge train into the well 2; when the leading barge strikes the wooden buffer 3 a locking mechanism (32), Fig. 2 (not shown), near the stern of the vessel is actuated to prevent horizontal movement of the barges. The columns 9 are then raised by cylinders 14 until pins 16 engage the barges and the cylinders 23 are actuated to cause sockets 18 to engage pins 15. Columns 9 are then clamped to guides 8 by cylinders 26 and are locked mechanically. After the stern barge has been secured in place and the angle of its bottom adjusted, the vessel is ready to sail.