GB2173744A - Sectional vessels - Google Patents

Abstract

Adjustable size boats or ships comprise separate sections that are totally self floating and that will lock or join to others to form a larger vessel. A small unit which is a small vessel can be loaded or unloaded at a small port then taken under its own power, or by a powered unit to join other units at a convenient place, which may be powered by a larger power unit. All the units are then connected together to form a large ship for long voyages. Various styles of units to take different cargoes or passengers and separate power units make vessels more flexible and also, if a power unit is out of commission being refitted or repaired, the cargo units can still be used. Also if a unit is holed, it could be detached from other units and allowed to sink or be taken for repair, while other units continue on their journey. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements related to the design of ships I, Michael Thomas Beckett, Residing at 531 Watford Road, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a Patent may be granted to me and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in the following statement: This invention relates to Ships, boats, barges, which may be used for transportation of goods, or passengers, on waterways and the high seas. It relates to the design of a ship, so that its size can be altered to accommodate different loads and consignments, reduce manpower, speed up loading and unloading, and cost of replacement and cost of ship can be reduced or increased as per demand. The ship may be of any suitable material or size.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved design and concept for the manufacture of ships, with an aim to make them more universal.

According to the present invention it has a different concept to that used at present. Usually a ship, boat, or barge, is designed for a certain job. i.e. As a Cargo boat, Tanker, Container Boat, Liner, passenger boat, car ferry, ferry, or cargo liner. It is desined to a fixed size, length, beam, and hight. It is desined with fixed position for Engine, wheel house, accomodation etc. It may have the wheel house, in the bow, or the middle or near the stern. Also if there is damage to the hull, repairs needed to engine, or a refit needed the whole ship has to be taken to dry dock, or repair yard and cannot be used until repairs are completed. In consequence the whole value of the ship is tied up and cannot earn money.

According to the present invention these problems are overcome. The present invention consists of a flexible desin, and size of boat or ship, made up of different sections, each self supporting, orfloating but being capable of locking together to form a large ship. The sections can be of any suitable shape, size, length or beam. As an example one could have sections of 50m long. Lock 4 together and one has a ship of 200m long. It is then possible to design a power unit, which has controls and wheel house and accomodation for crew in a 50m section. This locks onto other sections to form a boat of 250m. It could lock on to a front(bow), middle (midships) or end(Stern). It would also be possible to have a special bow section which locks on to the front or bow of the sectioned ship.

The advantages of such a system are many. (a) initially an owner of Sectioned ship need only buy a power section. So the cost would be much smaller than choosing a large boat. The Power section could then transport any one elses or any compatable section. The owner could order sections as required.

Thus spreading his investment. Also it would be possible to have different styles of sections. Some for containers, some for lorries, some for cars, some as chemical containers, some as petrol tankers etc.

Thus one could have a ship that could be all petrol or oil tanker, one day, or a mixture of tanker, container, general cargo etc. Consequently as the volume of a particular commodity varied so one could increase sections suitable for that commodity. At present if one has a bulk carrier, for oil, and the market for oil reduces, it can make the running ofthesupertanker uneconomical. It is then left unused and is deteriating. It also has costs such as insurance, mooring, and maybe refitting fees. So as a demand for say grain increases, either for a short period or for a longer period, so it would be easier and cheaper to have built seperate sections. Thus a ship could have more flexibility. A ship could then contain oil, grain, containers, passengers, on one trip and all containers on the next trip.

b) Also the costs would be cheaper to run. It would be possible to load up sections in different ports, either with the same or differnt cargoes, for the sections to rendezvous with the power section, and thus make loading time faster. A whole ship worth xmillion would not be laying at dockside. different sections worth x-ymillion would only be used for loading. Also for a ship going from say one country, could pick up sections from different ports, and deliver sections to various destinations in one or more countries. ie. A continer ship, carrying frozen lamb, from New Zealand, could pick up ore in Australia, oil from the gulf and deliver to the U.K.

These are just examples. Another would be if say the U.K. were exporting Cars to Australia, with seperate sections being used, deliveries could be made to, Perth, Brisbane, and Sydney, without power section stopping. It would be possible to have fitted out small sections to suit large exporters, which could be used for specialised exports, making loading time faster and reducing delays. It would also be possible for sections to dock at smaller ports than a super sized ship,.

c) Replacement, or repair two a section would not mean the whole ship being layed up in dock. A refit to power section, would mean that the containers sections could be still used.

As demand grew for one type of section, it would not mean ordering a new ship. More updated sections could be used, without having to scrap or sell of cheap a whole ship. If one buys a 1,000to 1,000ton ship it is 1,000 ton it is costly to add to it or take away. With sections it is cheaper, faster and simpler.

