GB1560250A - Vessel - Google Patents

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION

( 21) Application No 47272/78 ( 62) Divided out of No 15602 ( 31) Convention Application Is ( 32) Filed 14 Oct 1977 in ( 33) United States of America ( 44) Complete Specification pi ( 51) INT CL 3 B 63 B 35/42 ( 52) Index at acceptance B 7 A 304 417 CA ( 22) Filed 23 Dec 1977 49 Jo 842280 (US) ablished 30 Jan 1980 ( 11) 1560250 ( 19) ( 54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A VESSEL ( 71) We, WHARTON SHIPPING CORPORATION, a Corporation of the Republic of Panama, of c/o Quijano Associates, Avenida J Arosemena y Calle 32, Edificio Vallarino, Panama, do hereby declare the invention, for which way pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and

by the following statement:-

This invention relates to a barge-carrying waterborne vessel and to a barge-transporting system, as well as to a method for transporting barges across the seas.

In U K Patent Specification No 1,457,080, a vessel is described which has its primary use in relatively shallow or coastal waters It employs flotation loading and unloading of barges and utilises transfer of buoyancy from the barges to the vessel in a hold normally kept flooded to the vessel's waterline.

The present invention relates to a flotationloading and unloading vessel useful where a substantial width of ocean is to be crossed.

In most such instances, it is preferred to pump out the holds so that they are substantially dry, although, if desired, the invention may be used with the hold kept in constant communication with the sea.

In a vessel of the flotation loading and unloading type it is important for the barges (the term "barges" as used herein is used broadly and includes buoyant cargo carriers which may not strictly be barges in the narrow sense of the word but which are floatable and buoyant cargo carriers capable of flotation loading and unloading) to be retained so that there will be no relative movement between them and the vessel during transport This enables the phenomenon of transfer of buoyancy, noted in U Patent Specification No 1,457,080 to be taken advantage of in the event that the hold becomes flooded accidentally, as well as in instances where the hold is flooded throughout the voyage Such transfer of buoyance provides the vessel with the ability to sustain damage resulting in accidental flooding of each barge hold, the buoyancy of the barges being transferred to the carrying vessel via a bargeretention or hold-down system This feature qualifies the carrying vessel for high standards of seaworthiness, as designated by marine classification societies.

In this connection, the present invention seeks to provide improved method and apparatus for retaining the barges in place in a manner involving a lower initial expense and reduced expense of operation and maintenance.

According to this invention there is provided a barge carrying system comprising a plurality of barges and a barge carrying waterborne vessel, each said barge having side walls with externally longitudinally extending rib means thereon, said waterbone vessel comprising a hull having a hollow interior defining at least one hold, flooding means for putting water into said hold or holds to the level of the sea outside, gate means in said hull for flotation loading and unloading of said hold, when said hold is flooded, with one or more of said barges, and retention means for holding each said barge down against the bottom of said hold and comprising a barge-locking fender on a first side wall of a hold and having a surface adapted to engage said barge rib means when the barge is in a stowed condition, and releasable locking means for locking said barge to said hold when said rib means is in engagement with said fender.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a vessel having side walls providing a series of buoyancy compartments and a hollow interior defining at least one longitudinal hold Means are provided for flooding the hold before any barge-loading gate is opened, so that the water in the hold is equalised with the waterline of the vessel and then at that time, a gate, preferably in the stem end of the vessel, may be opened for flotation loading or unloading Inside the hold is preferably barge-moving means, comprising a flow-creating system for causing sufficient flow of water to move the barges inside the hold in one direction during flotation loading and in the opposite direction during flotation unloading.

This may be done by providing a sump, which is in the forward end of the hold when the gate kr1,560,250 is in the stern and is in the aft end if the gate were to be in the bow The sump may be used in connection with a sea chest to provide the flooding means, and it may be used in combination with one of the pumps provided primarily for the buoyancy compartments to cause the water to flow forward through the hold for flotation loading through a stem gate and to flow toward the stern gate for flotation unloading.

There may be more than one longitudinal hold, and, if so, flotation loading and unloading and the water flow system are still used.

There may be a simple two-hold structure with separate gates, or there may be a single stern gate supplying the barge entrance to two or three holds located side by side In that event, the longitudinal bulkheads that separate the holds are provided, preferably somewhere near the stern, with an archway for providing a passageway for barges to move laterally into one hold or the other Water jets may be played against the sides of the barges to help accomplish this lateral movement.

