GB1424435A - Aparatus for unloading fluid cargo - Google Patents

Abstract

1424435 Unloading fluids from ships MITSUI SHIPBUILDING & ENG CO Ltd 9 April 1973 [11 April 1972] 16912/73 Heading B8E To unload a fluid from a ship S pipes 32 carried by a vertically guided floating box 5 are coupled to discharge pipes 33 on the ship and the fluid is pumped from the ship by pumps in a pumping room 28 on the sea bed, a ballast tank 11 on the box 5 being drained to allow the box to rise with the emptying ship. A recess 5<SP>1</SP> in the box 5 houses flexible hoses 6 coupled to the pipes 32 by joints 12<SP>1</SP> and to discharge pipes 7 which are connected to the pumping room 28 by hoses 7a. A pipe 31 discharges the fluid from the pumping room. The recess 5<SP>1</SP> is surrounded by gaskets 8 which seal the recess against the ship and allow an operator, once the recess has been drained, to gain access to the recess via a conduit 25 and operate rams 13a, 13b which act on links 34, 35 to mate the pipes 32, 33. The box 5 is pivoted to a slide 3 guided by piles 2 and is kept horizontal by a chain 24. A cable 22 from a winch 15 is connected to the ship S and passes around a sheave 16 on the box 5 and, together with a chain 21 from the winch 15 which passes around sheaves 18, 19 and is connected at 20 to the slide 3, assists in raising and lowering the box 5.