Also one could have a variety of power sections, which would mean that options for fuel could be far more easily adaptable, and an owner or shipping line take advantage of lowering costs of different fuels. It would also be cheaper to experiment with new combinations of fuel for power sections. As the invention relates to no fixed length of section, it would be possible to have power section separate to control, or crew accomodation. Again reducing costs of refitting. Also layup time of ship.

d) if one or two sections became badly damaged, through hitting a reef, another ship, or in a storm, or by fire, and the damage was out of control, or such that would normally mean loss of the whole ship and cargo, the section or sectioned damaged could be set free. This could be allowed to sink, or be salvaged by tugs, while the rest of the ship continues its journey. Thus reducing time loss, insurance, salvage and crew life.

The sections would be such that they could be self floating, and shaped so as to be propelled by them selves with small power units, or towed by tugs or smaller power sections. The shape would be that convenient so as not to easily capsize, suit its cargo, and interlock with other sections to form a ship. A type of embodiment of the principle is shown on the accompanying drawings and described below.

Figure 1 shows a section in elevation.

Figure 7a shows plan view of section.

Figure 1b shows section with drop down bow section.

Figure ic shows section with own small power unit.

Figure2 shows various sections before locking tog ether.

Figure 2b shows Sections locked together forming one unit.

Figure2c shows an alternative make up from same units or sections but with power section in the bow.

The principle would work as railway engine, which can be out in the front, middle or rear of an assorted number of trucks and or carriages. The shape of a triangle for the sections could have the figure 3 advantage of not only assisting in locking together to form a more solid connection and ridgid and controlable body for the ship, but act as a bow when used seperately. The V section behind would also facilitate locking and the use of small power unit for self propulsion. The sections may be with or without their own power. Even sails could be fitted to increase efficiency and reduce power costs. The actual locking system could be various.

The aim would to be simple so as the could easily be locked together at Sea, and connections made for ellectrical wiring, communications, fuel, water or other supplies. One such system could be a series of ball jointsfixed to the inside of a V section of the stern or rear of a section and cups fitted to the front of the V ofthe section. Similarto ball joints of a car and trailer. The sections would be brought figure 3 and 4 close together. The sections when nearly in place. have the ball joints lowered or cups raised so that as they came vertically above each other so they could be raised or lowered and locked into place.

This could be manually or computor controlled. The other connections that may be needed such as for ellectical wiring, could be similar to that of trailer and car, with the connecting section flexible. The same applies to any other, type of connection. The sections could be desined to stay ridgid, both vertically, horizontally, or laterally with each other or designed so as to give some form of flexibility. This to allow greater stability, stength, or suitability. For instance if a ball and socket connection was used, or any suitable type of locking section. It could be fixed on slides so the sections could be floated up and down individually by the waves. This would have the advantage of stooping a ships back being broken.

Besides having a slide to allowveritcal movement, it could have a hinge or curved connection to allow a tilt of one section toanother. The ball sections could allow a certain bend in the ship which could mean that larger ships could turn more accutely. Thus giving more manouverability. An alternative locking system such as a straight ball going into a socket, or fixing going into a clamp could be used. Also movalbe ram, pistons, or buffers could be placed in the V sections so as to help keep ship ridgid, and avoid a metal to metal contact of the Vs actually fitting solid together. The methods could be of any suitable coupling. The principle is that a ship can be made of different sections and sizes to suit requirements.As different engines can be used to pull differenttruchs and orcarrages, as a different lorry trailer (figure 5) can be moved by different lorry engine cabs. In practice in unclustered shipping lanes it could be possible for one power section with a small crew to convey many sections. 10, 20, or 30.

But when it drew near to a busy shipping lane near its destination, such as english channel. other power sections could take over. Thus some sections could go to Spain. some could go to France, Ireland, England, Germany, Holland, and or Belgium. In consequence were it normal would only be worth sending say one ship every one, two or three weeks between two destinations one could send every day, or every two, three or 4 days, thus making shipping times faster. As it would be able to combineseveral ports of destination together. With computor controll it would be possible to change containers from one section to another during transit. Thus a Ship starting from New Zealand, Picking up in Australia, delivering to Say the U.K. and Germany, could transfer, the Containers, if a gantry, lift, crane and or truck system was used on the Sections. So one section with goods from New Zealand for Both Germany and the U.K. could transfer all german goods to Section From Australia, and take all U.K.

Goods from Australian Section. One would have to have correct amount of space and space to allow containers to be moved. The whole system is one of flexibility. Flexibility of Ship Size, Ship style, ship type. Flexibility for investment. Allowing say 10 year old sections to be used with 5 year old sections and brand new power sections. Flexibility of collection and delivery. Allowing more smaller ports to be used, but using the super size to reduce costs when possible Figure 7.

