LU81640A1 - BOAT FOR THE TRANSPORT OF GOODS SUCH AS CONTAINERS OR PALLETIZED LOADS - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a boat - this term being taken in the broad sense - intended in particular for the transport of goods, in particular containers or palletized loads.

It is known that today, storage and transport are more and more often done in palletized form or in containers, which has generally proved to be easier to carry out. and more economical than the known traditional forms.

These forms of storage and transport are used in particular by road and by air, but have hitherto been unable to be validly used, on a large scale and economically by sea or river. The reason is that we have been content to use, for these specific forms of storage and transport, boats of the conventional type 15 which, in fact, have proved to be unsuitable. The presence on the boat of gunwales or coamings does not allow a rational storage of the goods. The level differences between the quay and the loading surface of the boat constituted by the bottom of the latter or the upper surface of a first layer 20 of goods vary constantly depending on the load of the boat, the height quays, floods, etc. As a result, the loading of goods into the boat from the quay - and of course their unloading, of course - requires the use of lifting equipment such as cranes, overhead cranes, etc., not necessarily present on any site. loading and unloading, which are both expensive, complex and time consuming. to implement, etc. On the contrary, the use of common materials such as forklifts is hardly possible.

The present invention aims to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a boat, self-propelled or not, intended in particular for the transport of goods, in particular containers or palletized loads comprising a hull defining a wedge, characterized in that it comprises in combination .at least 'a water-ballast on all or part of the hull; means for admitting or, on the contrary, discharging water from the water-ballast; means for controlling the inlet and outlet means according to determined volumes of water; at least one movable floor, normally horizontal, housed in the hold; means for guiding the floor allowing it to slide vertically; means for driving the floor in upward or downward vertical translation, between a lower position closest to the bottom of the hold and a higher position at least substantially at the level of the deck of the boat.

According to other features of the invention, the water-ballast can include vertical compartments and a * horizontal compartment; each of these compartments can be subdivided. The lower compartment can be deformable or, on the contrary, non-deformable; the floor can be in one piece or have several parts; it can be in the form of a box or even in the form of a simple frame on which rests a "fiat".

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Such a boat is particularly suitable for transporting goods such as containers or palletized loads. Indeed, the loading and unloading operations can be carried out with a minimum of manipulations while using light and mobile handling means such as forklifts.

The characteristics of the invention will be well understood thanks to the description which follows with reference to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view through a vertical and transverse plane, illustrating a boat according to the invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are two schematic views, in section, "by a vertical and transverse plane, illustrating the boat according to the invention in two particular states. .

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 5Δ, 53, 'are each a schematic half-view, in section, by a vertical and transverse plane,

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illustrating a particular form of execution of water ballasts

Figure 6 is a schematic view, in section, · by a vertical, longitudinal plane, illustrating two particular embodiments of water ballasts.

FIGS. 7A, 7B are two partial schematic half-views, in section, through a vertical and transverse plane, illustrating another particular embodiment of water ballast in two particular states.

Figures 8 and 9 are two schematic perspective views illustrating two particular embodiments of u: floor of the boat according to the invention.

FIGS. 10A and IÛB are two schematic half-views, in section, through a transverse and vertical plane, illustrating a particular embodiment of the boat according to the invention in two particular states.

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Figure 11 is a schematic sectional view through “a vertical and transverse plane, illustrating another variant of the boat according to the invention.

FIGS. 12A, 12B, 12C, 12D and 12E are five schematic views, in section, by a vertical and transverse plane, illustrating the different phases due to the implementation of a particular embodiment of a boat according to the 'invention.

According to the invention, a boat is proposed - this word being taken in the broad sense of floating work - self-propelled or not, intended in particular for the transport of goods, in particular containers or palletized loads. This boat comprises (FIG. 1) a rigid hull 1, having in cross section a general shape of U, that is to say formed by a bottom 2, normally horizontal, and by at least two lateral and vertical sides 3 a water-ballast 4 rigidly fixed to the shell 1, covering all or part of the latter; means 5 for admitting or, on the contrary, discharging water from the water-ballast 4; means 6 for controlling the means 5 and ensuring the admission or the discharge of determined volumes of water; at least one rigid, mobile, normally horizontal floor, accommodates in the wedge 8: means 9 for guiding the floor 7 allowing its vertical sliding; means 10 for driving the floor 7 in upward or downward vertical translation, between a lower position 30 closest to the bottom of the hold 11 (FIG. 2) and a higher position at least substantially at the level of the deck 12 of the boat (FIG. 3 ).

