NL2019354B1 - Launch and recovery system - Google Patents

Abstract

Launch and recovery system (1) comprising a base (2) mounted or mountable on a deck (4) of a ship, and two booms (3) pivotably mounted on the base (2), wherein the two booms (3) are connected at their extremities (12) distant from the base (2) with an upper beam (11), and wherein a load (13) is sus— pendable from the upper beam (ll), wherein the upper beam (ll) is separable in two independent parts without interconnection, and that with the upper beam (11) separated in two parts the two booms (3) are operable independent from each other, wherein each boom (3) is equipped to handle a load independent from the other boom (3).

Description

Netherlands Patent Office © 2019354 (2?) Application number: 2019354 © Application filed: July 27, 2017 © B1 OCTROOI

Int. Cl .:

B63B 27/16 (2017.01) B66C 13/02 (2018.01)

0 Application registered: © Patent holder (s): February 18, 2019 FNV IP B.V. in Leidschendam. 0 Request published: - © Inventor (s): Peter Nicolaas Looijen in Leidschendam. © Patent granted: February 18, 2019 © Authorized representative: © Patent issued: ir. C.M. Jansen et al. In The Hague. May 15, 2019

54) Launch and recovery system

Launch and recovery system (1) including a base (2) mounted or mountable on a deck (4) or a ship, and two booms (3) pivotably mounted on the base (2), including the two booms (3) are connected at their extremities (12) distant from the base (2) with an upper beam (11), and bearing a load (13) is suspendable from the upper beam (11), where the upper beam (11) is separable in two independent parts without interconnection, and that with the upper beam (11) separated in two parts the two booms (3) are operable independent from each other, each tree (3) is equipped to handle a load independent from the other tree (3) .

NL B1 2019354

This patent has been granted regardless of the attached result of the research into the state of the art and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally submitted.

Launch and recovery system

The invention relates to a launch and recovery system including a base mounted or mounted on a deck of a ship, and two booms pivotably mounted on the base, carrying the two booms are connected at their extremities distant from the base with an upper beam, and where a load is suspendable from the upper beam.

Such a launch and recovery system is commonly known in the art and is used for getting a load from the deck of the ocean water, or the other way around getting a load out of the water onto the deck of the ship.

Usually the known launch and recovery system is restricted in the way it can be used, and most of the time it (necessarily) stands in the way in the limited space available on the deck of the ship.

It is an object of the invention to provide a launch and recovery system with increased versatility and which has further benefits as will become apparent from the following disclosure.

The launch and recovery system of the invention is embodied with the features or one or more of the appended claims.

In a first aspect of the invention the upper beam is removable and that with the upper beam removed, each tree is equipped to handle a load independently from the other tree. By applying the two booms independent from each other, the capacity of the launch and recovery system can be doubled, since the individually operable booms can be used to handle different loads simultaneously.

For the ease and versatility of their independent use the booms can be provided with two independent and disconnected upper beam parts.

When no independent use of the booms is envisaged the upper beam can be replaced. However, it is also possible that the two independent and disconnected upper beam parts are connectable to each other so as to provide an upper beam that connects the extremities of the two booms.

A preferred feature of the launch and recovery system of the invention is that the upper beam and / or the respective upper beam parts is / are rotatable along their longitudinal axis perpendicular to the booms. This supports the ease of handling of the system of the invention while navigating a load that is suspended from (a part of) the upper beam between the water and the deck of the ship. The upper beam or the respective upper beam parts can thus automatically rotate to an optimal position while the booms are pivoting on their base.

Using the two parts of the upper beam to connect the booms of the launch and recovery system supports the normal way of operation is the load suspended from the upper beam. This also applies when the upper beam is not rotatable along its longitudinal axis between the two booms. Any load can be transferred from the deck of the ship to the water or vice versa while passing in between the two booms.

Anyway, when the (two parts of the) upper beam connects the two booms it is preferable that the two booms are concertedly operable to make handling of the load easy and well-defined. Advantageously the two booms are then movable as each other's mirror image. However, it is also possible to operate the two booms concertedly without being in synchronicity as each other's mirror image, particularly when specific loads with instance bulky dimensions need to be handled.

Preferably the booms are extendible. This feature allows the two booms to be pre-programmed to follow a predetermined path when navigating a load between the ship and the sea so that it will not be required to lift the load to an appreciable height but it will suffice to lift the load only slightly in order to enable it to pass the railing of the ship. It is possible to maintain a low point of gravity or any load, improving stability or both the load and the ship on which the launch and recovery system is mounted.

One thing and another promoter thus the reach and versatility of the launch and recovery system of the invention. For the same reason it is desirable that the base supports a frame or frames that is pivotably mounted on the base, and that the frame or frames pivotably supports the boom or booms.

It is further preferable that with plural frames each frame is supported by an individual base so that each tree is entirely independent from the other tree and can be individually manipulated.