Claims (1)

1. The principle of a ship, Boat or Barge, that is made up of seperate sections that can be easily locked together for transportation and unlocked to allow differing ports of call or destination without the whole ship having to make that call or stop.

   The principle of a Ship, Boat or Barge, that is made up of different sections, that can carry different types of goods, or passengers, so that it is possible to change or replace sections easily. So as sections become damaged, out of date or not required, can be replaced by other sections to suit requirements.

   The Principle that a ship can be made up of independant sections and powered by choice of powere sections, so if power section breaks down it can be replaced by another power section, without having to tow ship in or lay up whole ship in dock. Or unload cargo in wrong port. That the Cargo and Or passenger Sections could still reach their original destination. where sections of a ship, vessel, boat or barge detach, either on a semi permanent basis or regular basis. Figure 7 only shows one embodiment of the advantages of a Beckentine system. In Figure 7 it shows a Beckentine made up of a Becker, or power unit, (A) and Becques and Beckels (B), (C), (D), (E).

   arriving at Thames Estuary. A Beckel (F) has already attached its self and is heading towards for example Norwich, but this could be any suitable destination.

   Sections (D.), and (E), have been docked or dock them selves at oil refinery at Canavey Island. The Beckentine continues up river consisting of (A), (B), & (C) are docked or dock them selves at Tilbury Container base. The Becker (A) may then refuel, restore, make repairs and or take on new crew. It then leaves collecting (K) which has been brought down from the upper thames, or come down under its own power. (A) also picks up Loaded or unloaded container sections (J) & (I). The Beckentine then proceeds to Canvey where it picks up H. & (G). It continues on to rendezvous with a Beckel (L) coming from Norwich. It may pick up other sections, on its jouney tO final destination. (M), (N), & O) represent another Beckentine, ready to visit same destinations of Canvey and or Tilbury. The advantage is speeding up turnround.Also if a port is strike bound or quarantined, a Beckentine could arrive, leave the Becques, in safe anchorage just outside port, and the Becker could make pick up at another port. The loaded Becques could then be docked when convenient, without the expense of holding up crew.

   The principle of a ship, Vessel Boat, barge of any convenient shape or size, to be used for any maritine purpose, warship, commercial purposes, and or on inland waterways, rivers canals or lakes, or for pleasure purposes, for models or toys, that are so designed to be of independant sections, that can be used together as one unit, by any suitable means, of locking, securing or clamping, which can be of a semi permanent or quick or fast detaching nature, so as to alter capacity, type, size, which can be done in dock or at sea, and to facilitate easy replacement of sections which may be damaged, in need of repair, up-dating or in need of replacing with out replacing the whole of the vessel or ship.

   The principle of Towing or pushing or propelling, a series of sections or independant vessels, as a total unit, or integral units, Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: *(b) New claims to be inserted after the fourth claim have been filed as follows: The principle that a ship, Boat or barge or any item that is intended to carry goods, or passengers over water or in water need not be designed ormade or confined to a particular size, type, use, at its planning or construction. But by using seperate sections that can be joined or locked together the capacity, size, or type of ship, can be altered, simply either when required, in dock, or at sea.

   The principle that the sections can be so designed tobe an independant boat, ship, barge or conveyor, but can also be connected, locked or joined with a power section and or other sections, to form a larger ship. The Principle of independent Sections, that can be with or without their own power and steering, that can float by its self carry a cargo or passengers, which can be locked, connected or fixed together to form a larger capacity,. and be treated as a single unit. That can be connected with a power section, that can propel, steer, guide and control a number of sections. Thus forming a complete Vessel or ship.

   That taking the name of the Inventor and Nautical terms for ships or Vessel. That a Suitable name for a section without power would be 'BECQUE'.ASec- tion with its own power system built in or attached a 'BECKEL'. A power Section, or control Section a 'BECKER' And the name for a Vessel, ship or boat, made up of one or more Becques or Beckels and a Becker called a 'BECKENTINE'.

   The Principle that a Becque or Beckel could be designed to to suit a particular cargo, that it could be designed to carry oil, or grain, coal, oar, containers, general cargo, cars, motor transport, lorries, or passengers, so that a Beckentine could consist of consignments of the same article, or different articles, to one or more destinations.

   The Principle that a BECKER could be of any suitable shape, dimention or size, out lined in the following diagrams, of small power for inland waters, medium power for sea, and large power for a Becker with ability to take more than a single line of becques of beckels, as shown in Figure 5.

   The Principle that a Beckentine, Beckers or Becques or Beckels, can be of any suitable dimention, whether for Ocean Going, inland water ways, for modles, or toys, and can be such as to float on, in, or be submerged in water, sea, ocean, lake or water way.

   The Principle of a Beckentine, Becker, Becque or Beckel system, which may be designed, so as to operate a system similar, to that out lined in figure 7,