The preferred embodiment of this invention also comprises a plurality of rollers, some quite near the stem gate to aid the entry of barges into the vessel and their departure from it.

There may be rollers in pairs with the rollers to one side of the loading bay powered and those to the other side being spring-urged idler rollers There may also be a power roller or rollers adjacent or at the transfer area where barges are to be moved laterally.

Barge retention means are provided In one embodiment, the barges provided for use with the vessel are themselves equipped with a trapezoidal rib or ribs along each side, having a sloping upper face, a sloping lower face, and a vertical outer face The vessel hold may then be provided with a similarly shaped trapezoidal fender having a lower surface which engages the upper face of the barge's rib after the hold has been purged out and the barge has settled on the bottom of the hold The opposite side of the hold, which hold may be somewhat wider than the barge, is provided with a sloping lower portion that helps the barge to settle in toward the fender and to lock the rib under the fender when the water is pumped out of the hold On this other side of the barge, a positive retention or hold-down device may then be applied, co-operating with the rib-fender engagement to lock the barge in place in the hold.

In one embodiment of the invention the retention device comprises a telescoping assembly mounted in a recess in the side wall of a longitudinal bulkhead of the vessel, and preferably acting at an angle thereto The telescoping member may be extended or retracted by an hydraulic, mechanical, or electrical device so that its outboard end is urged against the side of the barge opposite from the trapezoidal rib and fender engagement.

Another alternative retention device incorporates a flexible linear device, a rod or cable or chain, which may be anchored to the barge as by bits on the upper surface of the barge, and to the ship hold by a hook and anchor engagement In vessels having a transfer area, such a cable, chain, or rod device is preferably used on both sides, since there is no practical possibility there of obtaining a rib-fender engagement The cable, chain, or rod may include a take-up device, such as a turnbuckle or ratchet arrangement for matching its length to the length which it must span, so that it will be taut and the barge held snugly in place.

A cable or chain with a take-up device may also be used to retain standard barges having no bitts by locking one end of the chain or cable to a pad-eye on one side of the hold and then anchoring it to the other side of the hold.

2 In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described by way of ex 90 ample with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation and in section of a vessel in accordance with this invention, the view being taken 95 along the line 1-1 in Figure 2; Figure 2 is a plan view in section of the vessel of Figure 1, taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1 illustrating the vessel partially loaded with barges, and jets of water imping 100 ing upon one barge to shift it laterally, and showing that this embodiment of the invention comprises a vessel having two longitudinal holds with a transfer area and a loading bay; Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary side 105 view, partially in section taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2 of one of the jet nozzles of Figure 2 and adjacent area; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the transfer area, along the line 4-4 in 110 Figure 2 and showing drive roller assemblies at each end thereof; Figure 5 is a more fragmentary view showing a modified form of transfer for roller assembly at the forward end of the transfer 115 area; Figure 6 is a diagram of the water jet system of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 including controls and pumps; Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view 120 in section taken along the line 7-7 in Figure 2 and showing one form of barge-retention system; Figure 8 is a still further enlarged view of portions of Figure 7, Figure 8 being broken in 125 the middle to conserve space and illustrating a floating position of the barge in broken lines, so that it may be seen how it settles into place 3 1,6025 while moving to one side so that its rib is locked under the fender in the hold; Figure 9 is an enlarged isometric view of one of the telescoping retention members of Figures 7 and 8; Figure 10 is an isometric view in perspective of a barge made for use with that retention system, showing its rib engaged by three members of structure of Figure 9; Figure 11 is a fragmentary view in section corresponding to the right-hand side of Figure 8, showing a modlfied form of rib-receiving structure, incorporating a trapezoidal recess in the hold wall; Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 8, though on a smaller scale, of another type of retention device incorporating a flexible linear member, used in combination with the ribfender engagement; Figure 13 is a fragmentary, broken, end view, partly in section, showing cables used as retention means on both sides of a barge in the transfer area of Figure 2; Figure 14 is an isometric view of the barge and retention means of Figure 13, showing part of the hold and anchor; Figure 15 is a view in perspective, partially broken of a cable type of retention member, as used in Figures 12 to 14, in conjunction with a recessed anchor in the hold.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show, diagrammatically, a dual-hold vessel 30 which illustrates many of the features of the invention.