The invention will be further elucidated with reference to the drawing of an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention that is not limiting as to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

-figure 1 shows in a side view of a launch and recovery system according to the invention;

-figure 2 shows a perspective view of the launch and recovery system of figure 1;

-figures 3, 4 and 5 show further perspective views of the launch and recovery system of figure 1;

-figure 6 shows the launch and recovery system of figure 1 with two separately operable booms;

-figures 7 and 8 show the launch and recovery system of figure 1 with different suspended loads;

-figure 9 shows the launch and recovery system or figure 1 highlighting the option to extend the two booms.

Whenever in the figures the same reference numerals are applied, these numerals refer to the same parts.

Making reference first to figure 1 it shows in side view a launch and recovery system 1 of the invention including a base 2 mounted on a deck 4 of a ship (not further shown), and a boom 3 directly or indirectly and pivotably mounted on the base 2. As will be shown and discussed further in this description a load is suspendable from said tree 3.

In the embodiment shown in figure 1 the tree 3 is pivotably mounted on a frame 5, in turn said frame 5 is pivotably mounted on the base 2. Arrows 'a' indicate that the frame 5 can swivel back-and-forth around a pivot 6 that pivotably connects the frame 5 with the base 2. Pivoting of the frame 5 is done by actuating a hydraulic cylinder 7. Likewise a pivot 8 connects the tree 3 to the frame 5, and actuation of a hydraulic cylinder 9 causes that the tree 3 may pivot back and forth according to arrows 'b' around the pivot 8.

Figure 1 further shows that the tree 3 is extendable and is embodied with a first part 3 '' that connects with the pivot 8 to the frame 5, and a second part 3 'that is telescopically extendable from the first part 3' 'by actuation or a hydraulic cylinder 10.

Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5 show the launch and recovery system 1 in a perspective view which reveals that the system 1 comprises two similar or identical booms 3. Figures 2-5 all show that there is an individual base 2 for each frame 5 that is pivotably mounted on the base 2, and that each frame 5 pivotably supports a tree 3. The operation of each tree 3, frame 5, and base 2 is consistent with what has been discussed above with reference to figure 1. In accordance with the invention the booms 3 are preferably jointly operable with a removable upper beam 11 connects or is connectable to the two booms 3 at extremities 12 of the booms 3 distant from the base 2 and distant from the deck 4 of the ship.

Desirably the two booms 3 are concertedly operable which makes handling a load 13 as shown in figure 7 and figure 8 easy. It shows in figures 7 and 8 that the load 13 is suspended from the upper beam 11. Figures 7 and 8 show the load 13 at slightly different altitudes from which it will nevertheless be clear that the two booms 3 are movable as each other's mirror image . At the same time the upper beam 11 is rotatable along its longitudinal axis between the two booms 3 to accommodate the change of angular position that the load 13 assumes with reference to the booms 3.

Turning now to figure 6 the feature of the launch and recovery system 1 of the invention is shown that the upper beam 11 is removed and replaced by two independent upper beam parts without interconnection, and that with the upper beam 11 removed, each tree is 3 equipped to handle a load independent from the other tree 3. The load can then be suspended from the upper beam part that has been connected to the concerning tree

3.

Although not shown in the figures it is also possible that instead of replacing the upper beam 11 for reconnecting the extremities 12 of the booms 3, the two independent and disconnected upper beam parts are made to be connectable to each other so as to provide in this way the upper beam that connects the extremities 12 of the two booms 3.

Finally Figure 9 shows the launch and recovery system of the invention, according to the booms 3 are shown in both solid lines and broken lines to depict that the booms are 3 extendible.

Although the invention has been discussed in the foregoing with reference to an exemplary embodiment of the launch and recovery system of the invention, the invention is not restricted to this particular embodiment which can be varied in many ways without departing from the invention. The discussed example is therefore not used to construct the appended claims strictly in accordance with therewith. On the contrary the embodiment is merely intended to explain the becoming of the appended claims without intent to limit the claims to this exemplary embodiment. The scope of protection of the invention shall therefore be constructed in accordance with the appended claims only, where possible ambiguity in the wording of the claims shall be resolved using this exemplary embodiment.

Claims (7)

CONCLUSIONS A launch and retrieval system (1) comprising a base (2) mounted or mountable on a deck (4) of a ship, and two masts (3) pivotally mounted on the base (2), the two masts (3) are connected at their ends (12) remote from the base (2) to an upper beam (11), and wherein a load (13) can be suspended from the upper beam (11), characterized in that the upper beam (11) is removable and that when the upper beam (11) is removed, each mast (3) is equipped to handle a load independently of the other mast (3). Launch and retrieval system according to claim 1, characterized in that the masts (3) can be provided with two independent and non-connected upper beam parts. Launch and retrieval system according to claim 2, characterized in that the two independent and non-connected upper beam parts can be connected to each other in order to provide an upper beam (11) which connects the ends (12) of the two masts (3) to each other . Launch and retrieval system according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the upper beam (11) and / or the respective upper beam parts are rotatable along their longitudinal axis perpendicular to the masts (3). Launch and retrieval system according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the two masts (3) are extendable. Launch and retrieval system according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the base (2) supports a frame (5) or frames pivotally mounted on the base (2), and in that the frame (5) or frames pivotally carries a mast (3) or the masts. Launch and retrieval system according to claim 6, characterized in that with a plurality of frames (5) each frame is supported by an individual base (2).