GB2137565A

GB2137565A - Bow hatch

Info

Publication number: GB2137565A
Application number: GB08406475A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Aate Aatos Virtanen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1983-03-16
Filing date: 1984-03-13
Publication date: 1984-10-10
Also published as: FI68377C; SE8401259L; DK158184A; FI830865A0; DK158184D0; GB8406475D0; FI68377B; FI830865L; NO840815L; SE8401259D0

Abstract

A support assembly in a marine vessel (1) with a hinged bow hatch (2). The assembly has a support leg (3) on each side of the bow hatch (2), and the leg is swivelled towards and away from the vessel (1). With the help of a working cylinder (5), which has one end attached to the vessel and the other to the support leg (3), the leg can be turned in a vertical plane. The support legs are equipped with arms (7), on which the bow hatch (2) can rest when it is being lowered and raised. The assembly is equipped with a separate limiter (8) to limit the movement of the hatch (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Support assembly for a vessel The subject of the invention is a support assembly for a vessel, having a hinged bow hatch.

Previously known is a marine vessel with a hinged bow hatch for loading and unloading cargo. The bow of the known vessel is equipped with support legs on which the vessel can be anchored ashore and the bow supported while loading or unloading takes place. The support legs are moved in a vertical direction within a body, which also contains a power unit closely connected with the support leg in order to move it. Such a support leg and body are in contact with the water. The disadvantages of this apparatus are rapid corrosion by water, as well as vessel resistance during motion. Being closely connected with the support leg, the power unit is subject to the same strain, which wears the power unit.

The purpose of this invention is to remove the above disadvantages as well as to produce interaction between the support legs and the hatch.

The present invention provides a support assemblyfor a vessel with a hinged bow hatch, comprising a support leg attached to the vessel and swivellable relative thereto between a raised and lowered position and a power unit operating between the vessel and the support leg, said power unit being located inside the vessel. Preferably the power unit is at least one working cylinder operable by pressure, one end of the working cylinder being attached to the vessel and the other end to the support leg. In the preferred embodiment there are two supportlegs, placed near and on either side of the bow hatch of the vessel and which are swivellable in a substantially vertical plane lengthwise with respect to the vessel.

One embodiment of the invention is explained in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 represents the support assembly as seen from the side; Figure 2 represents the support assembly as seen from above; and Figure 3 represents the support assembly as seen from the front, the support leg in the lowered position being indicated by a dotted line.

In Figure 1 numeral 1 refers to the vessel and 2 to the hinged bow hatch. Arrow 3 generally refers to the support leg, which has one end attached by a swivel axle 6 to a lug 9 fastened to the vessel. Figure 2 shows that the support leg is placed near the outside of hatch 2. On the other side of the hatch there is a corresponding leg, which is not shown in Figure 2. In this case there are 2 legs. Each support leg 3 can be raised and lowered by a power unit operating between the vessel 1 and the support leg 3. In the Figures, the power unit is a working cylinder 5, with one end attached a lug 14, by a swivel axle 11.

The lug 14 is fastened to the support leg 3 by means of a support 15. The other end of the cylinder 5 is connected to a lug 12 by a swivel axle 10. The lug 12 is attached to the vessel 1 by a support 13. The working cylinder 5 is advantageously separate from the support leg, operated by pressure and, as seen in the Figures, placed lengthwise within the vessel, whereby it is out of direct contact with water.

Each working cylinder is advantageously arranged to be controlled individually. Thus the support legs, when lowered, can easily be adjusted to ground level.

The working cylinder can be replaced by another power unit, such as a rotating driving motor and gear drive. It is essential that the power unit allows the support leg to turn around the swivel joint 4 on the vessel body 1 in a substantially vertical plane, especially lengthwise with respect to the vessel.

The swivelling axles 6 of the support legs are generally perpendicular to the vertical plane going through the longitudinal axis of the vessel, and advantageously tilted in relation to the horizontal plane so that their outer ends are higher than the inner ends. In Figure 3 the tilt angle is 0 1. In addition, the axles can be turned in a horizontal plane to form an angle between them smaller than 180 , which points towards the bow. In Figure 2 the angle between axle 6 and the transverse plane is 2.

When the axles are turned in this way, the distance between the lower ends of the support legs when lowered is greater than that between the upper ends (dotted line in Figure 3). This makes the support legs more stable.

Figure 3 shows rests attached to the support legs 3, in the form of arms 7 extending to the bow hatch when viewed from fore and aft and to the frontside of it when viewed from the beam direction. The purpose of the rests is to support the hatch at least when it is being opened or closed. The downward movement of the support legs has been limited to the vertical position and the upward movement to the closed hatch position. Thus the support legs and the hatch interact in an advantageous manner.

Furthermore, the assembly contains a separate hatch movement limiter 8. The limiter has a rod 16 whose one end is attached by means of a swivel axle 18, to a lug 17 fastened to hatch 2. The rod 16 can be moved along its longitudinal axis in a guide 19, which is rotatable about an axle 20. The rod 16 contains holes 21, which fit a pin 22. By inserting the pin 22 into an appropriate hole, the downward movement of the hatch 2 can be limited to a certain position. In this way, for instance, a suitable loading platform is produced at the required height.

The advantages of the invention as compared to the previously known arrangement are smaller wear on the power unit, smaller vesel resistance as well as advantageous interaction of the support legs and the hatch.

1. A support assembly for a vessel with a hinged bow hatch comprising a support leg attached to the vesel and swivellable relative thereto between a raised and lowered position, and a power unit operating between the vessel and the support leg, said power unit being located inside the vessel.

2. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the power unit is at least one working

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Support assembly for a vessel The subject of the invention is a support assembly for a vessel, having a hinged bow hatch. Previously known is a marine vessel with a hinged bow hatch for loading and unloading cargo. The bow of the known vessel is equipped with support legs on which the vessel can be anchored ashore and the bow supported while loading or unloading takes place. The support legs are moved in a vertical direction within a body, which also contains a power unit closely connected with the support leg in order to move it. Such a support leg and body are in contact with the water. The disadvantages of this apparatus are rapid corrosion by water, as well as vessel resistance during motion. Being closely connected with the support leg, the power unit is subject to the same strain, which wears the power unit. The purpose of this invention is to remove the above disadvantages as well as to produce interaction between the support legs and the hatch. The present invention provides a support assemblyfor a vessel with a hinged bow hatch, comprising a support leg attached to the vessel and swivellable relative thereto between a raised and lowered position and a power unit operating between the vessel and the support leg, said power unit being located inside the vessel. Preferably the power unit is at least one working cylinder operable by pressure, one end of the working cylinder being attached to the vessel and the other end to the support leg. In the preferred embodiment there are two supportlegs, placed near and on either side of the bow hatch of the vessel and which are swivellable in a substantially vertical plane lengthwise with respect to the vessel. One embodiment of the invention is explained in the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 represents the support assembly as seen from the side; Figure 2 represents the support assembly as seen from above; and Figure 3 represents the support assembly as seen from the front, the support leg in the lowered position being indicated by a dotted line. In Figure 1 numeral 1 refers to the vessel and 2 to the hinged bow hatch. Arrow 3 generally refers to the support leg, which has one end attached by a swivel axle 6 to a lug 9 fastened to the vessel. Figure 2 shows that the support leg is placed near the outside of hatch 2. On the other side of the hatch there is a corresponding leg, which is not shown in Figure 2. In this case there are 2 legs. Each support leg 3 can be raised and lowered by a power unit operating between the vessel 1 and the support leg 3. In the Figures, the power unit is a working cylinder 5, with one end attached a lug 14, by a swivel axle 11. The lug 14 is fastened to the support leg 3 by means of a support 15. The other end of the cylinder 5 is connected to a lug 12 by a swivel axle 10. The lug 12 is attached to the vessel 1 by a support 13. The working cylinder 5 is advantageously separate from the support leg, operated by pressure and, as seen in the Figures, placed lengthwise within the vessel, whereby it is out of direct contact with water. Each working cylinder is advantageously arranged to be controlled individually. Thus the support legs, when lowered, can easily be adjusted to ground level. The working cylinder can be replaced by another power unit, such as a rotating driving motor and gear drive. It is essential that the power unit allows the support leg to turn around the swivel joint 4 on the vessel body 1 in a substantially vertical plane, especially lengthwise with respect to the vessel. The swivelling axles 6 of the support legs are generally perpendicular to the vertical plane going through the longitudinal axis of the vessel, and advantageously tilted in relation to the horizontal plane so that their outer ends are higher than the inner ends. In Figure 3 the tilt angle is 0 1. In addition, the axles can be turned in a horizontal plane to form an angle between them smaller than 180 , which points towards the bow. In Figure 2 the angle between axle 6 and the transverse plane is 2. When the axles are turned in this way, the distance between the lower ends of the support legs when lowered is greater than that between the upper ends (dotted line in Figure 3). This makes the support legs more stable. Figure 3 shows rests attached to the support legs 3, in the form of arms 7 extending to the bow hatch when viewed from fore and aft and to the frontside of it when viewed from the beam direction. The purpose of the rests is to support the hatch at least when it is being opened or closed. The downward movement of the support legs has been limited to the vertical position and the upward movement to the closed hatch position. Thus the support legs and the hatch interact in an advantageous manner. Furthermore, the assembly contains a separate hatch movement limiter 8. The limiter has a rod 16 whose one end is attached by means of a swivel axle 18, to a lug 17 fastened to hatch 2. The rod 16 can be moved along its longitudinal axis in a guide 19, which is rotatable about an axle 20. The rod 16 contains holes 21, which fit a pin 22. By inserting the pin 22 into an appropriate hole, the downward movement of the hatch 2 can be limited to a certain position. In this way, for instance, a suitable loading platform is produced at the required height. The advantages of the invention as compared to the previously known arrangement are smaller wear on the power unit, smaller vesel resistance as well as advantageous interaction of the support legs and the hatch. CLAIMS

2. An assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the power unit is at least one working cylinder operable by pressure, one end of the working cylinder being attached to the vessel and the other end to the support leg.

3. An assembly in accordance with claim 1 or 2, wherein there are two support legs, placed near and on either side of the bow hatch of the vessel and which are swivellable in a substantially vertical plane lengthwise with respect to the vessel.

4. An assembly in accordance with any of claims 1-3, wherein the swivel axles of the ends of the support legs are substantially perpendicular to the vertical plane going through the longitudinal axis of the vessel but they are tilted in relation to the horizontal level, so that their outer ends are higher than their inner ends, and/or the axles are turned horizontally to form an angle between them which is smaller than 180 and points towards the bow.

5. - An assembly in accordance with claim 3 or 4, wherein the working cylinder for each support leg is separately controlled.

6. An assembly in accordance with any of claims 1-5, wherein there are rests in the form of arms attached to the support legs, and the arms extend to the bow hatch when viewed fore and aft and to the front of it when viewed from the beam direction.

7. An assembly in accordance with claim 6, wherein the arms are arranged so as to support the bow hatch at least when it is being opened or closed.

8. An assembly in accordance with any of claims 1-7, wherein the downward movement of the support legs is limited to a vertical position and the upward movement to the closed hatch position.

9. An assembly in accordance with any of claims 1-8, which contains a limiter which limits the downward movement of the hatch.

10. A support assembly for a vessel substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.