The ship or vessel 30 has a hull 31 with a bottom wall 32, a port-side wall 33, a starboard side wall 34, a stern end 35, and a bow end 36 The ship has a deck 37 which is preferably imperforate, and therefore can be made strong at low expense and can support a number of cargo containers 38, which may be loaded on by a roll-on, roll-off ramp 39.

The ship 30 may include a superstructure 40, providing a pilothouse, crew quarters, galley, etc The port-side wall 33 forms part of a series of port ballast tanks 41, while the starboard wall 34 forms part of a series of starboard ballast tanks 42 Similarly, the bottom wall 32 forms part of a series of bottom ballast tanks 43 These ballast tanks 41, 42 and 43 are provided with a suitable pump or pumps 44 which are made use of in a novel way in addition to their normal use in connection with the ballast tanks.

The vessel 30 is unusual in that below the deck 37 almost the entire vessel comprises a hollow interior 45 devoted to hold space and divided by a longitudinal bulkhead 46 into two non-compartmented holds, a port hold 47 and a starboard hold 48 Immediately aft of the bulkhead 46 is a transfer area 50 and aft of that is an entrance bay 51 adjoining a gate 52 Engine rooms 53 and 54 are provided near the stern 35, one on each side of the centrally located entrance bay 51 The port hold 47 lies between the bulkhead 46 and a wall 55, which may be a wall of the ballast tanks 41, while the starboard hold lies between the bulkhead 46 and a wall 56, which may be a wall of the ballast tanks 42 The holds 47 and 48 70 each have a strong bottom wall 57 The bulkhead 46 may be hollow and may be defined by two walls 58 and 59.

Above the transfer area 50 is an archway 60 extending from the aft end 62 of the bulkhead 75 46 to bulkhead structures 63 and 64 that separate the entrance bay 51 from the engine rooms 53 and 54 A deck support structure 65 extends between the port and starboard side walls 33 and 34 and the bulkheads 50, 63, and 80 64 and the archway 60 As shown in Figure 1, the stern gate 52 may be generally L-shaped having an upper normally horizontal portion a and a normally vertical portion 66 The horizontal portion 65 a may be pivoted by a 85 pivot shaft 67 to the ship's structure so that the stem gate 52 may be raised by power means 68 in a normal manner about this pivot shaft 67 to open the entrance bay 51 to the sea 90 Below the engine rooms 53 and 54 are located the driving propellers and rudders for propelling and guiding the ship 30.

On one side of the entrance bay 51, closely adjacent the stern gate 52, is mounted a drive 95 roller 70 on a vertical shaft 71 which is provided with a power drive 72 Opposite the roller 70 is an idler roller 73 on a vertical shaft 74, and the shaft 74 is carried by one or more pivot arms 75, urged outwardly by a spring 100 76 The rollers 70 and 73 lie just above the ship's waterline during flotation loading and unloading The spring 76 helps to assure that both rollers 70 and 73 will make contact with the side walls 78 and 79 of a floating barge 80 105 being moved into the ship 30, and the powerdriven roller 70 supplies part of the motive power required to cause the movement of the barge further into the loading bay 51 and Into the transfer bay 50 At the transfer bay end 110 of the loading bay 51, another driven roller 82 is provided on a vertical shaft 83 and on the opposite side another idler roller 84 is provided on a shaft 85, the shaft 85 being mounted in a pivot assembly 86 to swing out 115 wardly as urged by a spring 87 Another driven roller 88 is provided on the aft end 62 of the bulkhead 46 for engagement by the front end of a barge 80; to assure contact when the front end of the barge is raked, the 120 roller 88 may be cylindrical, or there may be a series of smaller wheels 88 a on a common shaft 89 (Figure 5).

At the forward end of the port hold 47 is a sump 90, and at the forward end of starboard 125 hold 48 is a sump 91 (Figure 18) Each sump and 91 is connected by suitable valves to a suitable pump 44 or 44 a and is also connected by suitable valves to a sea chest 92 The pump 44, as shown in Figure 18 is connected 130 1,560,250 1,560,250 by a valve 94 to a conduit 95, to which the pump 44 a is also connected by a valve 96, so that crossover operation can be obtained when needed or desired The conduit 95 is conducted by a valve 97 to a conduit 98 and by a valve 99 to a conduit 100 The conduit 98 is connected to the port buoyancy compartments 41 to valves 101 and to the port-side bottom buoyancy compartments 43 by valves 102.