The water-ballast 4 is preferably located at or near the bottom of the bilge 11 but also can extend 5 vertically on the sides 3 to the deck 12 (FIG. 4A) or to an intermediate point between the bilge 11 and deck 12 (Figure 4B). The water-ballast 4 can comprise a single compartment (FIGS. 4A, 4B) or several compartments. In this case, these are separated from each other, either in the transverse direction (FIGS. 5A, 5B) ·, either in the longitudinal direction (FIG. 6), or in combination in the transverse direction and in the longitudinal direction . In the case where the water-ballast 4 has several compartments, these can, overlap (right part 5 of FIG. 6) or, on the contrary, be separated from each other (left part of the figure 6). This latter arrangement makes it possible to provide housings capable of being used in particular for the means 9 for guiding the floor 7.

In the case of FIGS. 5A, 5B, the water-ballast 4 10 comprises a lower compartment 13 extending over the bottom of the hold 11 and two lateral compartments 14 extending over the sides 3. In the case of FIG. 5A, the compartment 13 occupies the entire hold bottom 11. On the contrary, in the case of FIG. 5B, it is the lateral compartment 14 which occupies the totality of the lateral flank 3.

In the case of Figure 6, there is shown a water-ballast mistletoe has several lower compartments 13a, 13b, 13c, the compartments 13a and 13b being spaced from one another and the compartments 13b and 13 ^ adjoining. Likewise, several lateral compartments 14a, 14b, 14c are provided respectively extending from the respective compartments 13a, 13b, 13c. However, it is also conceivable that the lateral compartments 14a, 14b, 14c are offset longitudinally relative to the lower compartments 13a, 13b, 13c.

25 The water-ballast 4 or the various compartments which compose it are either rigid and therefore non-deformable, or i * on the contrary limited by a flexible and deformable envelope.

This arrangement is particularly advantageous in the case of a water-ballast 4 with several compartments, the lower compartment 13 being flexible and deformable (FIGS. 7A, 7B) and the lateral compartments 14 being undeformable. This particular arrangement makes it possible to reduce the size of the lower compartment 13 when the latter is empty (FIG. 7B).

The realization of the water-ballast in several compartments-35ments as that has just been described, for purely indicative purposes, has the essential advantage of making it possible to locate or to sectorize the volumes of water admitted into or discharged from the water-ballast . This localization or sectoring turns out to be particularly useful for achieving a balancing of the boat in the. • longitudinal or transverse direction, depending on the load it supports.

The means 5 for admitting or, on the contrary, discharging water from the water-ballast 4, are in particular in the form of a pump or valve associated with the water-ballast 4 or with each of the compartments thereof.

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The means 6 for controlling the means 5 for admitting or discharging water are in particular electrical, electronic, pneumatic, etc. .and are implemented for example from a central control station 10 (not shown) located on the boat, if necessary on the quay 15- to which the boat is docked. Optionally, these control means 6 comprise control means making it possible to display the quantities of water being in each compartment of the water-ballast 4. Of course, the boat comprises means of controlling the draft which are susceptible to be matched with the control means of the control means 6.

The floor 7 is presented, in a first embodiment illustrated by FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 10A, 10B, co.rime 20 a solid · loading plane, rigid, naturally undeformable, possibly including reinforcements, made for example of metal, occupying a surface corresponding to the hold bottom 11, that is to say extending between the lateral flanks 3 of the hull 1 or the lateral compartments 14 of the water-ballast 4. This floor 25 is normally horizontal, i.e. parallel to the bottom of the hold 11. As previously seen for water ballast 4, - the floor 7 may have several sections in the transverse direction and / or the longitudinal direction. These sections can in particular come in correspondence with the compartments of the water-ballast 4. This is particularly true in the case of water-ballasts such as those illustrated in FIG. 6.

In a second embodiment of the floor 7 illustrated in FIG. 8, there is provided a lower loading plane 16 and an upper loading plane 17 placed directly above the plane 16, joined together rigidly by support means 18 such as, angle brackets or the like, fitting between the two loading sides 16, 17 of the access zones.

In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, the floor is in the form of an openwork more precisely in the form of a lower frame 19 and an upper frame 20, placed directly above the frame 19, rigidly connected to each other by support means 21 of the same type as the support means 18 already mentioned. These frames 19.20 are capable of serving as support for "flats" 22, that is to say planes supporting goods. It is also understood that the frames 19 and 20 are capable of receiving loaded pallets.