Similarly, the conduit 100 is connected to the starboard buoyancy compartments 42 by valves 103 and to the starboard-side bottom buoyancy compartments 43 by valves 104 This is normal for such a type of ship.

In the presently described embodiment of the invention, the large-volume, low pressure pumps 44 and 44 a and the conduits 95, 98, and 100 are utilised to provide a loading and unloading water flow The conduits 98 and 100 are extended forward and are connected, respectively, by valves 105 and 106 to the sumps 90 and 91 Thus, with the valves 99, 101, and 102 closed and the valves 97 and 105 open, either or both pumps 44 and 44 a may be connected to the sump 90 by use of the valves 94 and 95.

Similarly, the valves 97, 103, and 104 may be closed and the valves 99 and 106 opened, for use of either or both pumps 44 and 44 a in connection solely with the sump 91.

To complete the flow system, the pump 44 is connected to a conduit 107 by a valve 108, and the pump 44 a is connected to the conduit 107 by a valve 109 An overboard discharge line 110 is connected to the conduit 107 by a valve 111, for pumping out water The sea chest 92 is connected to the conduit 107 by a valve 112, and, finally, the conduit 107 is connected via a valve 113 to the conduit 95.

All the valve controls for all valves may be centralised in one location, such as in a console 115 in a control room 116 shown in Figure 1 as just aft of the transfer area 50, where direct observation of that area may be obtained through a window 117 and direct observation of the entrance bay 51 may be obtained through a window 118 Closed circuit television may be used to enable the operator to observe any other desired locations, as along the holds 47 and 48.

Control of the buoyancy chambers 41, 42, and 43 is normal and also readily apparent from Figure 18, and need not be described.

For flooding the holds 47 and 48, the transfer area 50, and the entrance bay 51 before opening the stern gate 52, to bring water in these places up to the ship's waterline, the valves 94, 96, 108, 109, and 111 are closed, as are the valves 101, 102, 103, and 104 The valves 112, 113, 97, 99, 105, and 106 are open to bring water in through the sea chest 92 at the natural head provided by the ship's waterline being higher than the bottoms of the holds 47 and 48 (If desired, the waterline may have previously been adjusted by admitting or expelling water into one or more of the buoyancy tanks 41, 42, 43) Water flows from the sea chest 92 via the conduits 107, 95, 98, and 100 into the sumps 90 and 91 and thus into the holds 47 and 48 and from there to the transfer area 50 and the entrance bay 51 This flow continues until the water inside the holds 47 and 48, the transfer area 50 and the entrance bay 51 reaches the level of the ships waterline Then, the stern gate 52 may be opened to afford access to barges 80.

For the purpose of explanation it is assumed that initially the holds of the vessel are empty and that barges 80 are to be flotation loaded into them The desired water flow pattern into the hold 47 (which it will be assumed here is the first one to be loaded, although the hold 48 could be loaded first) is achieved by closing the valves 113, 112, 99, and 106 and by opening the valves 111, 108, and 94 and then operating the pump 44 to send water from the sump 90, exclusively to overboard discharge via the conduits 98, 95, 107, and 110.

The valves 97 and 105 remain open, and the valves 101 and 102 remain dosed As a result, water flows into the entrance bay 51 through the open gateway and on into the hold 47 and to the forward end of that hold 47 at the sump For a faster flow, the valves 109 and 96 are opened and the pump 44 a is put into operation.

When the hold 47 has been filled with barges (in a manner described later) the water flow from the sump 90 is stopped by closing the valves 97 and 105, and the valves 99 and 106 are opened to pump water from the sump 91 overboard by the conduits 100, 95, 107, and 110, so that water flows through the open gateway and via the entrance bay 51 and the transfer area 50 into the hold 48 When the hold 48 has been loaded, the pumps 44 and 44 a (if used) are shut down temporarily.

When the vessel 30 is fully loaded with barges 80 (part of such loading being described below), the gate 52 is closed Then the holds may then be dewatered To do this, the valves and 106 may both be opened, the valves 101, 102, 103, and 104 remaining closed, and the valves 97 and 99 are opened The valves 113 and 112 remain closed, and the valves 94, 96, 108, 109, and 111 are opened The pumps 44 and 44 a may then pump water from the sumps 90 and 91 overboard by the conduit to remove substantially all the water from the holds 47 and 48 and from the transfer area and entrance bay 51.

As stated above, the rollers 70 and 74 initiate movement of the barges 80 into the hollow interior 45, at the entrance bay 51, and the rollers 82 and 84 act with the forward water flow toward either sump 90 or 91 to move the barges 80 forward through the entrance bay 51 and into the transfer area 50.

Also, as indicated above, the water flow carries the barges 80, after lateral transfer, forward in the hold 47 or 48 to which they have 1,560,250 been laterally transferred Now the transfer itself will be described A series of water-jet nozzles 120, located above the ship's waterline in the starboard wall 56 of the transfer bay 50, send jets 121 of water against the star board side wall 79 of a barge 80, tending to move the barge 80 toward the port-side wall of the transfer bay 50 On the other hand, a series of identical water-jet nozzles 122 are provided in the port wall 55 and are adapted to send jets 123 of water against the port wall 78 of the barge 80, tending to move the barge toward the starboard side wall 56 Both series of jets 121 and 123 are preferably used simultaneously, to achieve accurate control of the barges; but one series of jets is controlled to be more powerful than the other, depending on the desired direction of lateral transfer.

The rollers 82 and 88 may assist somewhat as does the water flow but lateral transfer is preferably the function of the jets 121 and 123.

Figure 6 illustrates a control system, and only one series of nozzles 120 is shown in this figure, but the other side is controlled identically All the nozzles are controlled by the same console 124, which may form part of or be located adjacent to one side of the console 115 in the control room 116 The water for the jets 121 and 123 may be obtained from the sea chest 92 (or from a different one, if desidered) by a pump 125 having a motor 126 controlled from the console 124, for example by signals transmitted by an electrical lead 127.

Similar electrical leads 128, 129, and 130 go from the console 124 to solenoid or other types of electrical controls for the valves 131, 132, and 133, which control water flow through each nozzle 120.

Unlike the high-volume, low pressure pumps 44 and 44 a, each capable of moving 200,000 gallons per minute, the pump 125 is a low volume, high pressure pump, which, with the aid of the nozzles 120 and 122, can send relatively low amounts of water at high velocity against the sides 78 and 79 of the barges 80.

Each nozzle control valve 131, 132, and 133 may be structured to provide a series of for example six different velocities to each of the jets 121 and 123 Thus, the operator in the control room 116 may watch the lateral transfer of each barge 80 directly and control it by adjusting appropriate control devices.

Prior to flotation loading of the ship, the stern gate 52 is closed and the holds 47 and 48 are dry, as are the transfer area 50 and the entrance by a 51 When flotation loading of the barges 80 is to proceed, assuming that the ship 30 is at that time empty, the holds 47 and 48, the area 50 and the bay 51 are flooded, preferably by water coming from the sea via the sea chest 92 into the sumps 90 and 91 and thence into the holds 47 and 48, all as descrbed This operation is rapid at first due to the head provided since the barge hold bottom 57 is then well below the waterline of the vessel 30 As the flooding proceeds it slows down, as the water inside the holds approaches equalisation with the vessels waterline When this equalisation is achieved, or is substantally achieved, the stern gate 52 may be opened to enable loading At this time, the connection between the sumps 90 and 91 and the sea chest 92 is cut off, and the pump 44 (and perhaps also the pump 44 a) is used to pump water out from one of the sumps, e g the sump 90 and overboard to provide a flow of water in the hollow interior 45 from the stern to the sump 90 This flow may be substantial, for example, at the rate of two or three hundred thousand gallons per minute, since the pumps 44 and 44 a supplied for the ballast operation are of a size capable of accomplishing large flow at low pressure With the stern gate 52 still open and the barges 80 entering, they are guided and partly propelled by the rollers 70 in conjunction with the idler rollers 72 into the entrance bay 51 In it the water flows forward and the rollers 70 and 72 move them forward, and when the barges 80 reach the rollers 82 and 84 they are propelled from the loading bay 51 into the transfer bay 50, partly with the aid of the rollers 82 and 84, and soon abut the transfer roller 88 or 88 a Once in the transfer area 50, the barge is impinged upon by the jets 121 and 123 to move it laterally into alignment with the hold 47 (for example), all under control of the operator The operator can see either directly or with the aid of closed circuit television, all critical points, such as the transfer area, the stem gate area, and the forward ends of the holds 47 and 48, and perhaps other places along the holds By having several different settings of the valves 131, 132, 133, etc, water can be forced through the nozzles and 122 having various degrees of momentum During the transfer operation when the barge 80 is in the transfer bay 50 and is to be moved laterally, nozzles 120 and 122 on both sides are in use to help to retain the correct lateral position and evenness, but the momentum of the water impinging against one barge side wall 79 is much greater than on the other side wall 78, so that the jets 121 and 123 of water playing on the sides 78 and 79 of the barge 80 move it toward the wall 55 of the hold 47, while at the same time the jets 123 are braking that movement, to enable complete control to be achieved.