It goes without saying, of course, that the two embodiments which are the subject of FIGS. 8 and 9 can be combined. Similarly, the floor, according to the first embodiment and Figures 1 to 3, 10A, 10B, can also be in the form of a frame.

The boat according to the invention also comprises means 9 for guiding the floor 7 allowing it to slide vertically. These means can, of course, be the subject of a large number of distinct forms of execution. They may consist, in particular but not exclusively, of guide parts associated with the floor 7, cooperating with slides, grooves or the like, of the shell 1. It may also be 20 endless chain devices to which the floor 7, said endless chains being placed vertically and tensioned between two pulleys, one located near the bottom of the hold 11 and the other near the deck 12. It may also be a device of the type deformable parallelogram or, alternatively, of racks or of cable devices.

In all cases, these devices are preferably placed at the periphery of the floor 7 so as to be able, on the one hand, to cooperate with corresponding elements fixed directly or indirectly to the shell 1 and, on the other hand , not to be in the central loading space of the floor 7.

The means 10 for driving the floor 7 in upward or downward vertical translation can also be the subject of many embodiments generally in relation to the embodiment of the guide means 9. In particular, but not exclusively, the means 10 can be in the form of hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders, associated directly with the table or with a device of the deformable paraleogram type, motors cooperating with the endless chains or with suspension cables or with racks and worms. It can also be linear electric motors.

In all cases, the floor 7 is capable of being moved between two extreme positions, namely, a lower position where the floor 7 is closest to the bilge bottom 11 5 and a sxipërieure position where the floor 7 is placed at least substantially at deck 12.

More precisely, the lower position corresponds to that in which the floor is supported on or in the immediate vicinity of the bottom of the hold 11. In the case where the boat has two superimposed floors (case of FIGS. 8, 9 and 11), the upper floor occupies a lower position substantially at the level of the bridge 12 and an upper position corresponding to the upper position of the lower floor. This therefore means that the vertical spacing between the two lower and upper floors corresponds substantially to the depth of the wedge 8 :.

There are provided connecting means 23, mobile and, .. optionally, removable, allowing transfer between this floor 7 and the platform 15 when said floor is located substantially at the level of this platform. These 20 connecting means 23 are arranged so as to allow the passage of handling equipment such as forklifts of known type. These connecting means 23 either remain permanently on the quay or preferably are associated with each boat with the hull or the floor 7 thereof. These connecting means 23 are in particular in the form of coamings,

that is to say, plates having an appropriate conformation, placed. normally vertically in the unused position (Figure 10A

* Figure 11) or placed horizontally, if used (Figure 10B} '. For this purpose, these coamings can be pivotally mounted on the floor 7 around a horizontal and longitudinal axis. In addition, the coamings can be provided: ”at their extreme free part of means such as rollers or others allowing their support on the quay 15. It is quite obvious that it is possible to provide means for gripping coamings or 35 maneuvering means of these.

In the case of a boat comprising a double floor such as that illustrated in FIG. 8, the coamings associated with the upper loading plane 17 can, in the useless position, be placed vertically, forming a sort of protec-40 -? / τη laféralo r \ a na-ri- o + - r! 1 avs ~ TrîfirH-f- T> 1 ÄΠ dp oharaPülP.Tlf. 17 protecting the goods based on this plan.

The boat may also include means for controlling the control means 6 to the drive means 10 and also to the means for controlling the draft of the boat. Therefore, 5 it is possible to control the operation of the means 5 depending in particular on the load of the boat.

As has been well understood, the degree of filling of the water-ballasts with water makes it possible to vary the draft of the boat and this, all other things being equal. It is also obvious that the relative position of the boat relative to the quay is variable depending on the state of this quay, the tides, the load of the boat. This is why, the invention aims to ensure that during the loading or unloading phases of goods * from the boat, the loading floor is found to be substantially · at the same level as the quay 15 so that the means of connection 23 being made active, material of forklifts or the like can pass from quay 15 to floor 7 and vice versa and therefore proceed to the loading and unloading operations of the boat. It is therefore understandable, therefore, that the degree of filling 20 of the water-ballast 4 varies in particular according to the degree of loading of the boat and the different phases of loading and unloading thereof. With reference to FIGS. 12A to 12E, the main phases of loading a boat comprising a double floor will be described in accordance with FIG. 8.

25 Initially (Figure 12Ά), the boat is empty, the lower loading plane 16 is in the vicinity of the bilge bottom 11 and the loading plane 17 at the deck 12.