Each barge 80, after having been transferred into the hold 47 is moved forwardly in the hold 47 by water flow, normally until the hold 47 is filled with barges When that particular hold 47 is filled with barges, loading is then directed into the other hold 48, and this is done by shutting off the pump 44 (or 44 a or both) from the sump 90 and applying it to pump water out from the sump 91 There is no tendency of the vessel 30 to list at this stage, because the barges 80 are freely floating 1,560,250 on water and not bearing directly on the vessel 30.

When the two holds 47 and 48 are both fully loaded with barges 80, then one barge 80 may be left in the transfer area 50, preferably centrally with respect to it, and another barge 80 may be put into the entrance bay 51 and left there The stern gate 52 is then closed, and the pump 44 or pumps 44 and 44 a are used to dry out the holds 47 and 48 and at the same time, of course, the bay 51 and the area 50 As this is done the barges 80 are lowered in the barge holds 47 and 48 and soon engage the bottom 57 An important part of the invention is to retain the barges 80 against relative movement between them and the ship 30 This may be accomplished in any of several ways, which will now be described.

The system illustrated in Figures 7 to 10 makes use of a new barge structure For example, the barge 80 may be generally shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped on, having, in addition to side walls 78 and 79 a flat bottom 140 joined to the walls 78 and 79 by splayed or sloping bilges 141 and 142 Both front and rear walls 143 and 144 may be vertical They also have a substantially flat upper surface The novelty of the barge 80 lies in the fact that both its side walls 78 and 79 are provided with a rib or fender 146 Preferablythere is one continuous rib 146 on each side, extending for a substantial length along the side wall 78 or 79 but not necessarily for the complete length Each rib 146 is generally trapezoidal in shape having a downwardly sloping upper surface 147, a downwardly sloping lower surface 148, and a flat vertical surface 149.

The barge structure is mated to the structure of the ship For example, the outer wall of the hold 47 may be provided with a fender 150, preferably trapezoidal in shape with a sloping upper wall 151 to help guide the barge 80 down, a sloping lower surface 152, and a vertical surface 153 When the barge 80 rests directly on the bottom 57 of the hold 47, the surface 152 of the fender mates with the upper surface 147 of the rib 146 The opposite wall, which may be one wall 155 of the bulkhead 46, which may be hollow, is preferably provided with a lower sloping portion 156 to help guide the barge down and also toward the wall 55 as the water is pumped out from the hold 47 The hold 47 is made sufficiently wider than the barge 80 to accommodate this sidewise movement; for example, the hold 47 may be about a foot or a foot and one-half wider than the barge 80.

As the barge 80 settles down and simultaneously moves laterally, the rib 146 lies below the trapezoidal fender 150, its upper surface 147 engaging the fender's lower surface 152 When the barge 80 is bottomed, the rib's surface 149 either is in contact with or closely adjacent to the wall 55 When the hold 47 is again flooded, the barge 80 tends to float out of that position However, during the voyage, it is not permitted to do so, because a suitable securing means is provided.

For this purpose the hollow bulkhead 46 may accommodate a telescoping retention device 160 This may comprise a hollow elongated inner prism member 161, for example, square in cross-section, and a similarly shaped outer prism member 162 arranged to slide relatively to the inner prism 161 Suitable actuating means may be hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, or electrical For example, the inner prism 161 may have a closed upper end 163 and an open lower end 164, while the outer prism 162 may have a closed lower end A fluid conduit 165 a may enter the upper end of the inner prism 161, so that the two members 161 and 162 may be hydraulically or pneumatically extended and retracted In any event, it is necessary to be able to withdraw the retention device 160 so that it will not interfere with the downward settling into place of the barge 80 and subsequently to be able to project the device 160 out so that it will engage the barge 80 For this purpose the device 160 preferably has an outer end portion 166 of substantial length which engages the upper surface 147 of the rib 146, and which may be splayed to engage also a portion of the barge wall 79 When, for example, three of these devices 160 are in place against a 100-foot long barge so they serve to retain it positively and accurately in position and to enable the transfer of buoyancy from the barge to the vessel when the hold 47 is flooded.

Stowage and retention of barges 80 in the hold 48 is symmetric to that first described.

The rib-fender engagement secures one side, and the device 160 the other Hence, powered device 160 need be used only along one side of each barge Moreover, a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 167 with its piston rod 167 a swivelled to the inner prism 161 and itself swivel-mounted to the bulkhead 46 enables retracting into or projecting the device 160 from the hollow bulkhead A mechanical lock 168 is provided for securely retaining the device 160 in position when the fluid pressure system is turned off during sea transit.

Figure 11 shows a wall 55 a which, instead of a fender 150 has a trapezoidal notch 169 to engage the rib 146 Operation is substantially the same otherwise.

Other types of retention of hold-down devices may be used, including those shown in some of previous U S Patent Specifications such as in U S Patent Specifications Nos.

3,913,512 and 3,978,806 Yet another form of retention means is shown in Figures 12 to 15.

These may be used in place of the devices already described or may be used in addition to the devices 160 in certain locations, 1,560,250 such as for retaining the barge 80 in the transfer area 50.

For use of the device shown in Figures 12 to 15, the barge 80 is provided on its upper surface 145, and preferably near each side edge, with a series of bitts or bollards 170 which project upwardly Similarly, the transfer area 50 or hold 47 or 48 is provided preferably at the bottom 57 with a series of sockets 171 each having an anchor bar 172 therein The sockets 171 may be recessed into the bottom 57 If located inside the hollow bulkhead 46, such recessing is unnecessary.

The bitts 170 and the sockets 171 are used in conjunction with a linear member 173 which may be flexible, as for example a wire cable or a chain, or may be rigid, as for example a rod At one end there is a loop 174 or other suitable member for attachment to the bitts 170; at the other end there is hook or other suitable member for attachment to the anchor arm 172 In any event, it is desirable to provide a quick-acting take-up device 176 This may be hydraulic or mechanical.

It may be a turnbuckle or a rack and pinion arrangement or a cylinder piston arrangement, as shown, with a piston rod 177, a cylinder 178, and a control lever 179, which in any event, acts quickly to lengthen or shorten the length of the linear member 173 so that it will extend between the bitt 170 and the anchor 172 and can be made taut when in place In this way, the barge 80 in the transfer area 50 can be secured in place on both sides by these linear members 173 If desired, they may be used to secure all of the other barges 80 in place, in cooperation with the rib-fender engagement (see Figure 12) These devices are less expensive than the devices 160 but require hand affixation, while the devices can be remote-controlled, as from the control room 116.

Reference is made to co-pending Application No 53843/77 (Serial No 1,560,249) from which the present Application is divided.

This Application relates to a barge carrying waterborne vessel including a hull having a hollow interior defining a hold, flooding means for putting water into said hold to a depth of the vessels water line, gate means in said hull for the flotation loading and unloading of said hold, and barge moving means in the said hollow interior comprising flow creating means for causing a flow of water to move barges in said hold in a predetermined direction during flotation loading and in the other direction during flotation unloading.

Claims (9)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1 A barge carrying system comprising a plurality of barges and a barge carrying waterborne vessel, each said barge having side walls with externally longitudinally extending rib means thereon, said waterbome vessel comprising a hull having a hollow interior defining at least one hold, flooding means for putting 65 water into said hold or holds to the level of the sea outside, gate means in said hull for flotation loading and unloading of said hold, when said hold is flooded, with one or more of said barges, and retention means for holding 70 each said barge down against the bottom of said hold and comprising a barge-locking fender on a first side wall of a hold and having a surface adapted to engage said barge rib means when the barge is in a stowed condi 75 tion, and releasable locking means for locking said barge to said hold when said rib means is in engagement with said fender.