The compartments 13 and 14 of the water-ballast 4 are empty and the buoyancy level 24 is close to the bottom of the hold 11.

3d. We therefore aim to fill this boat starting with the lower loading plane 16. For this purpose, (Figure 12B), we completely or almost completely fill the compartments 13 and 14 of the water-ballast 4 so that the boat sinks and that the buoyancy level 24 moves away from the bottom of the hold 11 and rap-35 near the deck 12. At the same time, the drive means 10 are used so as to cause a relative upward vertical movement of the planes 16 and 17 relative to the hull 1. In this way, the lower loading plane 16 can be at a level substantially close to that of the quay 15

The connecting means 23 are then placed in the active position.

The boat being in this state, it is possible to proceed with the loading of the lower plane 16 by using materials such as forklifts or others which seize the 5 goods being on the quay 15 and store them on the loading plane 16 having borrowed the connecting means 23. The goods 25 are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 12C. Because of the weight represented by these goods, it is necessary, for the boat to maintain a constant level of flow-10 taison, to carry out a certain volume of water from the water-ballast 4. For example, all or part of the lower compartments 13 is emptied.

When the load plan. lower 16 is filled with the goods 15, one proceeds to v> n vertical relative movement 15 descending from this loading plane, with a view to bringing it closer to the hold bottom 11, which has the effect of bringing back the upper loading plane 17 at a level close to that of the platform 15. The use of the connecting means 23 associated with the upper loading plane 17 then makes it possible to load the loading plane 17 in the same manner as seen previously with the loading plane. loading 16. The corresponding goods 26 are illustrated in FIG. 12D. In the same way as seen previously, it follows the need to lighten the boat and, for this reason, the water-ballasts 4 are emptied.

25 Finally, the connection means 23 are placed in the inactive position (FIG. 12E) which provides protection for the goods 26.

. Naturally, it is conceivable that for a boat which has several floors, spaced apart longitudinally from one another, these are loaded either concomitantly or successively, the water ballasts associated with each floor being filled or emptied in as needed.

Of course, the invention can be the subject of numerous variants with regard to the different means used 35 water-ballasts, means 5, 6, 9, 10, 23.

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Claims (10)

1, - Boat, self-propelled or not, intended in particular for the transport of goods, in particular containers or palletized loads, comprising a hull defining a wedge, characterized in that it comprises, in combination, at least one 5 water-ballast on all or part of the hull; means for admitting or, on the contrary, discharging-water from the watér-ballast; means for controlling the inlet and outlet means according to determined volumes of water; at least one movable floor, normally horizontal, housed in the hold; means 10 for guiding the floor allowing it to slide vertically; means for driving the floor in upward or downward vertical translation, between a lower position closest to the bottom of the hold and a position greater than rs substantially at the level of the deck of the boat. 15 2.- boat according to claim 1, characterized in that the water-ballast has a single compartment. 3. Boat according to claim 1, characterized in that the water-ballast has several compartments. 4. Boat according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the compartments are separated in the transverse or / and longitudinal direction. 5. Boat according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that the compartments are adjacent to or spaced from each other. 25 6.- boat according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the hull has a cross-sectional shape% a general U-shape comprising a bottom and two lateral flanks. > 7. Boat according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the water-ballast comprises a lower compartment corresponding to the hull bottom and two lateral compartments corresponding to the lateral flanks thereof. 8, - boat according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the floor 'is in one part; 35 9, - boat according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the floor is in several parts ** in the transverse and / or longitudinal direction. 10.- Boat according to any one of the claims. characterized by the fact that the different elements of the floor are in correspondence with the different compartments of the water-ballast. 11, - Boat according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises two superposed floors and rigidly connected to each other, access between the two floors being made possible . 12. Boat according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a floor in the form of a simple frame capable of receiving a "fiat". 10 13.- Boat according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the spacing between the floors, lower and upper corresponds substantially to the depth of the wedge. 14. Boat according to any one of claims 1 to i 15 13, characterized in that it comprises connecting means 23 associated with the hull or the floor and capable of cooperating with a quay when the latter is located at a level close to that of said floor. 15. Boat according to claim 14, characterized in that the means 23 are mounted movable in particular with longitudinal pivoting relative to the floor. 16. A boat according to any one of claims 14 and 15, characterized in that the connecting means also serve, when they are in the inactive position, as means of protecting the goods on the floor. f V "" ·