2 A barge-carrying system according to claim 1 wherein the rib means on each barge 80 are substantially trapezoidal in shape with upper and lower sloping portions and a vertical outboard surface, said barge below said rib having a vertical wall leading by a short sloping portion to a flat bottom, and wherein 85 said waterborne vessel comprises a hull with rigid supporting and hull-reinforcing structure, a fixed bow, a stem, and side walls providing a series of buoyancy compartments, and a barge hold bottom always lying below the level 90 of the sea, said hull having a hollow interior defining at least one longitudinal hold extending most of the length of said vessel, said gate means being at the stem end of said vessel and being provided with opening and closing 95 means for opening and closing said gate means so as to enable said flotation loading and unloading, and wherein said retention means, which are provided to prevent movement of the barges and for enabling exchange of 100 buoyancy between each said barge and said vessel when said hold is flooded, comprise a barge-locking fender on a first side wall of said hold, trapezoidal in shape with upper and lower sloping surfaces, with the lower surface 105 adapted to engage the upper surface of a said barge rib means when the barge is in stowed position and resting on the bottom of said hold, an opposite second side wall spaced from said first side wall by a distance somewhat greater 110 than the overall width of the barges, inclusive of their said rib means, and having a lower sloping bilge, corresponding in angle to the slope of the barge sloping portion leading to its flat bottom to help to guide the barge 115 when the hold is being drained of water into the position where the barge rests at the hold bottom with a rib fitting into said trapezoidal recess, and releasable locking means associated with said second side wall for locking said 120 barge to said hold when said rib means is in engagement with the lower surface of said trapezoidal fender.

3 A system according to claim 2 wherein there is a lower side wall portion on said first 125 side wall spaced downwardly from said fender and having an upper sloping surface, defining with said fender a trapezoidal recess for reception of a barge rib means, and having a 1,560250 vertical wall therebelow leading to a flat hold bottom, against which the barge rests while in transit and when the hold is dry.

4 A system according to claim 2 or 3 wherein said second side wall is hollow and said releasable locking means comprise telescoping securing means in said hollow wall providing a locking member that is projectable downwardly and outwardly beyond said second side wall with engagement with the upper surface of a said rib means and an adjacent portion of the barge side wall, for positively holding said barge in place.

A system according to claim 4, wherein said telescoping securing means comprises an hydraulically actuated device anchored to said second side wall and having a cylinder, a piston, and an outboard barge-engaging member.

6 A system according to claim 5 having mechanical locking means for mechanically locking said barge-engaging member in its extended position for retention of the barge without continuous exertion of fluid pressure.

7 A system according to claim 2 or 3 wherein said releasable locking means comprises a series of linear members of predetermined length, barge-anchoring means for securing one end of each said linear member to the barge, and hold-anchoring means for securing the other end of each said linear member to said hold with said linear member in extension.

8 A system according to claim 7 wherein each said barge has, along an upper surface near the side edge a series of bitts and said barge-anchoring means comprises said bitts and loops on one end of said linear members, and said hold has a plurality of recessed sockets each with an anchor bar and said holdanchoring means comprises this bar and a hook on the other end of said linear member.

9 A system according to claim 8 wherein said linear member comprises take-up means to assure that it can be tensioned when anchored at both ends.

A system according to any one of claims 2 to 9 having barge moving means in said hollow hull interior comprising fore-andaft flow creating means for causing water to flow forwardly to move barges in said hold forward during flotation loading and to flow after during flotation unloading to move said barges aft.

FORRESTER, KETLEY & CO, Chartered Patent Agents, Forrester House, 52 Bounds Green Road, London, Nll 2 EY, and also at Rutland House, 148, Edmund Street, Birmingham B 3 2 LD.

and Scottish Provident Building, 29, St Vincent Place, Glasgow, G 1 2 DT, Agents for the Applicants.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by the Courier Press, Leamington Spa 1980 Published by The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC 2 A I AY from which copies may be obtained.